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There is a problem with the police. The problem is that a lot of police officers and police departments have forgotten that they are there to "Protect and Serve" and act more like SA Brownshirts than servants of the public with an ethos that can best be described as "Comply or Die".
We regularly see police do things that would get normal people fired and legions of copsuckers come out of the woodwork to fellate the Boys in Blue with a tsunami of apologia. Defense of the absurdly common shooting of dogs. "Oh, but the police are regularly confronted by angry dogs!" And so are mail carriers and pizza boys and paramedics and they seem to manage just fine without discharging a firearm in a room full of people to kill a "pitbull" that looks suspiciously like a Golden Lab. Or the beating death of Kelly Thomas. "They were dealing with a mentally ill homeless man who wasn't following orders!" My office building regular has a significant number of homeless people milling about and some of them are very mentally ill; I have yet to beat one of them to death regardless of however annoying they can occasionally be. Even apologies for police officers who shoot people after giving a series of conflicting orders. "Don't move! Hands up! I said, 'Don't f--king move'! Put your hands up! Don't move! Hands ups! Show me your license! I told you not to f--king move! Get your license NOW! *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*" Call me a wuss, but I don't think that dealing with a cop should turn into a potentially deadly version of Simon Says.
Yes, police officers have a difficult, stressful, and often dangerous job. I think that we should respect that, but I don't think that it gives a free pass for reckless and criminal behavior. At least it shouldn't.
And in case you think I was being facetious about "Comply or Die":
Because many operate under color of law only. They are not lawyers or judges, though they do want to play them on tv.
I personally believe that "presumption of guilt" is the largest problem. Many of them see themselves as some sort of "final authority" when in fact they are at the very lowest level of law. They cannot show up on a scene with presumption of guilt as they so often do. There are standards that must be met legally to even detain a citizen for questioning, although Americans are very ignorant of their rights when dealing with law enforcement officers. And the police are so used to abusing people's rights because so many simply "comply" without exercising their rights when dealing with police, that officers don't bother meeting the prerequisite requirements for establishing a reasonable suspicion that a crime is afoot, detaining a citizen for questioning, and then arresting a citizen. Often, they show up simply to arrest, as most zombie droolers simply "comply" with everything as soon as they appear.
This makes them lazy and arrogant in doing their job. And it "offends" them when anyone actually exercises their rights or simply doesn't "comply" without question.
I believe many problems are the result of a fundamental lack of education and respect for humanity on both sides. The lack of humanity is fundamentally built into our "society" by how our "government" operates only through aggression and violence toward the individual. The lack of education is also on both sides. People don't exercise their rights when dealing with law enforcement, and officers often don't understand or respect those rights of those they are dealing with. At a minimum, officers should have a much better training in the law that they are supposedly enforcing and the laws dealing with how they are to enforce them. I personally believe that all officers should have to train for a few years in common law before even being considered for a position in law enforcement. And they should be trained to always always always do everything, no matter how "inconvenient", or time-consuming, to deescalate any encounter that they have with citizens.
Much of the violence and aggression that officers unleash upon citizens is to make their jobs "easier", or to be more "efficient", or to make uneducated people simply "comply" quickly. None of which has anything to do with law enforcement. They must be made to fully understand that they are not the law, and really, are not meant to enforce the law either. Rather they in essence, are there to bring people into the justice system. To bring "alleged" criminals before the courts. A far different concept than often assuming the role of judge, jury, and sometimes executioner on the street.
I personally believe that "presumption of guilt" is the largest problem. Many of them see themselves as some sort of "final authority" when in fact they are at the very lowest level of law. They cannot show up on a scene with presumption of guilt as they so often do. ...
This makes them lazy and arrogant in doing their job. And it "offends" them when anyone actually exercises their rights or simply doesn't "comply" without question.
...
Much of the violence and aggression that officers unleash upon citizens is to make their jobs "easier", or to be more "efficient", or to make uneducated people simply "comply" quickly. None of which has anything to do with law enforcement. They must be made to fully understand that they are not the law, and really, are not meant to enforce the law either. Rather they in essence, are there to bring people into the justice system. To bring "alleged" criminals before the courts. A far different concept than often assuming the role of judge, jury, and sometimes executioner on the street.
I don't often agree with your posts, but I think with the parts you discuss above you are right on target.
When I am stopped by a police officer.. I am yes, sir.. no sir.. they can come off very hostile and all business.. some are down right militant.. I do what I have to do and do it meekly.. and I am white.
The real problem is that people used to respect police officers and no longer do. They see being pulled over for a traffic violation as a personal attack against them for whatever reason. People are now programmed from childhood to be confrontational, not to obey orders and to make threats. Then when push comes to shove, they are hurt or even killed. No big surprise.
Police used to rely on the vast majority of people to at least be respectful and do what they are told to do and not be confrontational.
Well, I am not black, but I have always treated police with a certain caution. Don't get me wrong. I have known a lot of cops in my days. Some black, some white, a few Hispanic, a few Asian, and some female. They are basically decent folks when they get to know you. I have a few names that I remember; Garnze, Rodriguez, Williams, Baum, these were people with whom I could trust my life. but some have been real pricks. Cameron and Loumakis, Ryan, these are a few from my younger days that I will never forget. They were never, in my opinion, worthy of the authority vested in them.
So, even now, whenever I encounter unknown cops, for whatever reason, I treat them the same way I would treat a Bear, or a Mountain Lion, or other wild critter. I try not to do anything that might excite them, or cause them to attack. They can be very unpredictable in the wild. And they are capable of inflicting great bodily harm without warning.
As soon as any contact is made with any officer for any reason under any circumstance (Unless you have time to waste chatting )
"Am I being detained? Am I free to go?" At that point he is required by law to already have a reasonable suspicion that a crime is afoot, if you are detained or questioned in any way, without him being able to prove in a court of law the above BEFORE he detains or questions you...he is in effect breaking the law himself.
And if the officer does detain or question you.
"I do not consent to search." (Your person or property) Again if any search is conducted without your consent and the officer does not already have the ability to prove in court that reasonable suspicion that you are armed AND dangerous he is operating outside of the law and anything found is inadmissible...although he should be prosecuted for a crime himself, but good luck getting an agent of the State to prosecute an agent of the State...
At this point...shut up, say nothing, and get a lawyer. And pray that you are not rail-roaded in "our" kangaroo court system where jury nullification runs rampant as "judges" illegally manipulate juries and evidence to represent the interests of the State rather than the people.
Our "courts" are a travesty of justice and run counter to the history and intent of common law, but that is a different discussion
Well, I am not black, but I have always treated police with a certain caution. Don't get me wrong. I have known a lot of cops in my days. Some black, some white, a few Hispanic, a few Asian, and some female. They are basically decent folks when they get to know you. I have a few names that I remember; Garnze, Rodriguez, Williams, Baum, these were people with whom I could trust my life. but some have been real pricks. Cameron and Loumakis, Ryan, these are a few from my younger days that I will never forget. They were never, in my opinion, worthy of the authority vested in them.
So, even now, whenever I encounter unknown cops, for whatever reason, I treat them the same way I would treat a Bear, or a Mountain Lion, or other wild critter. I try not to do anything that might excite them, or cause them to attack. They can be very unpredictable in the wild. And they are capable of inflicting great bodily harm without warning.
This is just common sense that some people don't have.
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