The only issue I take with your post is you are lumping all police officers in together. Your basic point is that all police officers cover up for the wrong-doings of other officers.
I certainly won't disagree that it *does* happen. The very nature of the job causes a very close bonding between its members. This is very similar to what happens to members of the military, and other high-stress jobs. As much as cop-haters like to say that the job's not really as dangerous as everyone thinks, the fact is that there are times when it is very mundane and safe, but that changes is an instant to very dangerous. That is a simple fact. And the argument that cops "chose their profession" and should just "deal with it" is ridiculous. Yes, I did choose this profession. That doesn't mean that I have to accept getting shot or getting my ass kicked as "part of the job."
Having said that, I'm not offering it as an excuse. Have I ever pulled over another officer and let him go without a ticket when I found out he was another cop? Sure. I won't lie about that. Call it professional courtesy, call it favoritism, whatever fits. I would not, however, EVER cover for another officer breaking a serious law. I have to say that I've never been put in that situation. Your statements act like we come across other officers breaking the law every day and turn a blind eye to it. That's simply not the case.
You are correct that I am representative of my profession. I would argue the same of nearly any other profession. If you get a bad steak at a restaurant, suddenly that entire restaurant is bad to you. I think this is the point that Nefarious Wheel is making in reply to your post.
Bottom line... Are there bad cops? Yes. Do other cops sometimes cover for them? Yes. Should we be held to a higher standard than other professions? Yes (because we DO hold a position of great responsibility). Do the blanket anti-cop sentiments that you hear apply to 95% of the law enforcement officers out there? Absolutely not. As with any other situation, the people that have had a negative experience are FAR more vocal than the happy ones, thus tainting other people perceptions unfortunately.
I do not claim to know your situation. Apparently you have had a bad experience with cops. However, your statement is (IMHO) the equivalent of saying, "I have seen 3 bad movies in my life and 1 good one. That means that all the rest must be bad."
Let's be honest here. The only people that bother saying anything are the people that have bad experiences. That's true whether we're talking about police officers or cheeseburgers. You're not going to hear all the people raving about how great their big mac was at lunch. But you WILL hear about the guy that found a turd in his.
Bottom line is this.... if the vast majority of cops were so terrible like you claim, then EVERYONE would be complaining about it. I'm not the type to throw around statistics when I have no proof. I do feel, from my personal experience, that the vast majority of people are actually happy with law enforcement as it exists.
I TRULY am sorry that you have had the negative experience with police that you have. I mean that with every ounce of my being. I wish that everyone loved police, but I know that is unrealistic. I *can* tell you that I go home at night feeling as though I've done something good for my community, and made a difference in my small corner of the world... that's good enough for me.
I think many cops are bad for two reasons.
1. As a society we have allowed to be passed all sorts of ridiculous laws that force cops to make everyone a criminal (drug laws, online piracy, seat belt laws, etc...). If everyone is a criminal, everyone fears and hates law enforcement. Hard to be a good guy when everyone you deal with hates you.
2. As a society, probably because we hate and fear law enforcement, we don't pay cops very well. Why be a cop when you can make more money working at the local grocery store where you don't get shot at? Because you want to be a professional asshole. We end up with three kinds of people as cops. Those who truly want to provide a public service, those who want to be professional assholes and those who can't get a job that pays any better. Stands to reason that two out of three cops are probably 'bad'.
We either need to find ways to attract more quality individuals to be on our police force, or put them on camera so we can give the assholes incentive not to behave badly.
Gee, another post stereo-typing an entire profession of hundreds of thousands of people because of some bad apples. First off, there are bad people in every profession... i.e. priest and teacher child molesters, thieving corporate CEO's, etc. Doesn't mean they're all bad.
And to refute your other points:
The VAST majority of people we deal with (yes I'm a police officer) like and appreciate the service we do for the community. I have received two commendation medals for saving lives. I have had one complaint in 10 years of law enforcement, and about 20 calls from happy citizens (and the one complaint was an accusation that I stole $50 from a drunk who later found that he had put it in his shoe for "safe-keeping.")
I make approximately $15,000 more than the average salary in my state.
I have a bachelor's degree in computer information systems from a state university. Could I make more in the private sector? Yes. Why am I a cop? Because I get to help the community in which I live, instead of offering nothing except typical whines and stereotypes about how oppressed I am.
Do not judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes.
Nothing like blanket statements like "all cops would have an issue with being videotaped" or... how about this one... everyone that reads slashdot is anti-police.
Whenever you say that everyone of a certain group will react a certain way, you are not only stereotyping, you are showing your ignorance.
I'm a cop. I'm a self-professed nerd. I have no issue with anyone video-taping or taking my picture in my official capacity, just as I have no problem with in-car cameras.
The vast majority of police share my view (and yes, this is first hand knowledge... unlike the one-sided views you get when people have a negative experience).
Slashdot Mirror
The only issue I take with your post is you are lumping all police officers in together. Your basic point is that all police officers cover up for the wrong-doings of other officers. I certainly won't disagree that it *does* happen. The very nature of the job causes a very close bonding between its members. This is very similar to what happens to members of the military, and other high-stress jobs. As much as cop-haters like to say that the job's not really as dangerous as everyone thinks, the fact is that there are times when it is very mundane and safe, but that changes is an instant to very dangerous. That is a simple fact. And the argument that cops "chose their profession" and should just "deal with it" is ridiculous. Yes, I did choose this profession. That doesn't mean that I have to accept getting shot or getting my ass kicked as "part of the job." Having said that, I'm not offering it as an excuse. Have I ever pulled over another officer and let him go without a ticket when I found out he was another cop? Sure. I won't lie about that. Call it professional courtesy, call it favoritism, whatever fits. I would not, however, EVER cover for another officer breaking a serious law. I have to say that I've never been put in that situation. Your statements act like we come across other officers breaking the law every day and turn a blind eye to it. That's simply not the case. You are correct that I am representative of my profession. I would argue the same of nearly any other profession. If you get a bad steak at a restaurant, suddenly that entire restaurant is bad to you. I think this is the point that Nefarious Wheel is making in reply to your post. Bottom line... Are there bad cops? Yes. Do other cops sometimes cover for them? Yes. Should we be held to a higher standard than other professions? Yes (because we DO hold a position of great responsibility). Do the blanket anti-cop sentiments that you hear apply to 95% of the law enforcement officers out there? Absolutely not. As with any other situation, the people that have had a negative experience are FAR more vocal than the happy ones, thus tainting other people perceptions unfortunately.
I do not claim to know your situation. Apparently you have had a bad experience with cops. However, your statement is (IMHO) the equivalent of saying, "I have seen 3 bad movies in my life and 1 good one. That means that all the rest must be bad." Let's be honest here. The only people that bother saying anything are the people that have bad experiences. That's true whether we're talking about police officers or cheeseburgers. You're not going to hear all the people raving about how great their big mac was at lunch. But you WILL hear about the guy that found a turd in his. Bottom line is this.... if the vast majority of cops were so terrible like you claim, then EVERYONE would be complaining about it. I'm not the type to throw around statistics when I have no proof. I do feel, from my personal experience, that the vast majority of people are actually happy with law enforcement as it exists. I TRULY am sorry that you have had the negative experience with police that you have. I mean that with every ounce of my being. I wish that everyone loved police, but I know that is unrealistic. I *can* tell you that I go home at night feeling as though I've done something good for my community, and made a difference in my small corner of the world... that's good enough for me.
I think many cops are bad for two reasons. 1. As a society we have allowed to be passed all sorts of ridiculous laws that force cops to make everyone a criminal (drug laws, online piracy, seat belt laws, etc...). If everyone is a criminal, everyone fears and hates law enforcement. Hard to be a good guy when everyone you deal with hates you. 2. As a society, probably because we hate and fear law enforcement, we don't pay cops very well. Why be a cop when you can make more money working at the local grocery store where you don't get shot at? Because you want to be a professional asshole. We end up with three kinds of people as cops. Those who truly want to provide a public service, those who want to be professional assholes and those who can't get a job that pays any better. Stands to reason that two out of three cops are probably 'bad'. We either need to find ways to attract more quality individuals to be on our police force, or put them on camera so we can give the assholes incentive not to behave badly.
Gee, another post stereo-typing an entire profession of hundreds of thousands of people because of some bad apples. First off, there are bad people in every profession... i.e. priest and teacher child molesters, thieving corporate CEO's, etc. Doesn't mean they're all bad. And to refute your other points: The VAST majority of people we deal with (yes I'm a police officer) like and appreciate the service we do for the community. I have received two commendation medals for saving lives. I have had one complaint in 10 years of law enforcement, and about 20 calls from happy citizens (and the one complaint was an accusation that I stole $50 from a drunk who later found that he had put it in his shoe for "safe-keeping.") I make approximately $15,000 more than the average salary in my state. I have a bachelor's degree in computer information systems from a state university. Could I make more in the private sector? Yes. Why am I a cop? Because I get to help the community in which I live, instead of offering nothing except typical whines and stereotypes about how oppressed I am. Do not judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes.
Nothing like blanket statements like "all cops would have an issue with being videotaped" or... how about this one... everyone that reads slashdot is anti-police. Whenever you say that everyone of a certain group will react a certain way, you are not only stereotyping, you are showing your ignorance. I'm a cop. I'm a self-professed nerd. I have no issue with anyone video-taping or taking my picture in my official capacity, just as I have no problem with in-car cameras. The vast majority of police share my view (and yes, this is first hand knowledge... unlike the one-sided views you get when people have a negative experience).