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These threads really do read like the racist memes.
Cop A is a jerk and illegally targets some black guy for driving a BMW blah blah blah.
ALL COPS ARE THIS WAY becomes the meme.
Start thread after thread around here about how some black guy did ABC and you are just a stormfront instigator. (and rightfully so)
Changes need to be made but the meme of blaming all cops for the bad actions of some is really getting out of hand.
What's getting "out of hand" is the number of incidents (which are rising) in this country where innocent people are being hurt and killed by cops.
In case you hadn't noticed the police have become very militarized in the last few years.
Probably not a good idea to hiring with people who suffer from PTSD from the military as cops.
Or hiring people without extensive training and psychological testing.
As I said earlier there are places where someone who barely got out of high school and was working fast food is now a police officer. I would be willing to bet these two clowns fit into that category.
Here's what happened to me about 3 years ago. One night I was out in my back yard, letting my dogs do their thing. I had just put hair color in to touch up my roots. I was in a bathrobe with a glass of wine. My back porch light was out. (Couldn't find appropriate replacement, so used a flashlight so I wouldn't trip.) Well it was a dark night, October, and no moon. I suddenly saw a bright flash of light and my dogs went crazy. I thought my neighbor must have installed a new security light that was on a timer. After about a half minute, the flash of light again. I went around to the side of my house, but couldn't see anything, so returned to the patio and sat down, still thinking it must have been a security light. ALL OF A SUDDEN, these figures emerge from the side of the house, the part of the yard I had just left.
A squad of SWAT (I have a new meaning for this acronym, by the way), with ASSAULT rifles, one of them aimed at me! I am a female. My jaw dropped. They began to interrogate me. Who are you? Who lives here? What is this address? I answered all questions, AND I said "Take that gun off me." They complied. (I was told afterwards that I was lucky I did not raise the flashlight...) They said, "Someone called from this address." They kept insisting this even though I said I hadn't and I had no idea what they were talking about. They said domestic violence was reported and that there was a gun involved. They KEPT insisting that the call came from my home. BTW, I ONLY have a cell phone, no land line. It was surreal. Somehow they accepted I was telling the truth and told me to go inside my house. Of course I was shaking (I almost had a heart attack I was trembling so badly.) I said to them "Don't hurt my dogs". (Cocker Spaniels and very friendly and mild-mannered.) They said they needed to use my yard to get to the next house. WHY, then, did they say they were called from my address if they needed to get to the house next door?
The fact that they were going next door and that it was supposedly a case of violence and a weapon really bothered me because there was a little girl, age 6 that lived there with her mom and boyfriend and I had never known of any such incidents in that family. Turns out a couple of the LEO's came around to my front door after some time had passed and informed me that the incident was at the house 2 doors down (a home which had numerous 'incidents'). Then much later two more came to the door to 'apologize' and ask about my well-being. REALLY?
They told me they were still attending to the situation and went away. Meanwhile a TON of police cars were on my very tiny cul de sac street. About an hour later a female officer (I think this was 'strategic' on their part) came to the door to inquire again. I was speechless, but they tried to minimize the situation, which for me was the most terrifying thing I had EVER experienced. From that day on, I had an 'emergency' backpack at the door to evacuate at a moment's notice. FROM the incompetence of LEOs.
It took a long time for me to fall asleep that night, but when I did I had a dream: I dreamed that there was a gigantic PIG in my backyard and I couldn't get it out! Can you BELIEVE it?! It's the absolute truth. The human mind is an amazing thing...
I won't get into details, but I have had 3 other 'encounters' with the police. Twice they came to my home: 1. once when I called when my home was burglarized and
2. once they were investigating an incident involving arson at a church across the way and they were going door to door asking people where they were at the time of the fire (um, working); and
3. once when I was 17 and was robbed in broad daylight.
I received no real help or resolution to any issue I had. I; however, did get:
1. asked why I didn't have many pictures on my walls / that it "looked like I hadn't lived there long" (even though the robber had trashed my place) - odd to get a critique on my decor...
2. asked why I didn't know what happened at the church when everyone else on the block knew what the situation was" (um, I was at work); - basically implied I was responsible for the fire...
3. asked on a date... REALLY?
EVERY encounter only taught me to take care of MYSELF...
Post Script: Two days after the SWAT incident I went out to my yard in back of the garage where the fence separating my property from the next door neighbors is located. Beside the fence is a tree in front of which is an old well, covered with wooden planks/floor. The wood was old and rotting and I always made sure my dogs never got on top of it. The old wood boards were now caved into the well (about a four foot drop). The LEO's aka keystone cops had apparently taken a spill. KARMA...
I am a law-abiding citizen, a professional (now retired) and a senior citizen. To have a SWAT team in full assault mode show up at your home in the dark of night for no reason is unacceptable. EVERYONE is vulnerable. Be careful people.
Very scary, and why would a swat team with assault rifles be needed for a domestic abuse call?
This is what I said earlier about the police have become so militarized.
That used to be one patrol car and two cops, now you get an army ready to shoot you first and ask questions later.
It's actually a really good idea to think long and hard before calling the cops involving family issues. It could end up worse for everyone involved by doing that.
Of the more than 12.5 million calls for police service last year in America provided by somewhere between 500k-1.5 mil k police officers 417 ended up in the use of deadly force... less than .0003 percent...
Sure doesn't appear statistically we are killing people in droves....
You're missing the point. The problem is when they do screw up they go on paid administrative leave and than back to work.
Other jobs you're held accountable. You screw up, you get fired.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ocnjgirl
What a terrifying story! I too would have been standing in front of my babies terrified one of them would go to sniff the cop and get shot for the sudden move.
I don't know if it's because the police hire more ex-military now, or too much nepotism, but police are not the way I remember them. The handful of times I walked to the police station in my town to ask a question about something (parking near my home, etc) I got very snotty, snarky responses. They don't seem to feel they are really part of the community anymore, but are separate from it, and we're all just PITA's in their way.
Interesting you should say that. Several months ago as I was coming home(I live on street that goes up a steep hill), I turned the corner to find a couple of cop cars at the bottom of the hill, they were parked at angle in front of a house that made it difficult to pass.
I asked(I pulled over) "excuse me officer can we go up the street I live up the hill", he turned around with a WTF do you want look and rudely said "yeah go ahead", well I said "one of the police cars is too far out in the street to pass", I mean the nerve of me wanting to know if I could get to my house.
From his demeanor and the look on his face when he turned around, I told myself you shouldn't have done this.....LOL.
You're right, it's nothing like I remember either. I was raised with "the policeman is your friend, go to him if you're lost".
I think you nailed it, we're all just PITA's in their way, not the citizens paying their salary.
My goodness, stop with all the panic. Companies and organizations have refused to hire what can be called over qualified candidates on that basis for decades. Where have you been? People have avoided electing Presidents based on IQ since there were Presidents. IQ is not a reliable factor in determining job performance in most cases. Police work doesn't require a high IQ, it requires many character traits that have little to do with IQ.
It's not about whether it REQUIRES a high IQ, they are actually rejecting applicants with above average IQ's...I have never heard of anything like this. I'm not panicking in the slightest, and your little snarky dig attempt doesn't bother me.
Does anyone remember the story about 5 years ago when the wrong house was bulldozed? The guy just bought it. I remember him being interviewed on CNN and all he could do was shake him head. Still in total shock.
You're missing the point. The problem is when they do screw up they go on paid administrative leave and than back to work.
Other jobs you're held accountable. You screw up, you get fired.
Interesting you should say that. Several months ago as I was coming home(I live on street that goes up a steep hill), I turned the corner to find a couple of cop cars at the bottom of the hill, they were parked at angle in front of a house that made it difficult to pass.
I asked(I pulled over) "excuse me officer can we go up the street I live up the hill", he turned around with a WTF do you want look and rudely said "yeah go ahead", well I said "one of the police cars is too far out in the street to pass", I mean the nerve of me wanting to know if I could get to my house.
From his demeanor and the look on his face when he turned around, I told myself you shouldn't have done this.....LOL.
You're right, it's nothing like I remember either. I was raised with "the policeman is your friend, go to him if you're lost".
I think you nailed it, we're all just PITA's in their way, not the citizens paying their salary.
Something similar happened just a week or so ago where I live, not to me but a neighbor A cop pulled into our lot, which has only one entrance/exit, to give a ticket to someone who just pulled into our lot, not sure why...but anyway the cop blocked our only entrance. One of my neighbors tried to leave for work but he couldn't get his van past the cop car. ALL the cop had to do (he was in the car doing whatever they do before they give the ticket) was pull up 2 or 3 feet, but instead he just sat in his car, motor running, and let my neighbor sit there for 20 minutes until he was completely done.
I was watching out the window, and I couldn't believe the guy wouldn't move up...he is sitting in the car with it running, and he won't move up...I found in infuriating, because they just do whatever they want to it seems, and we just have to humble ourselves and sit there and take it up the a**.
Im going to wait to see if the police apologists come to defend this one since the cops were black and the homeowner was white.
Im also going to wait to see if they blame the victim on this one, and want to know if the victim has a criminal history, but dont wonder if the cops have complaints and a history of violence.
Wheres the popcorn smiley?
Logic fail. The victims were "blamed" in previous cases because they were doing things like robbing convenience store owners and selling heroin... you know, things that will often put an individual in legitimate contact with law enforcement. This guy was minding his business in his own house. Then there is also the fact that fighting in the street with cops is a completely different animal than having cops break into the wrong house and start shooting.
If I were stopped by cops in a public place and resisted arrest, I could expect to get roughed up or manhandled to some degree. If I made an unexpected move of some sort, I could expect to get shot. If cops break into the wrong (my) house, they can expect to get shot as intruders.
You can't explain this tragedy away with some friendly fire or collateral damage logic nonsense. These type of situations happen far to often and police are nearly always exonerated. There is no due process if you are victimized by the police. This is clearly a system that needs to be fixed.
I also believe that even police officers have limits too, and that if the police officer does something bad and intentionally takes advantage of it because "they are the law", as in hit someone, or shoot someone if it isn't necessary, I mean, some b.s. like being shot over a speeding ticket, they should be fired from the job.
The police officers are law enforcement, but that shouldn't mean that you should act like a criminal in disguise whenever you feel like it. They should be relied on for help in dealing with big issues and crimes.
And I agree, there absolutely SHOULD be a due process for a police officer screwing up.
Very scary, and why would a swat team with assault rifles be needed for a domestic abuse call?
This is what I said earlier about the police have become so militarized.
That used to be one patrol car and two cops, now you get an army ready to shoot you first and ask questions later.
It's actually a really good idea to think long and hard before calling the cops involving family issues. It could end up worse for everyone involved by doing that.
When you believe everything in the post you replied to, things get really strange. I bet most of that was made up a d even then, you got one side of a story and ran with it. Wow.
I also believe that even police officers have limits too, and that if the police officer does something bad and intentionally takes advantage of it because "they are the law", as in hit someone, or shoot someone if it isn't necessary, I mean, some b.s. like being shot over a speeding ticket, they should be fired from the job.
The police officers are law enforcement, but that shouldn't mean that you should act like a criminal in disguise whenever you feel like it. They should be relied on for help in dealing with big issues and crimes.
And I agree, there absolutely SHOULD be a due process for a police officer screwing up.
There is due process for the police when they screw up. They get charged, prosecuted and when found guilty, sentenced. What is it with all this nonsense thinking that the police are immune from the law? That isn't even cloae to being true. Where are all these people saying such things when it comes to criminals who prey upon society? Why are they so silent then or so busy trying to figure out how to blame everyone but the criminal?
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