Post by pinkdutchtulips on Nov 26, 2014 13:21:54 GMT -5
its a healthy mix of both. I've had good interactions with the police and a few questionable ones. I was given THREE warnings by the PD for speeding and it took one cop to actually pull me over, in a residential area, going downhill to give me a ticket. his comment of - why the rush .. were you late to work ? I remember looking at him thinking .. no you a-hole, I wasn't until you decided to pull me over for not riding my brakes down a hill.
I've been GRATEFUL for the police in dealing w/ xh in the summer of 13 and 14 when he relapsed on meth. all but ONE cop was respectful towards me - the only one I wanted to report was the one who asked me if I had ever done that .. NO ! all other interactions w/ the PD over the 4 5150 incidents and the ongoing violations of Order were handled very respectfully. people look at me funny when I tell them that I got through 2013/2014 by my faith in God and LE.
then again, there are places were I tend to stick the rules a bit tighter than other places. just bc I know the cops there are bit more a-holish than other places.
eta: xh's uncle and stepdad are both cops who DIDN'T call in special favors to have xh protected by the PD. my own gpa was a member of the LA and OC Sheriff's Depts. I've got LE members in my family all of whom I trust.
Yes and no. I have seen cops do amazing things. My husband is alive because of cops working their asses off to get him out of his submerged car.
I've also seen cops intentionally make up shit to mess with a civillian who was guilty of nothing more than "annoying the cop."
So, I think I'm trust warily? Like, I'll trust you to a very limited extent until you show me otherwise.
I kind of feel this way. I trust cops in that if I were in trouble, injured or a crime victim or something, I trust that they would help me. But if they ask to search my car, I'm still going to say no (even though the most illegal thing in my car is a week-old sippy cup of juice).
I also know that I'm more likely than not to get the benefit of the doubt, given my demographic. Although every time I've been pulled over, I've gotten a ticket and never gotten a warning, even for the absolute stupidest thing (yes asshole Atlanta PD guy who gave me a $148 ticket for something I didn't even do, I remember you).
Post by EllieArroway on Nov 26, 2014 13:35:04 GMT -5
I know two police officers, and judging by what I know about those two individuals I have a very negative view of the... I don't know how to say this, but I guess of the kind of person who can become a cop. Basically both of these guys are huge assholes. Bullies, prejudiced, power hungry. The fact that they're the only cops I know makes it hard for me not to think that we are hiring exactly the wrong type of person for this job. I know logically that this isn't always the case, but my personal experiences tell me that there are police officers out there who I would never trust.
Fortunately I have never had to deal with cops, but unfortunately that means I base a lot of my opinions of them on stereotypes I have formed largely based on the cops I know personally.
I am a white woman living in a upper middle to upper class area…I have never in my life been given a PERSONAL reason not to trust the police I have interacted with. I have never felt like I was treated differently because of my colour or sex or socio-economic level or anything at all really. I have never felt fear being near/around a police officer and generally feel like they do a great job in our area (my specific area is known for extremely low crime).
But, privilege, duh. I have no idea how people of colour in our area would feel and it might be interesting because in my specific area they would easily be in the minority. I would like to think they feel equally safe/well treated but I think that could be naive of me the believe.
I also just remembered my DH was pulled over for speeding, arrested, held overnight in a padded cell, car searched, etc while driving across the country. They accused him of being a drug runner. It was total BS.
Post by NewOrleans on Nov 26, 2014 13:41:47 GMT -5
I trust my locals.
Here's a random, though. In grad school, I was crossing a side street on my way to campus once against the walk sign. There were no cars, but yeah, I was crossing against the walk sign.
Someone called "Hey! Hey you in the pink!" I ignored it because I thought I was being catcalled. Then I heard it repeated, this time over a radio/speaker thingy. At the opposite side of the street, I stopped to see what that was all about.
A cop car pulled up right next to me, at the corner, blocking the lanes. He said, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I was flabbergasted and really quite scared because I guess I was jaywalking, but it seemed a pretty minor incident to be swearing about.
He asked to see my license (remember I was walking), asked where I was from, where I lived, all kinds of questions, softened up and dropped the hard-line, sent me on my way to class.
Only later did I realize that he never said why he was approaching me.
He never said anything about the way I was crossing the street against the walk sign, not the legality of it or the dangers of it. Not a thing.
Post by stealthmom on Nov 26, 2014 15:03:00 GMT -5
Generally no. In a macro sense I don't trust them. There was a "riot" on my college campus my junior year. It was horrible. There were police helicopters with search lights, police dogs, the works. All because a hundred or so kids were out having fun- not hurting anyone, not causing trouble. I was there. It was carefree and joyful. That has affected how I view police ever since.
My cousin is also a cop and my dh and bil went to his bachelor party and said it was bad. His work friends were ttelling "funny" stories of scaring the crap out of black people. Dh and my bil were extremely uncomfortable.
It's very hard for me to trust a system that weilds so much power and influence. I know they're not all bad but I think it's a profession that attracts a certain kind of man or helps create a certain kind of man.
I've been thinking about this all day - I think it boils down to the fact that while I might trust individual cops on a personal basis, I don't trust the system.
I don't trust the system to attract or create the kind of character that I think would make an ideal officer of the law. I don't trust the system to produce just and equitable results without significant active intervention on the part of good people. I don't trust the system to catch mistakes or intentional injustices. I don't trust the system. At all. In any sense.
Same way I think our political system is broken, and thus I believe about 2% of the words out of every politician's mouth.
Um. Yeah. Outside of my personal life, I do have a healthy skepticism of the overall system, I guess.
I really shouldn't have come in here though. It's the "kind of person that becomes a cop" and the like that are making me feel some kind of way. Like I need to defend. I may need a break from here for a bit, lol.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
Um. Yeah. Outside of my personal life, I do have a healthy skepticism of the overall system, I guess.
I really shouldn't have come in here though. It's the "kind of person that becomes a cop" and the like that are making me feel some kind of way. Like I need to defend. I may need a break from here for a bit, lol.
Since those are my words I feel the need to point out again that logically I know not all cops are like that. I am sure it's a small minority, and I trust your judgement enough to know that you married one of the good guys.
I guess my point is that even though it isn't all cops, the system still allows people like the guys I know to get through, and I think that's a huge problem. It seems like it would be avoidable, but I'm sure it would require more money for training and salaries, so...it will never happen. And as long as those guys can become cops I can't trust the system.
Um. Yeah. Outside of my personal life, I do have a healthy skepticism of the overall system, I guess.
I really shouldn't have come in here though. It's the "kind of person that becomes a cop" and the like that are making me feel some kind of way. Like I need to defend. I may need a break from here for a bit, lol.
Since those are my words I feel the need to point out again that logically I know not all cops are like that. I am sure it's a small minority, and I trust your judgement enough to know that you married one of the good guys.
I guess my point is that even though it isn't all cops, the system still allows people like the guys I know to get through, and I think that's a huge problem. It seems like it would be avoidable, but I'm sure it would require more money for training and salaries, so...it will never happen. And as long as those guys can become cops I can't trust the system.
yeah, this is what I was getting at with my comment that the system doesn't attract the kind of character I think makes a good cop.
The good people, like G's H, often become cops anyway because the concept of protecting their community and upholding the law is what attracts them. The picture of the cop as the good guy, the helper from when we're kids is what attracts the good cops. But the actual system of how that actually works in this country attracts the other guys....the bullies, the dick swingers, the people who are excited by the idea of being in charge and carrying a gun. That the system encourages those types instead of shutting them out is basically its biggest failing.
I honestly haven't got the slightest clue how we fix that.
Since those are my words I feel the need to point out again that logically I know not all cops are like that. I am sure it's a small minority, and I trust your judgement enough to know that you married one of the good guys.
I guess my point is that even though it isn't all cops, the system still allows people like the guys I know to get through, and I think that's a huge problem. It seems like it would be avoidable, but I'm sure it would require more money for training and salaries, so...it will never happen. And as long as those guys can become cops I can't trust the system.
yeah, this is what I was getting at with my comment that the system doesn't attract the kind of character I think makes a good cop.
The good people, like G's H, often become cops anyway because the concept of protecting their community and upholding the law is what attracts them. The picture of the cop as the good guy, the helper from when we're kids is what attracts the good cops. But the actual system of how that actually works in this country attracts the other guys....the bullies, the dick swingers, the people who are excited by the idea of being in charge and carrying a gun. That the system encourages those types instead of shutting them out is basically its biggest failing.
I honestly haven't got the slightest clue how we fix that.
To be clear. I am certain that there are people who think my husband is the asshole cop. I just hope that origami, iammalcolmx, and @soudesafinado aren't any of them.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
Um. Yeah. Outside of my personal life, I do have a healthy skepticism of the overall system, I guess.
I really shouldn't have come in here though. It's the "kind of person that becomes a cop" and the like that are making me feel some kind of way. Like I need to defend. I may need a break from here for a bit, lol.
Since those are my words I feel the need to point out again that logically I know not all cops are like that. I am sure it's a small minority, and I trust your judgement enough to know that you married one of the good guys.
I guess my point is that even though it isn't all cops, the system still allows people like the guys I know to get through, and I think that's a huge problem. It seems like it would be avoidable, but I'm sure it would require more money for training and salaries, so...it will never happen. And as long as those guys can become cops I can't trust the system.
yeah, this is what I was getting at with my comment that the system doesn't attract the kind of character I think makes a good cop.
The good people, like G's H, often become cops anyway because the concept of protecting their community and upholding the law is what attracts them. The picture of the cop as the good guy, the helper from when we're kids is what attracts the good cops. But the actual system of how that actually works in this country attracts the other guys....the bullies, the dick swingers, the people who are excited by the idea of being in charge and carrying a gun. That the system encourages those types instead of shutting them out is basically its biggest failing.
I honestly haven't got the slightest clue how we fix that.
To be clear. I am certain that there are people who think my husband is the asshole cop. I just hope that origami, iammalcolmx, and @soudesafinado aren't any of them.
Well it's one thing if they think he's an asshole because he wrote them a speeding ticket, and another if they think he's an asshole because 80% of his Facebook posts are incoherent racist rants or because he sexually assaulted their friend in high school.
I trust police officers. The majority are great people who deal with horrible things on a daily basis. It is an extremely tough job, one that I could not do.
I'm sure I may feel differently if I was not white, although any officers I know locally don't seem racist based on the fact that are pretty upset by Ferguson.
To be clear. I am certain that there are people who think my husband is the asshole cop. I just hope that origami, iammalcolmx, and @soudesafinado aren't any of them.
Well it's one thing if they think he's an asshole because he wrote them a speeding ticket, and another if they think he's an asshole because 80% of his Facebook posts are incoherent racist rants or because he sexually assaulted their friend in high school.
It's probably not just that, though. As the people I listed can attest, my H can look pretty intimidating. He's huge and he has permanent male RBF. Combine that with his work attire, which isn't a typical police uniform (his unit wears all black with their badge on a chain), and the direct (for lack of a better term, "not friendly" seems wrong, but he's professional) way he interacts with people, there you go; typical asshole cop. However, I also think the people I listed have all said he's a marshmallow, too (maybe only Sou said that, I'm not sure! Or maybe I'm just making it up.)
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
As the daughter of a former Chief of Police, I'm not anti-law enforcement by any stretch. I also haven't had any negative or intimidating encounters with any (well, aside from being unhappy about a speeding ticket as a college kid but that doesn't count) but I recognize that part of it is entirely due to privilege. Middle class blonde white girls/women are not a segment of society that's regularly profiled or detained, questioned and certainly not regularly looked upon with suspicion. I have always felt like I could seek help from an officer if ever I needed, though I can admit increasing wariness. There is a gulf widening between LE and civilians, an increase of mistrust on both sides* and it's concerning to me.
Just as in every profession/occupation there are good and decent people and there are unscrupulous and corrupt people. Law enforcement is no different, unfortunately, no matter how they try to screen out the problematic personalities.
With all of these incidents I worry about the good officers out there, the ones who I believe are the majority, not the exception. They're the ones who have to continue to try and protect and serve communities that distrust them, and that cannot be easy.
At the same time I'm blown away that there are blatantly corrupt departments out there (FPD in particular) that have acted with impunity for so long that they're still obfuscating and distracting and blaming, even when the national spotlight is trained on them. None of this is news to the residents of Ferguson, which is why I'm so heartsick for their community. It hurts when the scales of privilege fall from your eyes, especially when you thought they had already fallen.
Of course I also firmly believe some of this is no coincidence now the election of the first black man as president turned over the rock under which a lot of nasty racist thoughts and beliefs were hidden. Those who were privileged and perfectly happy with the status quo are clinging to the past and fighting to preserve these injustices just as those who are coming to recognize and acknowledge the unfairness of the systems currently in place are fighting for the rights of their fellow human beings. Progress is often so very painful but I refuse to let the backward thinking racists win.
If I must go down, I'm going down swinging.
*I for sure acknowledge that this mistrust is nothing new when it comes to the relationships and interactions between minorities and the police.
And to be perfectly honest, I find it insulting that you are saying the board is anti-law enforcement. Not only do many of us have personal ties to people in that line of business, we're also capable of nuanced thoughts regarding recent events. I won't apologize for feeling strongly that DW should have been indicted, but that has much more to do with the questions surrounding the shooting as well as the FPD's investigation of said shooting and nothing to do with being anti-law enforcement. An indictment is not a conviction. MB's parents as well as the community of Ferguson deserve to have a full and transparent investigation instead of the obfuscation that's been happening since day one.
I don't often agree with you on the political but I didn't realize that meant you painted the entire board with such a broad brush.
I trust cops and I've been mistreated by some. I grew up in poverty/hood and experienced numerous interactions with cops. I acknowledge some have complexes and are bad, but I belive the majority if them have a good heart.
Now my sister hates cops but I think its because she doesnt like getting caught breaking the law. I will say the cops are jerks to her because of their past with her but she totally deserves it. She actually has charges against her now from pushing a cop down the stairs...
I lived in St. Louis for 8 years. There I met some pretty bad cops. But I also have a cousin whose husband served in the Peace Corps before he joined the NYCPD. Logically I know there are all kinds of cops. I grew up in the 70's, though, when cops were called not very nice names. So I guess that taught me to be wary of them.
I don't particularly trust cops, but I was engaged in criminal behavior for many years (buying, growing and smoking pot). I fear them much less now that I'm not a criminal.
By nature I'm a rules follower so if a police officer tells me to do something I do it. I don't know if that means I trust the police. It just means that's just how I am. Andplusalso one of my close friends is a female police officer and has told me some crazy shit so I just do what I'm told and argue later.
I can't say I have a "general" opinion or impression. For the most part I know that cops are like most people, some are good and some are douchebags. My first recollection of a cop is a negative one...my mom got pulled over for speeding and the cop was just a DICK. I was in the back and playing with a Barbie colorform, Barbie had a pink cowboy hat He was so mean to my mom he made me cry. I will say in general I am going to do whatever the cop tells me to do unless it is just patently illegal or immoral. Again, white middle aged woman, no record, no skeletons in the closet so I pretty much assume I am going to come out in the clear and I don't want to get into a tussle in which I am going to lose.
Since those are my words I feel the need to point out again that logically I know not all cops are like that. I am sure it's a small minority, and I trust your judgement enough to know that you married one of the good guys.
I guess my point is that even though it isn't all cops, the system still allows people like the guys I know to get through, and I think that's a huge problem. It seems like it would be avoidable, but I'm sure it would require more money for training and salaries, so...it will never happen. And as long as those guys can become cops I can't trust the system.
yeah, this is what I was getting at with my comment that the system doesn't attract the kind of character I think makes a good cop.
The good people, like G's H, often become cops anyway because the concept of protecting their community and upholding the law is what attracts them. The picture of the cop as the good guy, the helper from when we're kids is what attracts the good cops. But the actual system of how that actually works in this country attracts the other guys....the bullies, the dick swingers, the people who are excited by the idea of being in charge and carrying a gun. That the system encourages those types instead of shutting them out is basically its biggest failing.
I honestly haven't got the slightest clue how we fix that.
You fix it by holding people accountable. Which is what we don't do in lots of industries and why people continue to think what they are doing is A-ok.
Post by secretlyevil on Nov 27, 2014 9:07:03 GMT -5
As I was walking the Turkey Trot this morning, everytime I passed a cop, I looked twice. Most of the time when I race they get a wave and/or thank you and not a backward look. I hate that feeling. Why does a bad segment ruin an entire populace?