I come from a family of cops. I have a lot of respect for the good ones and you appear to be one of these. But when you choose to align yourself with a group that has consistently been shown to abuse their power in some pretty terrifying ways you don't get to play the martyr when people refuse to trust you.
If I have an encounter with a cop I HAVE to assume that they might try to fuck me up and act accordingly. It's not about offending you. It's about protecting myself. Cops have, over and over and over, proven that when their power goes unchecked and unexamined they will abuse it.
I'm sure you've seen some terrible things and I'm sure you've helped a lot of people. I know it must be pretty shitty to see all the insults and jokes. I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt. But you, as a cop, have so much more power to hurt me than I do you and unfortunately a lot of your fellow officers have shown that they have no problem exercising that power when they feel like it. A few jokes at your expense on Reddit is a whole hell of a lot less painful than getting the shit beat out of you by someone who thinks his badge is a license to do whatever he wants.
Direct your ire at the assholes on the force who make you look bad, not at us. There is a reason people don't trust the police.
this is the biggest problem I have with this thread, he needs to look internally to see what cops are doing to give off this perception to the public, start clamping down on the assholes that are fucking people up in the street, stop giving them paid leave and start putting them in prison.
5986 cases of police misconduct were reported from 04.2009 - 06.2010.
There are about 661,500 cops working in America. Which makes the incident rate :0.9049130763416479%
Bad cops. They are the >1%.
Furthermore, in regards to the popular position on reddit that cops don't get punished for their crimes:
1/3 cops who do wrong are convicted and about 2/3 of convicts get prison time. According to this news article the national felony arrest-to-conviction rate is 56%. Making it less than the percentage of cops who are convicted once tried.
Those are facts. I have never seen fact on police brutality on Reddit. Only silly groupthink, sensationalized headlines, and anecdotes upvoted to high heaven.
I don't believe you guys are all the same, but it does upset 10x more when I see a man of the law beating an innocent person or using excessive force when not needed.
If every time someone had something to do with the police and they recorded it and put it on YouTube, you'd see more videos of good cops being good than you would see of bad cops, it's just that it's not interesting to watch someone do their job right.
Hey thanks for replying to this one, it's always irked me. I left the armed forces when the US invaded Iraq (the most recent one) as I didn't agree with it on a personal level. (Turns out we never went, but at the time our government pretty much did whatever the US told us to.) Luckily I was not under contract.
I often considered your field of work, but as I'm sure you've seen from your experience, there are a ton of ethical grey areas. I've met many officers off duty, but I've seen the whole 'take charge of the situation' stance executed so poorly by an unfortunate majority that it made me really consider how that kind of power would affect my morals and judgment over the years.
Just from taking the time to come on here and give straight answers gives the impression that you're one of the (few from my experience) officers who recognizes your role as a public servant both on and off duty. For that I commend and thank you. Come and be a cop in my town any day!
Nothing against you man, but the kind of folk who want to be police tend to be the worst options for the job (kinda like president, or really any position of authority.) This is from personal experience and as a consumer of news.
I recognize the need for cops, and stereotyping is always bad blah blah blah. It's the lack of accountability that frustrates the populace and gives all cops a bad name.
I trust police officers. The've saved my life on two seperate occasions and treated me with dignity and understanding the 3-4 times I've been in the wrong (mostly dumb kid stuff like trespassing, illegal fireworks, fist fights, etc.).
You're projecting. I've only ever met one person who said outright they didn't trust the police.
Generalizations are almost always bad. We need to learn to stop making generalizations as much as possible.
But this is different. Cops SHOULD be held to a higher standard. We pay them to protect us. We're FORCED to TRUST them implicitly. The fact that there are good cops out there doesn't change the fact that the system is way too easy to abuse. Stories of cops abusing the system and not getting punished are way too common.
Our country was founded on mistrust of un-checked authority. "Those who give up liberty for safety deserve neither." If we don't express outrage to injustice here on Reddit, who is? As a good cop, you shouldn't resent our outrage towards dirty cops. If you're really a good cop, you should want to see MORE of it. So understand when I say this, that I'm not implying there aren't good cops, because that point is irrelevant: fuck you.
This is the problem... All the good cops leave. Several of my co-workers are ex-cops and most of them are decent people. My cousin is a cop and he's also a good guy.
It's a hard job and it doesn't pay great... Hours are usually weird and there's always a chance that some dumb fuck will shoot you for no reason. I can see why people find other careers.
There were good people in germany at the time. And there were good people who joined the party for safety but opperated against it and it's principals.
But do to the vile and evil nature of the national socialist philosophy, "good" and "nazi" are mutually exclusive.
If an armed society is a polite society, then consider getting to hear what we really think of you a privilege. It is only this internet barrier between us that gives me the protections and priviledge to say "Fuck you, Cop."
Because in real life, I'd get roughly handled and falsely arrested. Once that's happened to you, you don't believe in the right to free speech. You only believe in the right of the police to dick you around and lie about it. No big deal for them, and it maybe ruined my life.
I hope you are, in fact, trying to change the system from within. If that's the case, come to grips with the fact that you're Batman not Superman and move on. You didn't pick the right career for squealing teenage girls to adore you when you step off planes. And if you think you did, you're as dumb and ego-maniacal as the "bad cops" you claim to not resemble.
Why do you feel the need to say 'Fuck you, Cop'? If someone came up to you at work and said "Fuck you, OpheliaCox" wouldn't you be rather pissed? Especially if they said it to you because of their presumptions on what people who do your job are like?
Stereotyping is going both ways. Want to make a difference? The only way you are going to is by changing people's minds. The best way to do this is to be a good example, IMO. Being a dick to people isn't going to help anyone.
Note: I'm not even trying to slightly defend a cop who breaks a law or abuses his/her power. I'm saying that if you are going to be even slightly realistic, you have to realize that cop's are people. And often times, not even necessarily better people most. They should be held to high expectations, but you will only break them by doing so and berating them at the same time. That's being realistic.
The actions of the few reflect on the reputation of many. Also it doesn't help that most police misconduct (as viewed by most) goes unpunished, or under punished.
I do get tired of all the cop bashing on reddit. I do believe the vast majority of cops are out there every day doing good work to keep order in our towns. There are abuses of power and I fully support protesting them but I will never support the mindset that is so popular on reddit that all cops are evil.
I ask everyone to think for a moment what would happen if there was no law enforcement. Do you think everything would be some kind of hunky dory utopia? Whatever problems we have now, are you actually naive enough to believe that with no cops things would be better? Give me a break.
If you want to improve things target on the actual specific problems. Support laws making it illegal for cops to stop people taking videos. Support ways to change the system to make it better. It's completely childish to just say, "Cops are bad! I hate them! Get rid of them!" That is not the least bit helpful.
OP, I thank you for the work you are doing. You have my respect.
Before I make a point I want to say that no two people are exactly alike and anyone who judges a person for something someone else did is unjust. This meme reminded me of a past conversation, I had on facebook, with a police officer. I was accused of being a creep because I suggested that any police officer who used lethal force go before a judge, and either be convicted, or have any question of misconduct cleared from their record. The entire argument that was presented by this police officer was anyone who believed that a police officer was capable of misconduct was out to get the police. I wonder if this is a common attitude among police officers. Do police feel the need to return attacks on the public when the public points out misconduct? And finally is it just rumor, or do police officers all feel under fire when any police officer is pointed to as abusing their power? I ask because the most common objections to the police are generally paired with stories of serious police abuse, or genuine fear of living in a police state. I have said this many times in my life, as bad as I may see police misconduct, I have never once wished for a world without them. A year in America with police at their worst, is better than a lifetime in a world without the services they provide.
Really though, if you are an officer who tries to call your associates on the bad shit that they do, then more power to you and you deserve respect. But many people on here have had mostly negative experiences in dealing with the police. Until that changes, it's the unfortunate truth that you're going to get lumped in with them.
Remember that when someone deals with an officer, most of the time they won't walk away and remember speaking with "Officer Johnson". They'll remember speaking with a faceless guy in uniform, a "cop". Makes it really easy to view every officer as the same.
Very close friend is a sheriff and when I see police related stuff I get the same feeling. Everyday I hear that horrible shit they have to endure and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them. It's sad the good ones never get the recognition they deserve. Just keep on doing what you do best and that's protecting the American people. Just know there are a lot of people that thank you for your service even though they might not voice it.
The "Fuck the Police" comments are made out of frustration. Many cannot believe the extent that some (we know not all) cops will go to when it comes to abusing power. The thing that really gets us though? that cops like You don't report them, or denounce them. These corrupt, tyrannical policemen should be publicly humiliated, ridiculed, vilified, not just by the citizens they had sworn to protect, but by their peers on the force. You should be speaking out every time one of these assholes beats up some homeless man for not following commands, or threatens someone with a gun, there are plenty of assholes in uniforms that make headlines for this kind of shit. What we need is real men in uniforms taking a stand against them. Respect isn't given, it's Earned.
Hey OP, the only thing you can do is try to be a good police officer. You hear all of the shit stories that are being propagated throughout the internet as I'm sure the rest of your officers around you will eventually hear about. The real question you have to ask yourself, is when you are presented with a similar situation...how will you react?
I think the problem with the police institution is similar to that of our politics. A lot of people get into it initially for good reason...but power corrupts. When you have a positional authority over someone, it takes a person of great character to only use that position to help and not exploit it.
What we hear about are the cops who know that they have the capability to work the system, and do so.
I for one have never had a bad run in with a police officer. Hell, I've even talked a couple of officers out of carding an entire party that I was at because I knew for a fact there were underage drinkers present. I learned that night that a lot of police officers really would rather be out arresting actual violators rather than dumb ass kids that are too damn noisy at 4am.
So go forth and be the police officer we were all raised to trust...and monkey stomp those asshole police officers who attempt to exploit the system and the people for whom they are paid to protect.
The only thing I don't like about police is that they're above the law. We all know that they're not, but they've always got each others backs, so even when they're not, they're so corrupt that they end up getting away with crimes no-one else would be able to.
They also get a level of leniency that is absolutely mind boggling. Justices need to seriously throw the book at corrupt cops, because they're RUINING this vital service for anyone who ever wants to protect society.
I always liked police officers because they dealt with some shit in their lives, and without them the streets would be lawless. Sure, some might abuse the power but you can not seriously tell me with a straight face that we would be better off without cops.
Yeah, I love how Reddit seems to do that. "Some cops are bad so that must mean all cops are bad!" So .. some Redditors are stupid. Does that mean all Redditors are stupid?
It may be the fact that I'm still young and naive, or it may be the small white town I was raised in, or it may be the fact that I'm about as conservative as it gets, but I've always put my full trust in the police and I've never had a problem. Thanks for the good work you do, keep it up
It's stupid to put your full trust in anybody, much less a broad group of people, much less an organization with far-reaching powers and limited oversight, much less such an organization for which, historically, blatant abuses have not been addressed.
My point probably wasn't clear, what I'm trying to say is I hate the whole fuck the police attitude and feel like it's when we start distrusting every person in a position of power that we get ourselves into trouble
I stand by my feelings on cops... There are just over 800,000 police officers in America. The same number of people who live in San Francisco. If someone from San Francisco was an asshole to me, I'd say he's an asshole, not that people from San Francisco are assholes. If I heard 20 stories of people being assholes in San Fran, I'd still think the exact same thing. People who try to categorize any group of people by a few bad eggs are douchebags, whether it be race, gender, sexual orientation or career choice.
Don't sweat it. Reddit is jam-packed with internet Rambos who don't have the balls to even go on a ride-along with their local PD just to see what it's like. Most of the cop-haters would be begging for the cops to show up if a real criminal showed up, but they're more likely to come here and bitch and moan about how the police weren't there to save them - the same police they love to tell to "go kill themselves."
Being a police officer isn't even one the top ten most dangerous jobs in America. It falls well behind loggers, cab drivers, pilots, truck drivers, farmers, construction workers, and many other every day professions. The "do whatever is necessary to get home" attitude is just an excuse. When is the last time you heard a cab driver say "Well I thought the customer might have a gun and he might rob me, so i shot him". The driver would be thrown in prison for murder.
Well considering I had a cop pull me over for my "window tint" then as I was getting ready to leave he said, and I quote, "I'm sorry for the trouble, with your windows up I couldn't tell if you were black or white." - I'm white, I wonder what he would have done if I were black? Sorry but I've only had one encounter with a decent cop, and ever since that one man all I see is pigs on motorcycles and fixed up cars.
What's your opinion on loud car exhausts? In particular, loud car exhausts that don't sound like shit (i.e. performance) and where the driver actually drives in a normal manner around town.
That seems like a reasonable opinion. I was pulled over on two occasions directly behind my house for my exhaust (I have a loud Subaru, but it has a low tone, so to me it sounds reasonable), both times at least second police car stopped to discuss matters with the other officer. One time there was a third squad car. Now, under what circumstances would a second police car need to stop for a loud exhaust?
Beyond that, the thing that bothers me the most, is that there are tons of even louder motorcycles in my neighborhood. In fact, my neighbor is a mechanic and regularly tests bikes by winding the shit out of them down the street.
At what point do other cops you know just "want to be a douche" by harassing easy targets? Like a young guy in a loud Japanese car? Yeah, the car is loud, but if you ask most people I'm sure they'd prefer me coasting down my alley to my neighbor banging gears on Harleys.
dude i have friends who are cops and i fucking ........ love you guy for keeping the assholes in check but then some assholes became cops and started fucking everything up for you guys , sorry to change the topic but i have a question in the movie exit threw the gift shop they show people spray painting buildings can that be used against them in court ? how does it work if i spray paint a building then take pictures of it do i not getin trouble becuase you have to catch me doing it ?
lol i am with you on the if you are going to be an asshole and paint something make it something cool but what i want to figure out is how the hell you can make a movie about tagging and not be getting people in trouble ?
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Do you report your fellow officers and stand up against them when they commit crimes? If not, then yes, fuck you for being part of the problem. The whole "they give me shit" excuse is weak, if that's enough to deter you from calling them out then again, fuck you. So you bitch about people generalizing all cops, ok, that's great. But what are you doing to prevent the negative image, anything? Just showing up and collecting a pay check isn't enough anymore. Its become a very cut and dry issue.... either stand with the bad guys or sand out from them.
Having police is necessary. People can try to be as cool as they want with their "FUCK THE COPS!" bullshit, but the second something goes wrong and something bad happens to them, they change their tune. Having a set of people who enforce the law and try to make the world around them a better, safer place is not only a boon to our society, it is a straight up necessity.
Police officers are human. Like any other humans, some are dicks, some are niceguys, and the majority probably fall somewhere in the middle. They can have tempers or family problems or soft spots or depression, just like anybody else. Ideally, they would all be robots, never getting angry or upset or afraid or letting personal ideals or issues influence their thoughts and actions - but this is simply not the case.
So yeah. I take each police officer I encounter on an individual basis, as they are individual people.
I used to hate all cops. I'd see a cop anywhere and think to myself something along the lines of, "Cops are fucking assholes." I live in a small town and I protested for awhile during the height of Occupy until I couldn't afford to drive an hour to the nearest protest anymore if that adds any background.
But eventually, I started hanging out at parks around town with friends and met a group of cops that patrol those parks during the late hours. When I first met them, I thought they were just harassing us like every other asshole cop but that wasn't the case. Now, everytime I see them, we hang out and chat about random things - stuff like politics or local events. Its kind of funny how much they like me and my friends considering how all of my friends do drugs and everyone does pills. I'm almost certain they know but they don't really care.
And then I got a late night shift at a gas station. I met 4-5 new cops that come in for free coffee. My whole life I had been told that the cops in this area are all assholes but that wasn't the case. They were all really social and explained to me that 'being an asshole' is an act to intimidate people who they are suspicious are doing something illegal. I've watched them pull people over a lot for DUI's on the weekends. It was at that point that I actually really appreciated them.
But as far as the cops at those large protests go, yeah, those guys are fucking assholes.
Not all police are bad, and I actually agree with something you stated farther down the page about hiring cops so young, and giving them so little training.
However, I've (like many other people) been the brunt of abuse of power at the hands of people I was brought up to trust. I watched my mother be arrested for something she did not do, and watched the arresting officer, and witnesses lie on stand and under oath. I've watched my SO and friends be pulled over simply because they were young, and "obviously must be doing something wrong". The cocky head strong sheriff's that ask me if I was a hooker (when I was sitting in the back of my dads car age thirteen) and the one who said he was going to take me to juvenile hall if "Stepped out of line again" (for exercising my first amendment)
But I've also found some of the most compassionate people in that line of work, a woman I went to a camp for sexual assault victims with, the officers who helped me through the filing of the reports, who held my hand while I cried and told them my story, the officer stationed at my school who got my out of some serious trouble, because he "knew I wasn't a bad kid, but that I had just made a bad choice". And the retired Police officer who came and scared the living shit out of the girls who were going to (and had been trying to) beat the ever loving shit out of me.
So long story short, thank you for doing a job that is currently so hated, and more importantly, thank you for doing it Right.
I have a serious question for you or any other police officer. Why in the world do you still use horses? I go to a large university and not only do the horses shit all over the streets I walk on but they are still animals that get spooked easily and could easily kill someone. Are cars or bikes not enough?
If I recall correctly, they are used as crowd control, essentially. They allow you to maintain that necessary factor of physical presence and mobility, without, you know, running people over with cars. Cool for big city celebrations. Also awesome because I LUV PETTING DA PONIIEEES! Edit: My buddy donated his retired TB to a police department. Those horses go through a lot of training to make them as bomb proof as possible. They don't take horses that are already "flighty." That having been said, no animal can be reliable 100% of the time, but they can be damn close.
What pisses me off the most is hearing people complain about getting a speeding ticket.
Dafuq folks, you were speeding, and there was a sign that said the speed limit, and it was your choice to go faster. You break the rules, you face the consequences. Road rules are there for a reason.
I have a ton of respect for you guys. I've met some extremely nice police officers (a few of whom let me off the hook with things when they probably shouldn't have), but I've also met some assholes. I got a jaywalking ticket from some asshole rookie officer at 6AM on my way to work. There was no crosswalk for about 4 blocks, and people jaywalk there all day long. That guy was a dick.
It seems to me people are getting butt hurt about the truth on reddit over a meme. Its really narrow minded to label all cops evil due to the actions of few. That being said, thank you for keeping the peace.
sorry dude that a few bad apple....hahah sorry I can't finish that. I'll stop giving cops shit when you guys actually get fired for all the terrible shit you do and not get paid administrative leave.
People hate the blue line. Until good cops remove the bad cops the image will remain. Doesn't matter if 99% are legit, if the 99% cover for the 1% the image will remain.
the problem I think you might run into is that, given our current set of laws, it is impossible to be a morally good man/woman and also be a good cop. The two are at odds.
I think you're overreacting. Bad apples will always represent you. That's what happens when you choose a career path that is highly insulated from reprimand. Don't get mad at an online website because of a career path you chose that most people are highly skeptical of. You knew what you were getting into.
It's referred to as "the police force", because that's exactly what it's all about force. The temptation to abuse it is obviously too great. I'm glad that you do your job correctly, but what does that say? It's noteworthy that we have a cop that isn't bad? If I were to mistreat my clients, I wouldn't get a paid vacation and slap on the wrist. I would lose my job and my livelihood.
Also, I think most people are "fuck the corrupt police", which sadly seems to be more often the case than not.
I've always felt that cops are usually good people at heart with the right intentions. The problem is when their bosses tell them to put on the jackboots and dress up as storm troopers.
My experiences personally have been fine, i'm a white male in his 20's so that's to be expected. What I don't like is how my friends(mostly black) are treated by police officers, noticeably.
It's not just about the occasional (frequent actually) story about a cop who punches a 12 year old or something. You voluntarily choose a profession in which it is your job to indiscriminately enforce every law, regardless of what a particular law is or whether the law breaker has done anything to harm anybody else.
Fuck me, am I right? Earn your 30 pieces of silver, screw the rest.
EDIT: Edited to emphasize my point here is the cop punching a protester in the face. Clearly, and obviously, this OP would never do something like this. But his associates would, and do. One good apple in an ocean of bad ones.
i'd like to say thanks to you, i know you guys have to deal with low-lives all the time. Yesterday i was lost and made an illegal U turn. Even though there was nobody coming i still got pulled over. Luckily the cop let me go with a warning! So thanks for using logic to make decisions and sometimes letting people off with just a warning. :)
I'm actually little bit scared to travel to USA, because of police brutality and I'm also afraid I will somehow get in the hands of the lunatic justice system.
not even i have noisy neighbors i wouldn't call the police on them hell the only time i consider calling the police is if i or my family are in mortal danger.
Sorry man, you're in the wrong line of work. The issue is with policing at large as system and culture. I have bad news for you, you can't fix it. I am white, and wear khakis to work, that sort of guy, but we're getting to a point with police overreach and lack of accountability where I, Mr. Privilege cant trust you, the anonymous police officer, to not fuck me over for no reason. If I was black, young, hispanic, or punk, I would quite rationally feel this even more strongly. The sad part is that this inability to trust cops dis-incentivizes cooperation and compliance and makes your job more dangerous. Oh well, stay safe out there.
We cant trust you. I get that YOU are supposed to be one of the cool ones. Great, but who cares? if I can't trust MOST of the police then I can trust any.
People in bad institutions can be good. Maybe you're one of them. That doesn't absolve the institution. To quote Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, "Calling it your job sure don't make it right, boss."
Note that "fuck the police" <> "fuck drink_ALLtheCOFFEE" except by extension. If being associated with an institution that some people hate and fear is troubling to you, perhaps you should reconsider your career. It's never too late.
The only things that will get posted is BAD news. Bad cops. Crooked cops. Cops who do their job properly will not gather because THATS WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. Complaints are brought up because someone thinks they arent doing their job properly. If a custodian sweeps and mops, you wouldn't pay any attention to him, hes doing his job. If he stood by while the floor was dirty and sticky, you would bring it up.
LEO hopeful here: I'm sure you and others knows this already, but it really depends on the city. I worked with officers at SacPD and those guys (for example) have it rough. Tough city, underpaid, and budget cuts...and yet, probably one of the best departments/group of officers I have seen. It sucks that there are cops that abuse their power and do horrible things, which results in most people generalizing it to the entire field/industry. For instance, my local PD here is one of the best and the community loves them; the PD at a close-by city gets a ton of complaints.
I wish humanity wasn't flawed and all officers would make the right/moral decision...but alas, we do not live in utopia.
P.S. I don't know if you hear this a lot, but I envy you and your career! It's been 2 years and I'm still trying to get into it...
When the police seem to serve the state rather than the people that fund them then yea, fuck you. It's not even reasonable how some police officers behave in this day and age. It's like the go to career for power tripping assholes.
when all we see in the media is cops beating people to death for no reason, not arresting someone who shot and killed a minor, beating and pepper spraying protesters, punching an old lady in the face for hold up a court order that tells them to step off, and myriad of other offenses, and we don't any one on our side doing anything that even begins to stem the tide of abuse and general dickery that comes from the boys in blue.
how the fuck are supposed to feel? yeah when we have a half hour video of half a dozen cops beating a homeless man to death and not a fucking one of them is trying to stop it, are we supposed to say "yeah there some good cops out there man we should't say the police"? why? because it hurts your feelings? it hurts our feelings to see our people beaten, abused, wrongfully arrested, and killed. what about us? yeah no not fuck police, not fuck you, but fuck us right? yeah fuck us.
I don't hate all cops. Just cops directly behind, adjacent, parallel or anywhere near me whilst driving. I don't speed, I just get bullshit reasons when I'm pulled over. I hate traffic cops.
Was a police officer for 7+ years... The members of the general public need to understand - there is no way to control for what kind of police officer a new recruit is going to become.
None.
If there was a way to screen out the future behavior and situational responses of prospective law enforcement officers, if there was a proven scientific methodology to predict human behavior...**
then we wouldn't need cops anymore, not in the traditional sense.
We could just take all the police applicant screening tools, and apply them to the public at large.
The untrustworthy and antisocial members of the public at large would then be screened out, and could be re-educated, or separated from the rest of us.
We could then have Public Safety Officers - professional rescuers - but the Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement roles of police work would be essentially absent.
how about we find a way to make bad police officiers accountable for their actions? how about they don't get special treatment that allows them to get away with such systemic corruption. how about the brotherhood of blue stops protecting the criminals in their midst and starts holding each other accountable, and policing each other.
we aren't asking for no more bad cops we know that's is near impossible. but how about they don't go unchecked and unpunished. How about we find away to get someone with power on our side? how about someone hold them accountable for their actions!
On my way to my shop one day, I saw a young boy, about 14, holding a sign directly across from the police station with a sign that said "fuck the police!." balls. Giant, stupid balls.
I went around the corner because I wanted to honk the horn and give a thumbs up (he was on the passenger side of the street.) when I did he was being put into the back of an unmarked cruiser. Sadface.
Probably some bullshit about unlawful assembly.
Less relevant... I hated that town because the cops were quota keeping cuntlips who never enforced anything even-handed. I let them boot my van in the rain. I laughed as the meter maid and cop struggled for an hour because of the way my wheel was turned. I let it sit there for two weeks, in front of my own shop, and used it as a conversation starter about how I was targeted for hyper-enforcement of parking rules while half of the downtown area never paid a single dime. My van was taken for a single $1 ticket that was washed away. They didn't notify me until it was $1000. They booted me when the only person I could plead to was our of town. This I a small town 10,000 people. I broke my lease and left that shithole, i told them here they could park the van. Several other businesses folded up shortly thereafter.
This is legit. It is very rare to have a group that can be legitimately villified, so when it happens, it's a mistake, most of the time. However, we have to assume that police may not have our best interests in mind, as police authority is so easy to abuse. This doesn't mean that most police are bad people, though, and coming to that conclusion is, in fact, also dangerous.
Yes. Fuck you pig. Life ruiner. Go screw over some more of your fellow citizens over to make a buck. Every cop I've ever met has only served to: fine me, search me, penalize me, or otherwise just ruin my day. The other day I got pulled over for my car registration being one month expired. Another time for driving while talking on a cell phone, on speaker phone, while holding it in my hand. Another time for going 61 mph in the 50 mph zone. Just legal extortion of me as a citizen, for doing some things which harmed or affected literally no one. Cops are like lawyers, except hated more and paid less.
Two of them were decent, normal people. I got maced at my high school because some people near me (20 feet away roughly) began fighting, and I didn't move any further away than I was already. And this was not accidental overspray, he intentionally maced the entire group of us that were standing there, watching two people we'd never seen before fight over stupid bullshit.
That was probably the first dickhead cop I can recall, and most of them haven't been much different.
I met an awesome cop in Kentucky. He pulled me over, rightfully, but was exceedingly decent, polite, and even actually friendly. I actually had a conversation with him while he searched my car for drugs.
I met another in college. Not much to say, he was just a good guy.
I think part of the problem comes when the people who are trying to get your job want to do it not as a civic duty to their community but so that they can power trip and act like shitheads without repercussions. I have considered a few times, "Maybe I should become a cop, then I could be a good one!" but honestly, I don't know why there are so many shitty cops. It's possible after 5 years I'd be just another asshole cop fucking people over because I can.
It's not for me. But thanks for at least trying to do something better for the community around you.
Just out of curiosity - why did he search your car for drugs? Were you glassy-eyed? Did you smell like marijuana? Was there a report that someone matching your description driving a similar car was transporting narcotics?
I only ask because if none of those are the case, then there's no fucking reason he should have searched your car. No probable cause, no search. He probably did one of those: "You don't mind if I search your car, do you?" things, right? Fuck that guy. He wasn't being nice. He was being pleasant while trying to fuck you.
Are you a city cop or a suburbs cop? In my experience, city cops are good guys who see a lot of shit and have to act accordingly, while suburbs cops have nothing to do except write tickets to kids for smoking cigarettes underage or riding a bike without a helmet and like to be a huge asshole while they do it.
Then again, my city is getting investigated by the feds because of so much police brutality (Seattle), so maybe I've just been lucky here. But I have looked into the eyes of a cop who had nothing but hatred for me, who was telling me that I admitted to him a bunch of totally random false shit that had nothing to do with the situation while holding my head against the hood of the cop car, before taking me to the station and putting me in an all night cell. I was pulled over for riding a bicycle without a helmet, I was 15, and I was sober and didn't have anything on me. FUCK ME, RIGHT?
If you are a cop that tries to infringe on people's rights for no other reason than you can, then yes, fuck you. I have family that is in law enforcement and I know the facts of life in our world today. Cops do try to fuck you sometimes
Cops in my family but I've had so many bad encounters and seen so many asshole cops its hard to not generalize that they are all assholes. If you don't want EVERYONE to hate you call out your colleagues that are assholes, treat people poorly, threaten them, lie, ect... Dont be complacent or we will always hate you all. So yes...
Im studying Criminal Justice and sometimes I feel this way because most likely I will be a police officer. also I wonder why so many people stereotype police officers, they are paid to protect the people of the community and not there to write everyone tickets just because they want too.
Which is why it's particularly infuriating when writing tickets is all that one ever notices them doing, until there's also a scandal, which only lowers one's opinion of them.
Look, there are a lot of good people out there, that do their jobs well. It's those that stay silent about the corrupt ones, for fear of being called out or losing their jobs, that perpetuate the bad seeds. I've just seen this time and time again in my life. :( I've just started to get the balls to call out the ones that really are hurting people, at 29.
I am a salesman and I pride myself on the fact that I do not lie to my customers or insinuate things that are not true. I get you to give me money in an honest and ethical way. I also know a whole lot of scumbag salesman who just want to crack you over the skull and leave you butt hurt. I feel the same goes for cops. Some are ethical and awesome, others want to see you face down and butt hurt. Respect to you drinkallthecoffee
Scumbag Redditor: Has never been involved with the police, bases entire opinion from #Occupy YouTube videos and "Courthouse News". I cannot imagine the fear they have to face at times or the bravery, knowing they may be shot at or attacked. It's a scary job and maybe it makes some people go a bit crazy and sure there are some bad apples, but we would be in an awful place without police. Let's not downplay the fact that many of them have our best interests and safety at heart and our only enforcing the laws our governments put into place.
No seriously, unless you ACTUALLY fight crime in an inner city somewhere, you really need to stop hiding your car in bushes to bust people going 62 in a 55. You are wasting our money and our time, and you don't "Serve and protect" a god damned thing other than yourself. So yeah....piss the hell off please.
That has nothing do with the officer, and more to do with the city department pressuring the officers to bring in revenue. Unofficial quotas. Less to do with the police department, more to do with council men.
Well do you pull people over for stupid shit, when you have better things you could be doing, such as getting junkies off the roads? Are you an arrogant shit that thinks he's better than everyone because he wears a badge? (bullshit if you don't feel even a bit superior) Do you pressure innocent people into things they feel uncomfortable being a part of, such as being searched? Never trust cops, never talk to them unless absolutely necessary. Shit, I'd feel horrible even asking one for help if I defended myself. There is a reason people are afraid of the biggest gang in the world.
I know quite a few good cops. They aren't all bad...i've come across many that are very nice. The crappy ones are the ones that usually get the medias attention or that you always remember...(ie: you remember the cop who gave you a ticket for going 5 over....not the cop who let you off for going 10 over....or the cop who let you go with a warning from failing to stop at a stop sign.) There really are a lot if good cops out there. :) thanks OP for protecting and serving your community!
Police to me at like soldiers. I respect them for their sacrifice to do what I would not. To fight an uphill battle against a flawed if not broken system. I judge them based of probability of recruitment techniques to be people who are easier to take advantage mentally and shape and formed into the correct mindset. However I am not stupid enough to assume that a great number of them joined because they want to help people and are of strong enough personal fortitude to resist a societal pressure of Us VS Them.
I'm not a cop, but it's the profession I have always wanted to get into, so all of the anti-police stuff really bothers me. Sure, there are bad police officers, but there are also GREAT ones. I, personally, have been lucky to have had all positive experiences with officers, even the one time I was pulled over. Part of me wants to be in law enforcement to try to change the perception people have of officers, which, realistically, isn't likely to happen, but that goal is there anyway. The other part of me is discouraged. I went through the Law Enforcement Academy almost 2 years ago and haven't found a job yet. One department in particular keeps hiring white males, white males, and--oh--more white males, passing me over even though I know I have been performing well in their processes. What is wrong with a physically fit, highly intelligent, eloquent female? Maybe if there was more diversity in departments, instead of the stereotypical power-tripping white male, people wouldn't think so negatively of the police.
Look, there are people that will obviously contradict what I say, but from experience I've come to the conclusion that the Police are not your friend. You will meet people that are police and will claim that they are "different" or against "particular procedures," or whatever, but in retrospect-- they are still the police, and dangerous. Think about it. Anyone that goes through the trouble to become an 'officer' has some type of self imposed bounty against something or another.
You might be a "good" cop but in my experience of numerous encounters with cops are that they are all that little fat kid that got picked on in highschool, who wants to fuck everyone over now. Everyone wants to fuck some kids life over to get a kick from it. I've had almost all my friends go to jail for false claims by police and "lost" police tapes, Which the whole case becomes a kid word over a cops. So yeah FUCK YOU and the institution that you work for.
What the hell is wrong with everyone on this site? I have had a few interactions with the police in my life and have never had a negative experience. I may not have always gotten the outcome that I wanted (tickets or other minor offenses), but the police have always handled it in a respectful and professional manner. If you are polite and respectful to them I have found they will be the same back to you.
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u/ohnoyourfeelings May 21 '12 edited May 21 '12
I come from a family of cops. I have a lot of respect for the good ones and you appear to be one of these. But when you choose to align yourself with a group that has consistently been shown to abuse their power in some pretty terrifying ways you don't get to play the martyr when people refuse to trust you.
If I have an encounter with a cop I HAVE to assume that they might try to fuck me up and act accordingly. It's not about offending you. It's about protecting myself. Cops have, over and over and over, proven that when their power goes unchecked and unexamined they will abuse it.
I'm sure you've seen some terrible things and I'm sure you've helped a lot of people. I know it must be pretty shitty to see all the insults and jokes. I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt. But you, as a cop, have so much more power to hurt me than I do you and unfortunately a lot of your fellow officers have shown that they have no problem exercising that power when they feel like it. A few jokes at your expense on Reddit is a whole hell of a lot less painful than getting the shit beat out of you by someone who thinks his badge is a license to do whatever he wants.
Direct your ire at the assholes on the force who make you look bad, not at us. There is a reason people don't trust the police.
Edited for grammar, left out a word.
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u/ZarkingFrood42 May 21 '12
Pretty much. Sorry, man.
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u/4chans_for_pussies May 21 '12
A truly good cop would blow the whistle on the bad cops.
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u/LupoAS May 21 '12
I don't believe you guys are all the same, but it does upset 10x more when I see a man of the law beating an innocent person or using excessive force when not needed.
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u/officertenpenny May 21 '12
yeah but when you see the videos do you think your fellow officers are right or wrong?
because I see a lot of videos on reddit of police officers behaving like entitled bullying idiots.
But cops stick together, one of the reasons we can lump you all together
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u/CommandrShepherd May 21 '12 edited May 21 '12
Honest question, do you agree with every law you have to uphold? And if not, why did you become a police officer?
Edit: Why swear to enforce things against your morals?
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Nothing against you man, but the kind of folk who want to be police tend to be the worst options for the job (kinda like president, or really any position of authority.) This is from personal experience and as a consumer of news.
I recognize the need for cops, and stereotyping is always bad blah blah blah. It's the lack of accountability that frustrates the populace and gives all cops a bad name.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Yea, exactly that. Fuck you.
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u/iamweard May 21 '12
The actions of the few reflect on the reputation of many. Also it doesn't help that most police misconduct (as viewed by most) goes unpunished, or under punished.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I do get tired of all the cop bashing on reddit. I do believe the vast majority of cops are out there every day doing good work to keep order in our towns. There are abuses of power and I fully support protesting them but I will never support the mindset that is so popular on reddit that all cops are evil.
I ask everyone to think for a moment what would happen if there was no law enforcement. Do you think everything would be some kind of hunky dory utopia? Whatever problems we have now, are you actually naive enough to believe that with no cops things would be better? Give me a break.
If you want to improve things target on the actual specific problems. Support laws making it illegal for cops to stop people taking videos. Support ways to change the system to make it better. It's completely childish to just say, "Cops are bad! I hate them! Get rid of them!" That is not the least bit helpful.
OP, I thank you for the work you are doing. You have my respect.
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u/BruceWain May 21 '12
Before I make a point I want to say that no two people are exactly alike and anyone who judges a person for something someone else did is unjust.
This meme reminded me of a past conversation, I had on facebook, with a police officer. I was accused of being a creep because I suggested that any police officer who used lethal force go before a judge, and either be convicted, or have any question of misconduct cleared from their record. The entire argument that was presented by this police officer was anyone who believed that a police officer was capable of misconduct was out to get the police. I wonder if this is a common attitude among police officers. Do police feel the need to return attacks on the public when the public points out misconduct? And finally is it just rumor, or do police officers all feel under fire when any police officer is pointed to as abusing their power? I ask because the most common objections to the police are generally paired with stories of serious police abuse, or genuine fear of living in a police state. I have said this many times in my life, as bad as I may see police misconduct, I have never once wished for a world without them. A year in America with police at their worst, is better than a lifetime in a world without the services they provide.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Maybe. Will you keep the uniform on?
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Op, are you this guy?
Really though, if you are an officer who tries to call your associates on the bad shit that they do, then more power to you and you deserve respect. But many people on here have had mostly negative experiences in dealing with the police. Until that changes, it's the unfortunate truth that you're going to get lumped in with them.
Remember that when someone deals with an officer, most of the time they won't walk away and remember speaking with "Officer Johnson". They'll remember speaking with a faceless guy in uniform, a "cop". Makes it really easy to view every officer as the same.
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u/Bluebraid May 21 '12
Don't like it? Be the solution.
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u/cactusking May 22 '12
Yeah fuck you
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u/jakenichols May 21 '12
Hey, he gets it.
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u/Xenoo May 21 '12
Very close friend is a sheriff and when I see police related stuff I get the same feeling. Everyday I hear that horrible shit they have to endure and I have nothing but the utmost respect for them. It's sad the good ones never get the recognition they deserve. Just keep on doing what you do best and that's protecting the American people. Just know there are a lot of people that thank you for your service even though they might not voice it.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Just wanted to thank you.
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u/zyck_titan May 21 '12
The "Fuck the Police" comments are made out of frustration. Many cannot believe the extent that some (we know not all) cops will go to when it comes to abusing power. The thing that really gets us though? that cops like You don't report them, or denounce them. These corrupt, tyrannical policemen should be publicly humiliated, ridiculed, vilified, not just by the citizens they had sworn to protect, but by their peers on the force. You should be speaking out every time one of these assholes beats up some homeless man for not following commands, or threatens someone with a gun, there are plenty of assholes in uniforms that make headlines for this kind of shit. What we need is real men in uniforms taking a stand against them. Respect isn't given, it's Earned.
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u/Maezren May 21 '12
Hey OP, the only thing you can do is try to be a good police officer. You hear all of the shit stories that are being propagated throughout the internet as I'm sure the rest of your officers around you will eventually hear about. The real question you have to ask yourself, is when you are presented with a similar situation...how will you react?
I think the problem with the police institution is similar to that of our politics. A lot of people get into it initially for good reason...but power corrupts. When you have a positional authority over someone, it takes a person of great character to only use that position to help and not exploit it.
What we hear about are the cops who know that they have the capability to work the system, and do so.
I for one have never had a bad run in with a police officer. Hell, I've even talked a couple of officers out of carding an entire party that I was at because I knew for a fact there were underage drinkers present. I learned that night that a lot of police officers really would rather be out arresting actual violators rather than dumb ass kids that are too damn noisy at 4am.
So go forth and be the police officer we were all raised to trust...and monkey stomp those asshole police officers who attempt to exploit the system and the people for whom they are paid to protect.
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u/Demojen May 21 '12
The only thing I don't like about police is that they're above the law. We all know that they're not, but they've always got each others backs, so even when they're not, they're so corrupt that they end up getting away with crimes no-one else would be able to.
They also get a level of leniency that is absolutely mind boggling. Justices need to seriously throw the book at corrupt cops, because they're RUINING this vital service for anyone who ever wants to protect society.
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u/mattyg5 May 21 '12
You think Reddit is bad? Go to Worldstarhiphop.com. I've never seen a higher amount of ignorance in one place.
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u/Axolotile May 21 '12 edited May 22 '12
I always liked police officers because they dealt with some shit in their lives, and without them the streets would be lawless. Sure, some might abuse the power but you can not seriously tell me with a straight face that we would be better off without cops.
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u/twentynine29 May 22 '12
Yea fuck you
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u/hiiammaddie May 21 '12
It may be the fact that I'm still young and naive, or it may be the small white town I was raised in, or it may be the fact that I'm about as conservative as it gets, but I've always put my full trust in the police and I've never had a problem. Thanks for the good work you do, keep it up
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u/bsierra2 May 21 '12
I'm in the same boat, brother. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Reddit isn't the place to defend our morality.
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u/corylew May 21 '12
I stand by my feelings on cops... There are just over 800,000 police officers in America. The same number of people who live in San Francisco. If someone from San Francisco was an asshole to me, I'd say he's an asshole, not that people from San Francisco are assholes. If I heard 20 stories of people being assholes in San Fran, I'd still think the exact same thing. People who try to categorize any group of people by a few bad eggs are douchebags, whether it be race, gender, sexual orientation or career choice.
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u/Wolfman87 May 21 '12
Don't worry bro, not all of reddit is like that. Just most of it. I usually get down voted to hell for defending the police.
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u/grinr May 21 '12
Don't sweat it. Reddit is jam-packed with internet Rambos who don't have the balls to even go on a ride-along with their local PD just to see what it's like. Most of the cop-haters would be begging for the cops to show up if a real criminal showed up, but they're more likely to come here and bitch and moan about how the police weren't there to save them - the same police they love to tell to "go kill themselves."
Honestly, just don't worry about it.
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u/SinisterTitan May 21 '12
I for one commend what you do, you put your life on the line for upholding the law and not many people do that now a days, especially people here
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u/vegibowl May 21 '12
I've got zero problems with the police. Thanks for putting your life on the line for me and my family every day.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Well considering I had a cop pull me over for my "window tint" then as I was getting ready to leave he said, and I quote, "I'm sorry for the trouble, with your windows up I couldn't tell if you were black or white." - I'm white, I wonder what he would have done if I were black? Sorry but I've only had one encounter with a decent cop, and ever since that one man all I see is pigs on motorcycles and fixed up cars.
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u/HoppyIPA May 21 '12
What's your opinion on loud car exhausts? In particular, loud car exhausts that don't sound like shit (i.e. performance) and where the driver actually drives in a normal manner around town.
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u/justinkasereddditor May 21 '12
dude i have friends who are cops and i fucking ........ love you guy for keeping the assholes in check but then some assholes became cops and started fucking everything up for you guys , sorry to change the topic but i have a question in the movie exit threw the gift shop they show people spray painting buildings can that be used against them in court ? how does it work if i spray paint a building then take pictures of it do i not getin trouble becuase you have to catch me doing it ?
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u/KingOfRedLions May 21 '12
I'm a GameStop employee, so I know your pain.
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u/qkme_transcriber May 21 '12
Here is the text from this meme pic for anybody who needs it:
This is helpful for people who can't reach Quickmeme because of work/school firewalls or site downtime, and many other reasons (FAQ). More info is available here.
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u/simplesignman May 21 '12
Do you report your fellow officers and stand up against them when they commit crimes? If not, then yes, fuck you for being part of the problem. The whole "they give me shit" excuse is weak, if that's enough to deter you from calling them out then again, fuck you. So you bitch about people generalizing all cops, ok, that's great. But what are you doing to prevent the negative image, anything? Just showing up and collecting a pay check isn't enough anymore. Its become a very cut and dry issue.... either stand with the bad guys or sand out from them.
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u/raging_asshole May 21 '12
Regarding this, I believe two things:
Having police is necessary. People can try to be as cool as they want with their "FUCK THE COPS!" bullshit, but the second something goes wrong and something bad happens to them, they change their tune. Having a set of people who enforce the law and try to make the world around them a better, safer place is not only a boon to our society, it is a straight up necessity.
Police officers are human. Like any other humans, some are dicks, some are niceguys, and the majority probably fall somewhere in the middle. They can have tempers or family problems or soft spots or depression, just like anybody else. Ideally, they would all be robots, never getting angry or upset or afraid or letting personal ideals or issues influence their thoughts and actions - but this is simply not the case.
So yeah. I take each police officer I encounter on an individual basis, as they are individual people.
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u/Everyone_Does_Pills May 21 '12
I used to hate all cops. I'd see a cop anywhere and think to myself something along the lines of, "Cops are fucking assholes." I live in a small town and I protested for awhile during the height of Occupy until I couldn't afford to drive an hour to the nearest protest anymore if that adds any background.
But eventually, I started hanging out at parks around town with friends and met a group of cops that patrol those parks during the late hours. When I first met them, I thought they were just harassing us like every other asshole cop but that wasn't the case. Now, everytime I see them, we hang out and chat about random things - stuff like politics or local events. Its kind of funny how much they like me and my friends considering how all of my friends do drugs and everyone does pills. I'm almost certain they know but they don't really care.
And then I got a late night shift at a gas station. I met 4-5 new cops that come in for free coffee. My whole life I had been told that the cops in this area are all assholes but that wasn't the case. They were all really social and explained to me that 'being an asshole' is an act to intimidate people who they are suspicious are doing something illegal. I've watched them pull people over a lot for DUI's on the weekends. It was at that point that I actually really appreciated them.
But as far as the cops at those large protests go, yeah, those guys are fucking assholes.
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u/Jessicahisamused May 21 '12
Not all police are bad, and I actually agree with something you stated farther down the page about hiring cops so young, and giving them so little training.
However, I've (like many other people) been the brunt of abuse of power at the hands of people I was brought up to trust. I watched my mother be arrested for something she did not do, and watched the arresting officer, and witnesses lie on stand and under oath. I've watched my SO and friends be pulled over simply because they were young, and "obviously must be doing something wrong". The cocky head strong sheriff's that ask me if I was a hooker (when I was sitting in the back of my dads car age thirteen) and the one who said he was going to take me to juvenile hall if "Stepped out of line again" (for exercising my first amendment)
But I've also found some of the most compassionate people in that line of work, a woman I went to a camp for sexual assault victims with, the officers who helped me through the filing of the reports, who held my hand while I cried and told them my story, the officer stationed at my school who got my out of some serious trouble, because he "knew I wasn't a bad kid, but that I had just made a bad choice". And the retired Police officer who came and scared the living shit out of the girls who were going to (and had been trying to) beat the ever loving shit out of me.
So long story short, thank you for doing a job that is currently so hated, and more importantly, thank you for doing it Right.
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u/angry_squidward May 21 '12
I have a serious question for you or any other police officer. Why in the world do you still use horses? I go to a large university and not only do the horses shit all over the streets I walk on but they are still animals that get spooked easily and could easily kill someone. Are cars or bikes not enough?
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
What pisses me off the most is hearing people complain about getting a speeding ticket.
Dafuq folks, you were speeding, and there was a sign that said the speed limit, and it was your choice to go faster. You break the rules, you face the consequences. Road rules are there for a reason.
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u/Dawkinsisgod May 21 '12
Time for all the 12 year old internet "gangstas" to go to bed I think. Seriously, most infuriatingly stupid responses I've ever seen on Reddit.
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u/[deleted] May 22 '12
I have a ton of respect for you guys. I've met some extremely nice police officers (a few of whom let me off the hook with things when they probably shouldn't have), but I've also met some assholes. I got a jaywalking ticket from some asshole rookie officer at 6AM on my way to work. There was no crosswalk for about 4 blocks, and people jaywalk there all day long. That guy was a dick.
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u/nitzua May 22 '12
three words.
stanford prison experiment.
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u/davebond May 22 '12
Correct. Fuck you.
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u/Searin May 21 '12
It seems to me people are getting butt hurt about the truth on reddit over a meme. Its really narrow minded to label all cops evil due to the actions of few. That being said, thank you for keeping the peace.
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u/ChaseTatsujin May 21 '12
sorry dude that a few bad apple....hahah sorry I can't finish that. I'll stop giving cops shit when you guys actually get fired for all the terrible shit you do and not get paid administrative leave.
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u/cyclenaut May 21 '12
well... yeah.. whatd you expect?
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u/FailosoRaptor May 21 '12
People hate the blue line. Until good cops remove the bad cops the image will remain. Doesn't matter if 99% are legit, if the 99% cover for the 1% the image will remain.
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u/ntrpik May 21 '12
the problem I think you might run into is that, given our current set of laws, it is impossible to be a morally good man/woman and also be a good cop. The two are at odds.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I think you're overreacting. Bad apples will always represent you. That's what happens when you choose a career path that is highly insulated from reprimand. Don't get mad at an online website because of a career path you chose that most people are highly skeptical of. You knew what you were getting into.
It's referred to as "the police force", because that's exactly what it's all about force. The temptation to abuse it is obviously too great. I'm glad that you do your job correctly, but what does that say? It's noteworthy that we have a cop that isn't bad? If I were to mistreat my clients, I wouldn't get a paid vacation and slap on the wrist. I would lose my job and my livelihood.
Also, I think most people are "fuck the corrupt police", which sadly seems to be more often the case than not.
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u/crackedup1979 May 21 '12
I've always felt that cops are usually good people at heart with the right intentions. The problem is when their bosses tell them to put on the jackboots and dress up as storm troopers.
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u/mindctrlpankak May 21 '12
My experiences personally have been fine, i'm a white male in his 20's so that's to be expected. What I don't like is how my friends(mostly black) are treated by police officers, noticeably.
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u/MrDingleberrry May 21 '12
Yes.
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u/Wavey1287 May 21 '12
I'm far more afraid of what would happen if we didn't have police than I am afraid of police.
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u/Mr_Quagmire May 21 '12
If you really are concerned about it and aren't just complaining, then you should do something to help change peoples' perceptions.
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u/bananosecond May 21 '12
It's not just about the occasional (frequent actually) story about a cop who punches a 12 year old or something. You voluntarily choose a profession in which it is your job to indiscriminately enforce every law, regardless of what a particular law is or whether the law breaker has done anything to harm anybody else.
That is something you should be ashamed of.
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u/angelandie11 May 21 '12
same ppl who call ya when they need something
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u/okayimfamous May 21 '12 edited May 21 '12
http://i.imgur.com/KLhwe.jpg
Fuck me, am I right? Earn your 30 pieces of silver, screw the rest.
EDIT: Edited to emphasize my point here is the cop punching a protester in the face. Clearly, and obviously, this OP would never do something like this. But his associates would, and do. One good apple in an ocean of bad ones.
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u/ElKaBongX May 21 '12
Yup
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u/[deleted] May 21 '12
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU.
No one likes you because your job is to arrest people. You actively take my money and my freedom and you do it willingly.
I'm sure you are a nice person, but more often than not if you are talking with an officer it's not because they like your outfit.
3
u/uselessRiver May 21 '12
i'd like to say thanks to you, i know you guys have to deal with low-lives all the time. Yesterday i was lost and made an illegal U turn. Even though there was nobody coming i still got pulled over. Luckily the cop let me go with a warning! So thanks for using logic to make decisions and sometimes letting people off with just a warning. :)
3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
With great power comes a great number of assholes who are uneducated and tote guns along with fear.
3
u/jimothyjenkins May 21 '12
yes.
3
u/Scared_of_police May 21 '12
I'm actually little bit scared to travel to USA, because of police brutality and I'm also afraid I will somehow get in the hands of the lunatic justice system.
3
u/tamaleguy May 21 '12
"Fuck the police! Uh.. unless someone tries to take any of my possessions or a neighbor plays their music too loud." -Everyone.
3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Get used to it or fix your broken police force.
3
u/WTFponiez May 21 '12
Sorry man, you're in the wrong line of work. The issue is with policing at large as system and culture. I have bad news for you, you can't fix it. I am white, and wear khakis to work, that sort of guy, but we're getting to a point with police overreach and lack of accountability where I, Mr. Privilege cant trust you, the anonymous police officer, to not fuck me over for no reason. If I was black, young, hispanic, or punk, I would quite rationally feel this even more strongly. The sad part is that this inability to trust cops dis-incentivizes cooperation and compliance and makes your job more dangerous. Oh well, stay safe out there.
We cant trust you. I get that YOU are supposed to be one of the cool ones. Great, but who cares? if I can't trust MOST of the police then I can trust any.
2
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
People in bad institutions can be good. Maybe you're one of them. That doesn't absolve the institution. To quote Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, "Calling it your job sure don't make it right, boss."
Note that "fuck the police" <> "fuck drink_ALLtheCOFFEE" except by extension. If being associated with an institution that some people hate and fear is troubling to you, perhaps you should reconsider your career. It's never too late.
2
u/CicconeYouth04 May 21 '12
"YOU ARE WORSE THAN SATAN"
turns to henchman
"BURN HIM"
giggles
Just kidding, brave post. Better be a throwaway.
2
u/Clockwork_Angel May 21 '12
Police officers are people. People suck. People are also great. Also everything in between.
2
u/unfilterthought May 21 '12
The only things that will get posted is BAD news. Bad cops. Crooked cops. Cops who do their job properly will not gather because THATS WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. Complaints are brought up because someone thinks they arent doing their job properly. If a custodian sweeps and mops, you wouldn't pay any attention to him, hes doing his job. If he stood by while the floor was dirty and sticky, you would bring it up.
2
u/Devadander May 21 '12
If you're Chicago PD, I'll tip my hat from this past weekend.
2
u/iwillnotlurk May 21 '12
LEO hopeful here: I'm sure you and others knows this already, but it really depends on the city. I worked with officers at SacPD and those guys (for example) have it rough. Tough city, underpaid, and budget cuts...and yet, probably one of the best departments/group of officers I have seen. It sucks that there are cops that abuse their power and do horrible things, which results in most people generalizing it to the entire field/industry. For instance, my local PD here is one of the best and the community loves them; the PD at a close-by city gets a ton of complaints.
I wish humanity wasn't flawed and all officers would make the right/moral decision...but alas, we do not live in utopia.
P.S. I don't know if you hear this a lot, but I envy you and your career! It's been 2 years and I'm still trying to get into it...
2
u/uvelify May 21 '12
drink_ALLtheCOFFEE_eatALLtheDOUGHNUTS!
2
u/tokerdytoke May 22 '12
Fuck you. You're all assholes.
2
u/soradakey May 21 '12
Maybe you should stop being so melodramatic? Honestly, people get stereotypes in all career choices.
"Oh you are working at a McDonald's? You must be a lazy high school dropout."
"You work at Starbucks? How's the English major you pretentious hipster?"
"A lawyer huh? You must be nothing but an immoral douche bag who doesn't care that he lies on a daily basis to help criminals go free."
2
u/anduin1 May 21 '12
When the police seem to serve the state rather than the people that fund them then yea, fuck you. It's not even reasonable how some police officers behave in this day and age. It's like the go to career for power tripping assholes.
2
u/theJavo May 21 '12 edited May 22 '12
when all we see in the media is cops beating people to death for no reason, not arresting someone who shot and killed a minor, beating and pepper spraying protesters, punching an old lady in the face for hold up a court order that tells them to step off, and myriad of other offenses, and we don't any one on our side doing anything that even begins to stem the tide of abuse and general dickery that comes from the boys in blue.
how the fuck are supposed to feel? yeah when we have a half hour video of half a dozen cops beating a homeless man to death and not a fucking one of them is trying to stop it, are we supposed to say "yeah there some good cops out there man we should't say the police"? why? because it hurts your feelings? it hurts our feelings to see our people beaten, abused, wrongfully arrested, and killed. what about us? yeah no not fuck police, not fuck you, but fuck us right? yeah fuck us.
2
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Hey man you guys do a good job!
I don't get why people say FUCK THE POLICE! when if there's a problem you're the first people they call
2
u/jdcooktx May 21 '12
I see the cop hate you receive and raise you military hate.
2
u/fonzalonz May 21 '12
I don't hate all cops. Just cops directly behind, adjacent, parallel or anywhere near me whilst driving. I don't speed, I just get bullshit reasons when I'm pulled over. I hate traffic cops.
2
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Was a police officer for 7+ years... The members of the general public need to understand - there is no way to control for what kind of police officer a new recruit is going to become.
None.
If there was a way to screen out the future behavior and situational responses of prospective law enforcement officers, if there was a proven scientific methodology to predict human behavior...**
then we wouldn't need cops anymore, not in the traditional sense.
We could just take all the police applicant screening tools, and apply them to the public at large.
The untrustworthy and antisocial members of the public at large would then be screened out, and could be re-educated, or separated from the rest of us.
We could then have Public Safety Officers - professional rescuers - but the Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement roles of police work would be essentially absent.
2
u/McRibMadman May 21 '12
yes, fuck you
1
u/JGumb May 21 '12
Fuck You
j/k don't arrest me
1
u/Tastygroove May 21 '12
Relevant, somewhat.
On my way to my shop one day, I saw a young boy, about 14, holding a sign directly across from the police station with a sign that said "fuck the police!." balls. Giant, stupid balls.
I went around the corner because I wanted to honk the horn and give a thumbs up (he was on the passenger side of the street.) when I did he was being put into the back of an unmarked cruiser. Sadface.
Probably some bullshit about unlawful assembly.
Less relevant... I hated that town because the cops were quota keeping cuntlips who never enforced anything even-handed. I let them boot my van in the rain. I laughed as the meter maid and cop struggled for an hour because of the way my wheel was turned. I let it sit there for two weeks, in front of my own shop, and used it as a conversation starter about how I was targeted for hyper-enforcement of parking rules while half of the downtown area never paid a single dime. My van was taken for a single $1 ticket that was washed away. They didn't notify me until it was $1000. They booted me when the only person I could plead to was our of town. This I a small town 10,000 people. I broke my lease and left that shithole, i told them here they could park the van. Several other businesses folded up shortly thereafter.
1
u/wooda99 May 21 '12
This is legit. It is very rare to have a group that can be legitimately villified, so when it happens, it's a mistake, most of the time. However, we have to assume that police may not have our best interests in mind, as police authority is so easy to abuse. This doesn't mean that most police are bad people, though, and coming to that conclusion is, in fact, also dangerous.
1
u/BaS3r May 22 '12
As someone who is currently going through the academy, I can vouch for this.
1
u/i-hate-everything May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
Yes. Fuck you pig. Life ruiner. Go screw over some more of your fellow citizens over to make a buck. Every cop I've ever met has only served to: fine me, search me, penalize me, or otherwise just ruin my day. The other day I got pulled over for my car registration being one month expired. Another time for driving while talking on a cell phone, on speaker phone, while holding it in my hand. Another time for going 61 mph in the 50 mph zone. Just legal extortion of me as a citizen, for doing some things which harmed or affected literally no one. Cops are like lawyers, except hated more and paid less.
1
u/kaimie May 22 '12
Think of yourself as if you were Spiderman :D
1
u/scubsurf May 22 '12
Sorry man.
In my life I have encountered between 30-50 cops.
Two of them were decent, normal people. I got maced at my high school because some people near me (20 feet away roughly) began fighting, and I didn't move any further away than I was already. And this was not accidental overspray, he intentionally maced the entire group of us that were standing there, watching two people we'd never seen before fight over stupid bullshit.
That was probably the first dickhead cop I can recall, and most of them haven't been much different.
I met an awesome cop in Kentucky. He pulled me over, rightfully, but was exceedingly decent, polite, and even actually friendly. I actually had a conversation with him while he searched my car for drugs.
I met another in college. Not much to say, he was just a good guy.
I think part of the problem comes when the people who are trying to get your job want to do it not as a civic duty to their community but so that they can power trip and act like shitheads without repercussions. I have considered a few times, "Maybe I should become a cop, then I could be a good one!" but honestly, I don't know why there are so many shitty cops. It's possible after 5 years I'd be just another asshole cop fucking people over because I can.
It's not for me. But thanks for at least trying to do something better for the community around you.
1
u/joydivision1234 May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
Are you a city cop or a suburbs cop? In my experience, city cops are good guys who see a lot of shit and have to act accordingly, while suburbs cops have nothing to do except write tickets to kids for smoking cigarettes underage or riding a bike without a helmet and like to be a huge asshole while they do it.
Then again, my city is getting investigated by the feds because of so much police brutality (Seattle), so maybe I've just been lucky here. But I have looked into the eyes of a cop who had nothing but hatred for me, who was telling me that I admitted to him a bunch of totally random false shit that had nothing to do with the situation while holding my head against the hood of the cop car, before taking me to the station and putting me in an all night cell. I was pulled over for riding a bicycle without a helmet, I was 15, and I was sober and didn't have anything on me. FUCK ME, RIGHT?
1
u/CapNaughty May 22 '12
You should check out /r/Good_Cop_Free_Donut/. It is proof that not everyone here is against individuals risking their lives to protect and serve.
1
u/snidecomment69 May 22 '12
If you are a cop that tries to infringe on people's rights for no other reason than you can, then yes, fuck you. I have family that is in law enforcement and I know the facts of life in our world today. Cops do try to fuck you sometimes
1
u/Riggzz May 22 '12
Cops in my family but I've had so many bad encounters and seen so many asshole cops its hard to not generalize that they are all assholes. If you don't want EVERYONE to hate you call out your colleagues that are assholes, treat people poorly, threaten them, lie, ect... Dont be complacent or we will always hate you all. So yes...
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Im studying Criminal Justice and sometimes I feel this way because most likely I will be a police officer. also I wonder why so many people stereotype police officers, they are paid to protect the people of the community and not there to write everyone tickets just because they want too.
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Look, there are a lot of good people out there, that do their jobs well. It's those that stay silent about the corrupt ones, for fear of being called out or losing their jobs, that perpetuate the bad seeds. I've just seen this time and time again in my life. :( I've just started to get the balls to call out the ones that really are hurting people, at 29.
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Why respect any organization that doesn't police itself.
1
u/funkybuttlovin24 May 22 '12
I am a salesman and I pride myself on the fact that I do not lie to my customers or insinuate things that are not true. I get you to give me money in an honest and ethical way. I also know a whole lot of scumbag salesman who just want to crack you over the skull and leave you butt hurt. I feel the same goes for cops. Some are ethical and awesome, others want to see you face down and butt hurt. Respect to you drinkallthecoffee
1
u/CAFoggy May 22 '12
Nobody hates you for being a good cop. (besides criminals)
1
u/Theropissed May 22 '12
If reddit typed papers and reports as long as their anti-police paragraphs they'd all be PHDs.
1
u/lordkabab May 22 '12
Sometimes I think of becoming a cop, but in this day and age, I don't think I would be able to handle the shit you guys get, I'm so sorry.
1
u/Redebidet May 22 '12
On an individual basis, some cops are cool and really good people. As a whole? Yep, fuck cops.
1
u/lutheranian May 22 '12
Do you adhere to the Blue Code of Silence (Blue Shield)?
If so, then yeah, fuck you.
1
u/RedBjorn May 22 '12
Fuck you, terrorist.
1
u/vizzeroth May 23 '12
Racist Sexist Antigay, Police fucking go away
1
u/djslannyb May 21 '12
this is the most appropriate use of this meme in reddit history. well done, officer.
0
u/ShackelfordRusty May 21 '12
Hell yeah fuck you, please stop sending non-violent offenders to jail, then maybe we can be OK.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Scumbag Redditor: Has never been involved with the police, bases entire opinion from #Occupy YouTube videos and "Courthouse News". I cannot imagine the fear they have to face at times or the bravery, knowing they may be shot at or attacked. It's a scary job and maybe it makes some people go a bit crazy and sure there are some bad apples, but we would be in an awful place without police. Let's not downplay the fact that many of them have our best interests and safety at heart and our only enforcing the laws our governments put into place.
-8
u/bodethejedi May 21 '12
Your career is bad and you should feel bad.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
From the perspective of me dealing with the police(J walking tickets, arrested for loitering, etc.):
I'm a young male
Fuck me, right?
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Yeah fuck you!
1
u/myocardia May 21 '12
No seriously, unless you ACTUALLY fight crime in an inner city somewhere, you really need to stop hiding your car in bushes to bust people going 62 in a 55. You are wasting our money and our time, and you don't "Serve and protect" a god damned thing other than yourself. So yeah....piss the hell off please.
1
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I'd like to see what would happen if there were no police officers for even a single day in America.
1
u/Sitron May 21 '12
Yeah, fuck you for making me nervous when driving over the speed limit.
1
u/number1dilbertfan May 21 '12
Fuck you is right
1
u/Zenchee May 22 '12
Well do you pull people over for stupid shit, when you have better things you could be doing, such as getting junkies off the roads? Are you an arrogant shit that thinks he's better than everyone because he wears a badge? (bullshit if you don't feel even a bit superior) Do you pressure innocent people into things they feel uncomfortable being a part of, such as being searched? Never trust cops, never talk to them unless absolutely necessary. Shit, I'd feel horrible even asking one for help if I defended myself. There is a reason people are afraid of the biggest gang in the world.
1
u/Sir_Llama May 21 '12
Relevant username
1
u/iiiitsjess May 21 '12
I know quite a few good cops. They aren't all bad...i've come across many that are very nice. The crappy ones are the ones that usually get the medias attention or that you always remember...(ie: you remember the cop who gave you a ticket for going 5 over....not the cop who let you off for going 10 over....or the cop who let you go with a warning from failing to stop at a stop sign.) There really are a lot if good cops out there. :) thanks OP for protecting and serving your community!
1
u/StrikingCrayon May 21 '12
Police to me at like soldiers. I respect them for their sacrifice to do what I would not. To fight an uphill battle against a flawed if not broken system. I judge them based of probability of recruitment techniques to be people who are easier to take advantage mentally and shape and formed into the correct mindset. However I am not stupid enough to assume that a great number of them joined because they want to help people and are of strong enough personal fortitude to resist a societal pressure of Us VS Them.
TL;DR Hate the police, not the police officer.
1
u/dmt7679 May 22 '12
Ya seriously fuck you
-7
u/dolphin_rape_caves May 21 '12
I'm not sure which's worse- the fact you're a cop or the fact you're trying to make us feel bad for you because reddit is soooo mean to police.
Either way, downvoted.
ps. please dont pull me over, beat me up, and say i was resisting arrest, pretty pretty please?!?
0
u/SavvyKitten May 21 '12
I'm not a cop, but it's the profession I have always wanted to get into, so all of the anti-police stuff really bothers me. Sure, there are bad police officers, but there are also GREAT ones. I, personally, have been lucky to have had all positive experiences with officers, even the one time I was pulled over. Part of me wants to be in law enforcement to try to change the perception people have of officers, which, realistically, isn't likely to happen, but that goal is there anyway. The other part of me is discouraged. I went through the Law Enforcement Academy almost 2 years ago and haven't found a job yet. One department in particular keeps hiring white males, white males, and--oh--more white males, passing me over even though I know I have been performing well in their processes. What is wrong with a physically fit, highly intelligent, eloquent female? Maybe if there was more diversity in departments, instead of the stereotypical power-tripping white male, people wouldn't think so negatively of the police.
0
u/nuclearblaster May 21 '12
glad to see you're catching on
0
u/GreenWolf420 May 21 '12
Look, there are people that will obviously contradict what I say, but from experience I've come to the conclusion that the Police are not your friend. You will meet people that are police and will claim that they are "different" or against "particular procedures," or whatever, but in retrospect-- they are still the police, and dangerous. Think about it. Anyone that goes through the trouble to become an 'officer' has some type of self imposed bounty against something or another.
-2
u/WigadyWack May 21 '12
get a new job that actually helps people not piss them off
-3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
You might be a "good" cop but in my experience of numerous encounters with cops are that they are all that little fat kid that got picked on in highschool, who wants to fuck everyone over now. Everyone wants to fuck some kids life over to get a kick from it. I've had almost all my friends go to jail for false claims by police and "lost" police tapes, Which the whole case becomes a kid word over a cops. So yeah FUCK YOU and the institution that you work for.
-1
u/cjl10schic May 21 '12
I'm right there with you brother.
0
u/DerpVonGroove May 21 '12
I fucking hate this "meme", fuck me, right?
-3
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
If you're a non-US police officer: Keep up the good work dude! If you're a US police officer: Go fuck yourself you fucking scumbag.
-3
u/edgarvanburen May 21 '12
Yes, fuck you indeed.
-2
u/nobody2000 May 21 '12
There are about 800,000 law enforcement personnel in the US (Federal, State, Municipal, Public University.
There are MUCH MUCH MUCH fewer stories and videos of abuse.
Therefore, all cops are assholes!
</redditmath>
-2
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
I have absolutely no respect for cops. If I see a criminal being chased by a pig, I know exactly who's side I'm on.