Police and the expectation of privacy in public

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BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
9
81
Adults are just like kids, if you let them get away with something they will do it and worse again and again. Police almost always get away with it, so they continue to get worse.

To Pulsar's point, it isn't all police or even close to a majority, but there are quite a few bad apples out there and they should loose their jobs and many of them should be behind bars. The vast majority of police though are great people and are good cops.

Wrong. The vast majority are bad cops, and a small minority are VERY bad cops. All of those cops you claim are good are not because they won't stand up and point the finger at the really bad ones. The thin blue line makes even the good cops criminals in my eyes.
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
It's times like these that I'm glad I'm an American.

You have to be free to recognize that cops treating people like this is pretty retarded. I'd bet other nations are not so cognizant.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
It's times like these that I'm glad I'm an American.

You have to be free to recognize that cops treating people like this is pretty retarded. I'd bet other nations are not so cognizant.

That is the point though, you are only as free as they graciously allow you to be. How "free" were you after Katrina when the cops were illegally confiscating weapons from law abiding citizens at the time that they needed them most?
 

Atreus21

Lifer
Aug 21, 2007
12,001
571
126
That is the point though, you are only as free as they graciously allow you to be. How "free" were you after Katrina when the cops were illegally confiscating weapons from law abiding citizens at the time that they needed them most?

There's no easy answer, but at least we have legal recourse to bad cops. Many other nations don't.
 

woolfe9999

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2005
7,153
0
0
First of all, I agree that the police have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public. I also agree that the cops had no right to destroy the man's property. And I too think the more cameras out there, the better. The cameras can capture police misconduct and/or crime.

What I don't understand is why some people are claiming that police misconduct is currently on the rise. Anecdotal stories in the news prove nothing. There are over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. If there wasn't some report of police misconduct on the news, somewhere, every single day, it would be awfully strange. Anyone have a legitimate statistical analysis to back up their assertion? Otherwise, the assertion is speculation at best.

- wolf
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
9,711
6
76
First of all, I agree that the police have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public. I also agree that the cops had no right to destroy the man's property. And I too think the more cameras out there, the better. The cameras can capture police misconduct and/or crime.

What I don't understand is why some people are claiming that police misconduct is currently on the rise. Anecdotal stories in the news prove nothing. There are over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. If there wasn't some report of police misconduct on the news, somewhere, every single day, it would be awfully strange. Anyone have a legitimate statistical analysis to back up their assertion? Otherwise, the assertion is speculation at best.

- wolf

No, but I would say that the rise of cameras built into cell phones are contributing to a higher awareness of police misconduct. Which in turn could be seen as increasing LEO crime when in fact its only bringing to light what was already there.
 

wuliheron

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2011
3,536
0
0
No, but I would say that the rise of cameras built into cell phones are contributing to a higher awareness of police misconduct. Which in turn could be seen as increasing LEO crime when in fact its only bringing to light what was already there.


Yeah, the public has treated cops as somehow beyond criticism or second guessing. The same way we used to commonly treat doctors. If people are going to insist on having so many cops and declaring war on everything but breathing they have got to be held more accountable.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
7
0
Looks like the cops are in trouble over the people taking video of the shooting.

I wonder if the lawsuits will go anywhere or if the city will settle for a couple of grand for a new phone.
 

woolfe9999

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2005
7,153
0
0
No, but I would say that the rise of cameras built into cell phones are contributing to a higher awareness of police misconduct. Which in turn could be seen as increasing LEO crime when in fact its only bringing to light what was already there.

Yes that, and the increased dissemination of information due to the internet.

Yet a couple people in this thread seem to be suggesting that they believe it's on the rise. I don't think that is a sustainable assertion unless proven by statistical evidence.
 

Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,839
2,625
136
Bad management compounded by rubber stamp or nonexistent civilian review boards.

And I agree with woolfe9999's assessment above. From my personal observation LEO crime is way down, and police far more professional, than they were in the pre-Miranda days.

Back in the 1970s and earlier it was a very common practice in a city where I worked for city jailers to take disruptive prisoners for an "elevator ride" accompanied by two or three very large deputies. The prisoners inevitably returned calmed down. Back then that was a common and accepted practice, so much so that the mere mention of an elevator ride would quiet all but the stupidest prisoners. I can't imagine such a practice being tolerated (much less condoned) today.
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
There's no easy answer, but at least we have legal recourse to bad cops. Many other nations don't.

Such as if you survived them taking your guns during Katrina and your gun actually made it back to the station after it was stolen and they actually still had it and you can actually prove that you purchased it (receipt not underwater still) then you might be able to get it back. Woohoo
 

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,330
126
First of all, I agree that the police have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public. I also agree that the cops had no right to destroy the man's property. And I too think the more cameras out there, the better. The cameras can capture police misconduct and/or crime.

What I don't understand is why some people are claiming that police misconduct is currently on the rise. Anecdotal stories in the news prove nothing. There are over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. If there wasn't some report of police misconduct on the news, somewhere, every single day, it would be awfully strange. Anyone have a legitimate statistical analysis to back up their assertion? Otherwise, the assertion is speculation at best.

- wolf

Try out an experiment of your own. Pick half a dozen police departments in decently large areas, walk in and ask for the form to file a complaint against a police officer. Here is the catch, pretend like you really got your ass kicked by a police officer and that you are actually scared of retaliation from him or his buddies so don't give them the name of the officer or your name.

Report back to us.
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
First of all, I agree that the police have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public. I also agree that the cops had no right to destroy the man's property. And I too think the more cameras out there, the better. The cameras can capture police misconduct and/or crime.

What I don't understand is why some people are claiming that police misconduct is currently on the rise. Anecdotal stories in the news prove nothing. There are over 800,000 law enforcement officers in the United States. If there wasn't some report of police misconduct on the news, somewhere, every single day, it would be awfully strange. Anyone have a legitimate statistical analysis to back up their assertion? Otherwise, the assertion is speculation at best.

- wolf

Statistical analysis? That's easy, for every Bad-cop incident reported, ten er,twenty-fifty do not.