Why Cops are ...

[intocarss]

The following is a concise view of why we are they way we are. It's well worth the read and it's not mushy.

Anyone ever wonder why cops are such 'pricks'? Every ****ty, rotten, horrible, scary situation that exists in life, cops deal with it. Repeatedly. Every friggen' day. Your 'worst day ever' is just another tour. Car accident, homicide, rape, robbery, baby mama drama, baby daddy drama, family dispute over who gets the last pork chop that winds up with a dinner guest sporting a steak knife in the chest, a kid that goes missing or runs away, a Dad who gets tanked up and uses Mom as a speed bag, a drug overdose, hostage situations...every despicable thing that one human being can do to another is what the police are immersed in every day.

Just this week, police in Newburgh, NY were at the scene where a wonderful upstanding citizen was holding others hostage. Earlier this year, this young man's brother charged the police with a knife (it was the last thing he did on this earth...) and the present hostage situation put the lives of 2 people in peril as the perpetrator ranted and raved. The police charged him and subdued him. What does his family do? Why, they charge the police of course! Listen, one family member was a savage who tried to kill the police and just a few months later his little brother is threatening the lives of others while he holds them hostage. Just after minimizing the threat from this psycho, they have to hold off his family who tried to rush the police. Just a little note, when your 'emotionally disturbed' family member is off his/her meds and is a danger to himself or to society and the police have to be called to the scene, try to remember they are the POLICE. If you wanted a social worker or a psychologist, you should have dialed one directly.

This past month, a young NYPD officer gained some notoriety when he bought a pair of boots for what appeared to be a homeless man down on his luck on the streets of Manhattan. It was a selfless gesture and the story went nationwide. It was an opportunity to see the police in a kinder, softer light and quite a human interest story. Of course the media wanted to know all about the recipient of the benevolence - who was he? What was his 'story'? Well, it was learned that Mr. Hillman was not (and is not) homeless. He has a nice apartment in the Bronx, he receives Social Security and Veteran's benefits and has a loving supportive family in Pennsylvania. When asked what he did with the boots, he claimed that he hid them because he didn't want to be robbed and that they were valuable (bull**** - he sold them). Mr. Hillman also claimed that he intends to sue the photographer because he didn't give permission for his picture to be taken and he wants a 'piece of the pie' . So Mr. Hillman is a straight up 'playa', yo. Officer DePrimo said that he was going to keep the receipt in his bulletproof vest as a reminder that no matter how hard a day he was having, he would know that someone else is having a harder time and that he would always be grateful. Officer DePrimo did an honorable thing, but the death of his innocence and naivte has begun and in it's place, cynicism and disdain may have begun its germination.


Stuff like this happens all the time. You call, they come. When they come, it is likely that someone will be leaving in handcuffs. You cannot call the police to a violent situation and expect that in the end, everyone's tears will be dried, hot chocolate and cookies will be handed out to be enjoyed by all and "Kumbaya" will be heard in the background. They are law enforcement officers. They enforce the law. You do not get to determine how they execute their duties. If you could have handled the bag of **** you called them about, you would have. You couldn't, so just shut the hell up and deal with the fact that your husband/wife/brother/sister/baby mama/baby daddy/child/BFF could very well be spending time as a guest of the municipality who came to answer your call for help.

Cops hang out with other cops. They get each other; they don’t have to explain themselves. They laugh at things other people think inappropriate. Their humor is dark, but they love to laugh. They work second jobs and they are Boy Scout Leaders, lacrosse, football, soccer, hockey and baseball coaches. The divorce rate in the United States is over 50%, for cops it is significantly higher, and with good reason. They spend twenty –plus years being tired and grumpy from the commute, the crazy hours, the job and pain in the butt bosses. When they walk in the door and the kids yell, “Daddy!” or “Mommy!” they ‘re ready with a big hug, a smile and a “What’s up guys?” How, you ask, do I know these things? I have spent twenty seven years being married to one of them. He is one of those big-mouthed tough guys who know everything. He trusts no one. He is a cop’s cop. He has an amazing memory and eye for detail that is astounding. Anyone who has ever worked with him will tell you he is probably a little crazy, but that he is the best cop they ever worked with. For twenty years, I watched him walk out the door and I always prayed that he would come back. There were some really close calls, but he always made it home. I have never taken that for granted, I know too well the ache and emptiness in the eyes of the survivors of the shield. For twenty years, I lent my husband to New York City to patrol the streets and to keep the wolves at bay so that the people of that city could live under the blanket of security and safety that his existence provided; all the while knowing that the very citizens he protected resented his presence. In 2010, our son took the oath of office and wears the shield his father wore before him. Again, I wait each night until I hear the key in the door before I fall into a deep sleep.

Cops are pricks. It's what keeps them alive and whole, because if they let all the crap they deal with actually sink in, it would destroy their souls. So they will deal with the things you don't want to believe really happen. They will be physically and emotionally bruised, battered and bloodied. And at the end of each tour when they take off the uniform and close their locker they say a brief prayer of thanks for making it through the day safely. There is one thing that a cop wants every day when he or she goes into work – just one thing. At the end of tour, they want to go home. That’s it, just to make it home where things are normal, boring and safe. When all is said and done, that really is their job - to make it through the day and arrive home safe and sound.
-Mrs. Weil

http://www.masscops.com/threads/why-cops-are-pricks.113286/

[GregWeld]

I have three cop buddies.... and this is absolutely the truth. It's amazing the crap they have to deal with day after day. And they're the first ones that volunteer to help me or to show me something. They give, give, give.

[DBasher]

Plenty of cops do the job without being a prick, others not so much. I would think that if you can't handle the job without being a professional it might be time to find something else to do.

I think she got it right about hanging out with other cops, they get eachother. That's good medicine no matter what the job, blow off some steam with guys that get it.

Just like with any other profession, you have good guys and the POS's. It's too bad the POS ones get protected by their "brothers"

:cheers:
Dan

[rjsjea]

They aren't all pricks, I know dozens of them, both men and women. They generally are stand up contributing members to their communities.

Very few, at least in the major city I'm referring to, write speeders, mud flaps, expired tags (insert chippy reason here) tickets.

[glassman]

My brother in law just made lieutenant. Goes to work every day with a target on his back, I love him dearly , he's a cops cop, or a mans man, his six year old boy, my nephew, his pride and joy came down with cancer discovered just before Christmas, emergency surgery and six weeks into chemo there is no sign.
God only gives us what we can handle, well, Bart was built to handle much. I am so proud he married my baby sis....

[intocarss]

I have three cop buddies.... and this is absolutely the truth. It's amazing the crap they have to deal with day after day. And they're the first ones that volunteer to help me or to show me something. They give, give, give.

I have a few cop friends plus the ones I used to race with and... this statement is 110% true. Some of the stories they tell about the lighter stuff they've seen are funny as hell

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Im not a cop but can be a prick 24/7, but you know. I like it. LOL

Most of the cops I know are crazy guys. Military guys are the same. "Fire in blood".

[John510]

the mustached ones are the worst....

[kochevy67]

That piece you wrote is spot on. I have been on CPD for over 15 years and I can agree with everything you stated. By the way can your husband call Mc Carthy and have him get the hell out of our city, he is ruining our dept. and does not have a clue. LOL

[Mr Furley]

By the way can your husband call Mc Carthy and have him get the hell out of our city, he is ruining our dept. and does not have a clue. LOL

Thank God! I think the rest of the world thinks that guy is off his rocker, good to hear that the whole force doesn't stand with that bag of excrement.

That piece does hit the nail square on the head. I've known a few cops over the years and in high school had the opportunity to ride along for a two week period. Suffice it to say your view of humanity rapidly degrades. People start to fall into two categories, tax payers and turds. As a result of my experience I've learned to respect them a whole lot more with the exception of the over zealous traffic cop nazi. Those guys seem to be the hall-monitor type that spent the majority of their youth being shoved into lockers and have a chip on their shoulders to show for it.

[RussMurco]

Sorry to reignite an old thread, I saw it a while back and didn't comment the first time around but I wanted to chime in...

I get it, as a former Marine who looked at becoming a cop many moons ago, and I know they have to deal with scattered bits of human debris every day.
I also know that the departments are constantly having to defend their actions and positions, that news reporters (and lawyers) are always looking to blow-up any minor mistakes, and the weight of that rests mostly on the good cops trying to do a job under less than ideal circumstances. Throw in the general attitude and lack of self-respect many people display these days and I thank God I didn't become a cop.

My issues aren't with the cops out on the streets, it's their bosses! It seems that the police have become far more militarized over the last 20 years. More military uniforms, weapons, tactics, and SWAT teams being used more and more. It used to be SWAT teams were rarely used but many forces these days have platoons of SWAT officers and they are regularly used for raids for everything from weed to card games (yes, local card games, look it up). These SWAT teams are also starting to use more and more military-style vehicles as well, I won't even touch on the DHS getting 2,700 armored personnel carriers to go with their 2.7 billion hollow-tip bullets.

A dear friend's husband was killed in a SWAT raid, they had the wrong house! Imagine sitting in your living room, relaxing, winding down for bed time and having a stream of heavily armed men bust through your door, shooting your dogs, yelling commands, demanding you not resist. He did, and rightfully so, as they had no business in his home. They shot him as he demanded to see their search warrant. It happens more and more every year and it will continue until we take the "profit motives" out of policing.

By "profit motive" I speak of "civil asset forfetures" that more and more localitlies, and the feds, rely on for revenue. You can be pulled-over and have your vehicle seized even if you haven't broken any laws and aren't charged with anything!!! Just try and fight a government hungry for the money your car will bring! I was talking to a local sheriff when the subject of guns came up and he proceeded to show me his carry weapon, a Dan Wesson Valor 45. I was stunned that he was carrying an $1800 duty pistol and when I asked about it he replied, "Gotta do something with all that dope money!" before chuckling out the door and hopping in his brand new SRT8 Dodge Charger police car - one of 6 in a town with 7,000 residents.

This is where the street cop does play a part, when they allow themselves to become collection agents for the mayors, or govenors, or whomever.
The general public has noticed all of this too and I think the general attitude towards police in general has degraded even among law-abiders like myself. I don't like seeing police in spec-ops tactical gear when they are assigned traffic duty, I don't care for siezure tactics being used to fund greedy politicians, I don't care for the more regular use of cameras and drones being used to record our every move, and I don't care for assault teams going after people for card games.

Last year there were 18,000 laws passed among federal, state, and local governments. It's getting to where the police can't keep up with what's legal and what's not so how the heck can we keep up? We are becoming a police state and I'm not terribly comfortable with that. Yes, I've voiced these concerns to my police friends over the years and 2 of the 6 have retired the badge because of the same concerns.

[Sieg]

Russ - I'm with you page for page.

"it's their bosses!" and their bosses and the bosses above them and on up the line.

[J-440]

Cops, soldiers, firefighters, and ER personnel should start at an average of $100,000 a year. The salaries are BS for what they do. Athletes and morons on TV that memorize scripts get paid millions for what? Hitting a ball with a crooked stick and then walking after it? Man the world is screwed up. I'll buy a cop a beer and a steak anytime. If the world lost its law enforcement there would be total chaos. If we lost our athletes and actors, not a dam thing would happen. God bless you guys and keep fighting the good fight. We got your backs.:thumbsup:

[Todd in vancouver]

I agree with a lot of what has been said through this thread. What doesn't help their image besides the one off news stories regarding some of the obscure tarnishing incidents that pop up are stories like this;

http://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/are-police-handing-out-traffic-tickets-to-meet-quotas-1.1129762

The damage from this story is more about how most can relate to something like this because it has happened to most of us.

[RussMurco]

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o713/Ravenworks-PorterMuffler/537662_503941022976737_1520244555_n_zps95236a3e.jp g

[Sieg]

Our local broken system that is consistently asking for more more more and delivering less and less............more bureaucratic policy and procedure = less public safety and more corruption.

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/29608182-75/police-property-department-kerns-unit.html.csp

FWIW I've had a 25+ year association with Pete Kerns.

[Tony_SS]

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

[garickman]

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o713/Ravenworks-PorterMuffler/537662_503941022976737_1520244555_n_zps95236a3e.jp g





WHEN THIS:
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/the-partridge-family-425a030110-fp.jpg
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/TheCosbyShow.jpg
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/brady_bunch.jpg

BECAME THIS, THAT'S WHEN;
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/files.jpg
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/gangs.jpg
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l609/garickman/2992741_f520.jpg

[Sieg]

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

Biting my tongue......bleeding now.......you owe me! :D

[Flash68]

Here's an idea.

Why don't the police operate more like firemen? They could stay in their station and play cards and only respond when they're called. I think both cops and the public would like that.

Surely you cannot be serious with that.

[Track Junky]

I grew up in the Bay Area but never really spent much time in Oakland, Richmond, Stockton, etc other than for business reasons. In and Out.

I started working in Vallejo last November. Up till now we've had 4 shooting instances that I know of, the Most recent on Georgia St. where the police blocked Georgia St. off for blocks while they did their investigation. The first day on the job I was watching a pavement overlay project. I was told that the day before I got there one of the guys doing some clean up work with a bobcat got caught in the middle of a gun fight. I was told the bobcat was struck by a bullet and the guy working it did not come back to the job. Two days later me and one of the City of Vallejo Public works inspectors were chatting in a parking lot and a tall skinny guy came up and apologized for knocking down a street light with his car. He began to tell us the story on how the police were chasing him and how he tried to ram them to get away. This is my third day working in Vallejo mind you so you can imagine how reality is starting to set in. 3 weeks ago we heard 6 gunshots in a row, saw a guy running through the parking lot, and minutes later a cop car flying through the parking lot lights and sirens blaring.

All this a 30 minute drive from where I grew up.

If you were a cop what would your attitude be like in a town like this.

[1HTBRRD]

Sorry to reignite an old thread, I saw it a while back and didn't comment the first time around but I wanted to chime in...

By "profit motive" I speak of "civil asset forfetures" that more and more localitlies, and the feds, rely on for revenue. You can be pulled-over and have your vehicle seized even if you haven't broken any laws and aren't charged with anything!!! Just try and fight a government hungry for the money your car will bring!

Last year there were 18,000 laws passed among federal, state, and local governments. It's getting to where the police can't keep up with what's legal and what's not so how the heck can we keep up? We are becoming a police state and I'm not terribly comfortable with that. Yes, I've voiced these concerns to my police friends over the years and 2 of the 6 have retired the badge because of the same concerns.

Asset forfeitures are legal when certain crimes (ex. drug dealing) are committed and a vehicle is used in the commission of the crime or the absurd amount of cash that a drug dealer has on him at the time of arrest is directly linked to the dope he has been selling. Your quote that your vehicle can be seized for no reason, without violating any laws is probably one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. I hope it was some kind of typo. Remember we live in a litigious society, there is no way in hell a court would allow an asset seizure without significant proof of wrong doing.

BTW, SWAT teams are a neccessity because of how bad guys arm themselves.....maybe you didnt hear about the single bad guy who killed two OPD motorcycle officers and then when he was tracked down and a SWAT team made entry on his apartment, he killed two more officers before they were able to stop the threat (kill him). Greg Rickman could tell you a little more about that, his entire build is dedicated to those who have died in the line of duty, especially his former OPD coworkers who were killed that day.....and yeah i'm a cop, and yeah i'm on the SWAT team.:guns:

[RussMurco]

I started working in Vallejo last November. Up till now we've had 4 shooting instances that I know of, the Most recent on Georgia St. where the police blocked Georgia St. off for blocks while they did their investigation......
3 weeks ago we heard 6 gunshots in a row, saw a guy running through the parking lot, and minutes later a cop car flying through the parking lot lights and sirens blaring.

All this a 30 minute drive from where I grew up.

If you were a cop what would your attitude be like in a town like this.

If you read and comprehended my reply fully you would realize that I am not bashing policemen, it's their politically motivated bosses that I take issue with.
Yes, there are high-crime areas throughout our country and the police that patrol those areas probably feel that they are in a war zone. Having seen some of the worst of what humans are capable of in far off lands I know I wouldn't want to see that every time I went to work so, again, I get it...

[Track Junky]

Thanks, understood. I think I know where your coming from. This is a complicated deal that you are talking about and I think dwells deeper than just the supervisors alone.
Here's my .02........I feel each and every situation a police man encounters should be handled case specific and that within itself carries alot of variables. In any given situation, a policeman is placed in an authoritive position right off the bat. The maturity and experience of that policeman will dictate the direction of that given situation. There are many youngsters that become policeman, placed in an authoritive position, and simply aren't mature or experienced enough to be in the position that they are in. In short, what I'm trying to say is that yes they may have over aggressive supervisors, but when they are out in the field and it is time to make a judgement call they need to put there big boy pants on and handle it appropriately. Being aggressive 100% of the time isn't appropriate. Especially towards law abiding citizens.

[RussMurco]

Asset forfeitures are legal when certain crimes (ex. drug dealing) are committed and a vehicle is used in the commission of the crime or the absurd amount of cash that a drug dealer has on him at the time of arrest is directly linked to the dope he has been selling. Your quote that your vehicle can be seized for no reason, without violating any laws is probably one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard. I hope it was some kind of typo. Remember we live in a litigious society, there is no way in hell a court would allow an asset seizure without significant proof of wrong doing.
Before calling my assertion "idiotic" perhaps you should do some research, officer...
https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/end-asset-forfeiture/

"Civil asset forfeiture instead refers to legal property or cash owned by individuals not charged with any crime, which is nevertheless seized by law enforcement agents who merely suspect it was used in a crime.

* If tens of thousands of dollars in cash are found in a person's home, it is automatically suspected of having been used in drug dealing, because no "normal" person would have that much cash lying around. "Odd or eccentric people", who distrust banks and keep their savings at home, are at risk.
* If trace amounts of marijuana are found in a vehicle, the vehicle may be seized, even if the owner was unaware that any drugs were transported in the vehicle."

This practice does exist and became so abused in some areas that thay had to reform the laws! (CAFRA) H.R. 1658 - 2000
If the used car I bought last year was owned by someone who used weed and some was left some under the seat I could have my car seized, even though I don't drink and react to the smell of pot being smoked by vomiting violently.
The ACLU (NOT my favorite organization but occasionally they get things right) researched it found approximately $7billion in seizures since the extension of RICO in 1986, all from people who were never charged with any crime.

BTW, SWAT teams are a neccessity because of how bad guys arm themselves.....maybe you didnt hear about the single bad guy who killed two OPD motorcycle officers and then when he was tracked down and a SWAT team made entry on his apartment, he killed two more officers before they were able to stop the threat (kill him). Greg Rickman could tell you a little more about that, his entire build is dedicated to those who have died in the line of duty, especially his former OPD coworkers who were killed that day.....and yeah i'm a cop, and yeah i'm on the SWAT team.:guns:

Again, my issue is not with the cops, it's their bosses. No, perhaps I didn't here of those cops getting killed but I have known the widow of a great guy who was shot 4 times in a botched SWAT raid. I also read about the 2 women delivering papers in the early morning hours that had their truck riddled with 102 police bullets in a case of mistaken identity, even though it was a completely different make and color of the one they were looking for.

The town that I spoke of, the one with the Sheriff and his new Charger, left a hell of an impression on me. Within a month of starting work in that town my cracker-white, 47 year-old self, driving a non-pimped and bone-stock (not even tinted) Lexus was pulled over by one of the local deputies for, hold onto your seat, speeding (58) in a 45 zone. Only problem? It was a 55 zone and I suspect he just wanted to search my car. If not, then he was a true idiot who didn't know the local speed limits and was offended that I dare sit 20' behind his car as he crept down the road. I politely told him "No" and since I was pulled over in the parking lot of my employer, at 8:30 in the morning, I told him to "get the warrant, I'll be inside". This is just one of 3 such pointless interactions I've had with police over the past 10 years. I'm as law-abiding as it gets and if I'm getting harassed I can imagine some of the more obscene claims of abuses from minorities and others could be legit.

Does all this mean I hold police in contempt? Absolutely not. I respect the job they do, I wouldn't want to do it, and again, my issue is with the bosses in political office. I know the tremendous pressure police face with thugs and killers on one side, rabid lawyers on another side, reporters hungry to exploit a miscue for rating and glory on another side, and the public perception of their actions on yet another side. The majority of police carry all that weight on their shoulders and remain polite and professional. There are some, however, who seem to master the lowering of public perception and respect with poor attitudes and carrying a chip on their shoulder. Those officers need to go, if you can get the unions to fire them (which in many areas is next to impossible without a felony act on their part). Some good PR work needs to take place in many localities and some police officers need to be reminded that the vast majority of citizens are on their side. Perception goes a long way and many average citizens are starting to view some police agencies in a different light than in the past. When the general public starts seeing you as the enforcers of political agendas and revenue gathering, you've got serious problems on your hands.

I also think the general public is becoming a little "battle-weary" with the "war on drugs". 50 years of "The Great Society" has done nothing to lower poverty levels just as 30 years of "The War on Drugs" has done nothing to lower it. It's not that they want to do drugs themselves, they are just tiring of their rights being trampled in the perceived over-zealous tactics being used by law enforcement in general and the absolutely absurd amount of money being spent at every level of government on it. I, personally, have grown quite tired of 4th amendment trampling with drug-dogs and DUI checkpoints just as I have grown tired of politicians going after my guns every time some whack-job pops a gasket and starts killing multiples of people.
Easy answers to these problems don't exist but they will have to be confronted at some point...

God Bless, and
:thankyou:

[InfernalVortex]

If you cant handle dealing with human filth without projecting that onto every citizen you encounter then you shouldn't be a cop. There are a lot of dangerous jobs where you have to deal with people on a daily basis. I delivered pizzas for a while when I was younger, and guess what, by most lists delivery drivers have a higher fatality rate than law officers. And I had to deal with assholes on a regular basis too, even had a gun pointed at me once while doing that.It's a job. If you can't handle it without breaking the law or being a piece of crap to innocent people then you need a different job. I've met lots of really cool cops and I would never make a blanket judgment on them. They're people and they're all different.

I understand everyone has bad days, but innocent people are violated and murdered everyday by terrified cops who usually get away with it. If you cant handle it, do something else. Otherwise those of you who have to deal with human refuse day in and day out and remain decent human beings have my respect.

I just dont want to play into this "cops have such a dangerous job! Give them sympathy!" routine because they volunteered for that job, and I did a statistically more dangerous job for a very long time without wanting special treatment for it. The "I need to go home tonight, my job is dangerous!" routine is why so many people get their rights violated everyday.

Also, I know I couldn't be a cop without turning into a total assbag, thats why I'm not a cop.

http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfoi_rates_2011hb.pdf

[1HTBRRD]

Before calling my assertion "idiotic" perhaps you should do some research, officer...
https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/end-asset-forfeiture/

"Civil asset forfeiture instead refers to legal property or cash owned by individuals not charged with any crime, which is nevertheless seized by law enforcement agents who merely suspect it was used in a crime.

* If tens of thousands of dollars in cash are found in a person's home, it is automatically suspected of having been used in drug dealing, because no "normal" person would have that much cash lying around. "Odd or eccentric people", who distrust banks and keep their savings at home, are at risk.
* If trace amounts of marijuana are found in a vehicle, the vehicle may be seized, even if the owner was unaware that any drugs were transported in the vehicle."

This practice does exist and became so abused in some areas that thay had to reform the laws! (CAFRA) H.R. 1658 - 2000
If the used car I bought last year was owned by someone who used weed and some was left some under the seat I could have my car seized, even though I don't drink and react to the smell of pot being smoked by vomiting violently.
The ACLU (NOT my favorite organization but occasionally they get things right) researched it found approximately $7billion in seizures since the extension of RICO in 1986, all from people who were never charged with any crime.



Again, my issue is not with the cops, it's their bosses. No, perhaps I didn't here of those cops getting killed but I have known the widow of a great guy who was shot 4 times in a botched SWAT raid. I also read about the 2 women delivering papers in the early morning hours that had their truck riddled with 102 police bullets in a case of mistaken identity, even though it was a completely different make and color of the one they were looking for.

The town that I spoke of, the one with the Sheriff and his new Charger, left a hell of an impression on me. Within a month of starting work in that town my cracker-white, 47 year-old self, driving a non-pimped and bone-stock (not even tinted) Lexus was pulled over by one of the local deputies for, hold onto your seat, speeding (58) in a 45 zone. Only problem? It was a 55 zone and I suspect he just wanted to search my car. If not, then he was a true idiot who didn't know the local speed limits and was offended that I dare sit 20' behind his car as he crept down the road. I politely told him "No" and since I was pulled over in the parking lot of my employer, at 8:30 in the morning, I told him to "get the warrant, I'll be inside". This is just one of 3 such pointless interactions I've had with police over the past 10 years. I'm as law-abiding as it gets and if I'm getting harassed I can imagine some of the more obscene claims of abuses from minorities and others could be legit.

Does all this mean I hold police in contempt? Absolutely not. I respect the job they do, I wouldn't want to do it, and again, my issue is with the bosses in political office. I know the tremendous pressure police face with thugs and killers on one side, rabid lawyers on another side, reporters hungry to exploit a miscue for rating and glory on another side, and the public perception of their actions on yet another side. The majority of police carry all that weight on their shoulders and remain polite and professional. There are some, however, who seem to master the lowering of public perception and respect with poor attitudes and carrying a chip on their shoulder. Those officers need to go, if you can get the unions to fire them (which in many areas is next to impossible without a felony act on their part). Some good PR work needs to take place in many localities and some police officers need to be reminded that the vast majority of citizens are on their side. Perception goes a long way and many average citizens are starting to view some police agencies in a different light than in the past. When the general public starts seeing you as the enforcers of political agendas and revenue gathering, you've got serious problems on your hands.

I also think the general public is becoming a little "battle-weary" with the "war on drugs". 50 years of "The Great Society" has done nothing to lower poverty levels just as 30 years of "The War on Drugs" has done nothing to lower it. It's not that they want to do drugs themselves, they are just tiring of their rights being trampled in the perceived over-zealous tactics being used by law enforcement in general and the absolutely absurd amount of money being spent at every level of government on it. I, personally, have grown quite tired of 4th amendment trampling with drug-dogs and DUI checkpoints just as I have grown tired of politicians going after my guns every time some whack-job pops a gasket and starts killing multiples of people.
Easy answers to these problems don't exist but they will have to be confronted at some point...

God Bless, and
:thankyou:

Sorry if I offended you with the word idiotic.... I am not going to even start the argument of the credible source you quoted from the internet, I will let everyone else click on it, look around for a bit, and make their own judgements.

I'm done, I like this site for the cars and I need to focus on them and not get pulled into the off topic forums.:thankyou: