• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

"The Lousy Cop"

MartyMcFly3

MartyMcFly3

Lifer
Dear Mr. Citizen:

It seems you have figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardized, characterized, classified, grouped, and always typical. I'm the "lousy cop". Unfortunately, the reverse is true..I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I am a person to be aware of, and then you are shocked when they identify me with my traditional enemy...the criminal.

You accuse me of coddling juveniles, until I catch your kid doing something.

You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer if you see me having just one cup.

You pride yourself on your polished manners, but think nothing of interrupting my meals at noon with your troubles.

You raise hell with the person who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic laws...but you never got one single ticket you deserved.

You shout "FOUL!!" if you observe me driving fast, en route to an emergency call, but literally raise hell if I take more than ten seconds responding to your call.

You call it "part of my duty" if someone strikes me. But it's "police brutality" if I strike back.

You wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a badly decayed tooth, or a doctor how to take out your appendix, but you are always giving me pointers on law enforcement.

You talk to me in a manner and use language that would assure a bloody nose from anyone else, but you expect me to stand there and take it without batting an eye.

You say "something has to be done about all the crime", but you can't be bothered with getting involved.

You've got no use for me at all, but of course, it's OK if I change a tire for your wife, or deliver a baby on the back seat of my squad car on the way to the hospital, or save your son's life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or work many hours of overtime to find your lost daughter.

So, Dear Citizen, you stand there on your soap box and rant and rave about the way I do my job, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, your family, or maybe your life might depend on one thing...me or one of my buddies.

Regards,
The Lousy Cop


MartyMcFly3's comments: Im currently interning with a police department and I see this kind of behavior described in the letter all the time. I understand that yes, not all cops are great. Some DO abuse their position. But, in the same respect, too many good ones are treated like crap with complete disrespect.
 
Listen, I'm sure that some cops are good, and the profession is stereotyped as a do-gooder field. However, I have a problem with most cops.

I have noticed, on more than one occasion a cop that decides he does not want to sit at a red light, and just blazes through it. I know what you're going to say, you're going to say that he probably receieved a call. Fine. But that is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR NOT TURNING ON HIS LIGHTS FOR AT LEAST THE DURATION OF THE INTERSECTION. Honestly, I hope that cops that do that hit someone, the person survives and the cop loses their job. That is extremely dangerous, I recieve a ticket for doing 45 in a 40 and get to pay $150 and 3 points on my license which means that my insurance goes up 30%, this cop runs through the red light without his flashers on and no one says a word. Also, I find cops to be extremely rude. I know that most people are rude so I'm not going to particularly point it out, but I've asked a cop a question while he was at a local store and he was a complete a$$hole to me. There's also one other thing I must point out. When I first started driving, I probably had 5 or 6 cops tailing me through residential areas. Why? Because a young driver might slip up and we can make some money! Was I speeding previous to him being on my tail? No, In fact two of the times I had just pulled out of my driveway, and they followed me for several blocks. Tailing is illegal. Cops do it all the time. It's unsafe.

 
Hmm... well since I'm such a moron, how about you indulge me into this reasoning. By your logic, I could of said *waits for more cops that feel like they're just being picked on to reply*
 
I bet there are a lot of anti-authority pundits clicking on the thread only to be severely disappointed when they see the OP.
 
Originally posted by: Samuel346
cut for the sake of the thread length
Click to expand...

First off, who were you before you were banned? Hell of a first post.
Second, cops arent stereotyped as a do-gooder field. Most people believe cops are assholes out to get them so they can "make some money".
Do you honestly believe they see a dime from the ticket they write? A small percentage (definitely less than 50%) goes to the city while the rest goes to the state government. Tickets do not count as a cop's salary.

Police officers do not have quotas either. That's another common misconception. I know at the department I'm interning with, they have a goal sheet. Their goal is to make 5 contacts a day. In other words 5 traffic stops. Note, this does not mean they have to write 5 tickets. It could be 5 written warnings, or 5 verbal warnings, or 5 Stop Cards filled out (what happens after they let you go when they end up not having probable cause to stop you) or any combination of the above. Nothing happens if they dont make that goal (unless they are constantly below it). I mean, think of it like a regular job. If you aren't doing your work, the boss isn't going to put up with you for long. Likewise, if you dont make some traffic stops, the higher-ups can only assume the officer is being lazy.

As for the running a red light, it all depends on the situation and nature of the call. If no one is coming from the opposite direction, they don't need to go with lights and sirens ablaze. It IS dangerous. But so are the people who dont yield to cops when they have lights and sirens going and continue driving through the intersection, blocking it for the officer rushing to the call. Again, you cant possibly know what the reason is behind the officer for running the light.

Like I said before, Yes some cops are assholes who abuse their authority. I'm not questioning that. For those, I cant make an excuse. But also remember sometimes you aren't too friendly when you are having a bad day. A lot of them do their best to keep that Nice-Cop attitude, even when the people they are dealing with dont necessarily deserve it.
 
I was pulled over for speeding today on the interstate. I pulled off the road on an offramp, in consideration of the officer's safety. I was polite, and had a good <true> story for him. He asked me to slow it down a bit, handed me back my license, and I DID slow it down a bit.🙂

 
Never had a bad cop yet. Then again, I wasn't pulled over much. My brother did get the "Your license plate light was out" which ultimately led to "Do you have drugs or alcohol in the vehicle" because the car was filled with so many teenagers. Found nothing and let them go (with them going "If you have anything in there the K-9 will find it, if you tell us you won't get charged" kinda thing).

Never bothered me, and in the end there are people out there that just fits the bill. Point is there are good cops and then there are the ones that you'd rather not be around, whether or not you know how the police force works. No different than the ass in everybody's workplace.
 
Originally posted by: skyking
I was pulled over for speeding today on the interstate. I pulled off the road on an offramp, in consideration of the officer's safety. I was polite, and had a good <true> story for him. He asked me to slow it down a bit, handed me back my license, and I DID slow it down a bit.🙂
Click to expand...

Consideration of the officer's safety seems to go a pretty long way, and honestly it's just the right thing to do. Pull 'way the fvck' over people.
 
I got over as far as I could and drive back out, so he did not have to expose himself nearly as much. It worries the hell out of me when I see them and tow truck operators out there in harm's way.
 
BTW. I have had several extremely nice cops recently. One went out of his way, (and in violation of procedure) to help me out when my Dad died. He was a really nice guy, and this was on the deep south side of Chicago, he had to call his seargent in, who was in the neighborhood and stopped by, and that large black man was a hell of a nice guy to a puny geek suburbian like me. really.

Oneyoung kid in an affluent city was really amped up, cause he thought I was evading him, but he calmed down alright. Most recently a guy let me off for no proof of insurance but still gave me a ticket for expired plates. Can't blame him... I suck at getting plate renewals... most assinine thing in the world.

Really people, they're just doing their job, it's not something I'm called to do, thank god someone is..
 
Most of the cops I've met have been polite. There have been a few real bastards, but honestly I think the decent-bastard ratio is better in cops than in the general population. That said, most of the bastards in the general population don't get to pull you over and bully you... but most of the time, if I'm unhappy to see a police car it's because I'm over the speed limit.
 
Cops for the most part are just like everyone else. They have good days and bad, they have the really nice guys and a few jerks. What I think a lot of people have a problem with is they think they are unjustly being singled out by a cop. You're probably not.

Cops have a very important function in society, and most of them could do other jobs for better pay, but the chose to enter law enforcement anyway. What they have been trained since the day they stepped into the academy is any encounter could be their last. They want to go home at the end of their shift in as good of shape as they started. They don't know if this person they pulled over was simply in a hurry, or is a wanted felon on the run. They don't know if you are reaching for your registration or a hidden weapon. You get the idea.

Treat them with respect (and no sudden moves) and almost all will return the respect. If they don't, there are ways of filing a complaint. But, don't simply complain because you got a ticket, or they didn't smile and wave you off because you are a good person. And, if they go out of their way to help, send a thank you to their supervisor for great service.

I have been pulled over my fair share of times, and have only had one cop I considered a jerk. After being pulled over for supposedly speeding, he said I was going almost 20 mph faster than i was (area is notorious for speed traps and i had set my cruise control just under the limit knowing this) and became verbally abusive, telling me I was lucky he had another call, and I "needed to slow the f*** down. I had done everything he asked, with yes,sir and no, sir and he continued to use foul language sufficient to upset my fiancee. I never contradicted him nor, spoke out of turn. Funny thing is I lived across the street from his seargent since I was a kid (relatively small town). I talked to him and told him what happened. He said the guy was a brand new cop just off field training. He offered to give me info on a formal complaint. I declined and asked him just to talk him about how he deals with the public. He agreed. I ran into the same cop later, and he had a much better attitude. Being involved in the fire department I work with the police regularly, and I make sure to also talk to the seargeant when things went well.
 
Originally posted by: Samuel346
Ya know what, I'm simply giving a good reason why people think so poorly about cops.
Click to expand...

I too have had the "ego maniac cop" but for the most part I have found that most police officers are kind and caring and only get "rude and mouthy" when you approach them that way.

Some years ago the retail store I managed was robbed at gunpoint. The guy had the gun barrel physical on the top of my head while I had to open a combination safe. The police came and "interviewed" me for an hour, asking me about my financial background and my present financial state. Yes I was the first they questioned and treated me a suspect but I did not get mad or angry. Most robberies in a business place are committed by or with an employee of the company. On the way I was doing 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. I had I was going that, I the shock was wearing off and I was beginning to realize what really took place. I was pulled for speeding by another cop and he asked why I asked going so fast. I told him what had happened and he told me to park my car and drove me 27 miles out of his way to my home.
 
The only thing that really pisses me off is when cops don't use their discretion when punishing people ...

My story about a problem I had.

and before you go flaming me about that post, i understand %100 why that happened to me, but still, all it did was waste a buncha $$ and people's time in the long run, when it was just a huge mistake and misunderstanding that could have easily been avoided had the police officers used their discretion.
 
Well I think cops do deserve more credit than they get. As to the red light thing, i have a friend who is now a cop. I had dinner with her the other night and asked her this very question. It turned out she and many other cops run red lights all the time. She said there is a light that is very dumb and takes forever to turn green when you are making a left turn, so she just runs it. Of course this is at like 1am but still, they do it all the time and think nothing of it. Its a job-perk and I would probably do the same thing.
 
Cops Are Tax Collectors
by Chris Redwood
11/22/2004

People often wonder why the police do the things they do. Often in encounters with them, we find ourselves asking, "Aren't there any real crimes for you to be preventing?" It goes to our innate sense of justice that if we aren't hurting anyone else, we should be left alone. Alas, such is not the case. Police were once known as "peace officers." When was the last time you heard that one? Well, it's time for a paradigm shift in thinking. Police aren't there to "protect and serve" your interests. Police exist to protect and serve the interests of the State. What are the interests of the State? Disarming the population, controlling them, and extracting revenue from them. Would a free people need "overseers"? Overseers are for SLAVES. Kris Parker, also known as KRS-ONE, explained this very well in "Sound of da Police":



Take the word "overseer," like a sample

Repeat it very quickly in a crew for example

Overseer

Overseer

Overseer

Overseer

Officer, Officer, Officer, Officer!

Yeah, officer from overseer

You need a little clarity?

Check the similarity!

The overseer rode around the plantation

The officer is off patrolling all the nation

The overseer could stop you what you're doing

The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuing

The overseer had the right to get ill

And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill

The officer has the right to arrest

And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest!

(Woop!) They both ride horses

After 400 years, I've got no choices!

KRS-ONE- Return of the Boom Bap 1993



On the same album, Mr. Parker also summed up the Political Solution in his song "Higher Level" ? here's an excerpt:



See it's, funny to me, you can watch TV

And give up your life trying to be all you can be

In the Army

Not knowin' your history

You either fight and die or come back home in misery

Yo get with me, I deal with reality

Loosen your mind to the truth, and don't get mad at me

No politician can give you peace

If you trust Jesus, why do you vote for a beast?

Emancipation is long over due

So overcome procrastination

Because freedom is within you

For some reason we think we're free

So we'll never be

Because we haven't recognized slavery

You're still a slave, look at how you behave

Debatin' on where and when and how and what Massa gave



No politician can give you peace. No "peace officer" is even interested in YOUR peace. He's there to control you and extract your money. At best, he's a tax collector. Even if he never wrote a single ticket, or started the process for you to pay a fine or bail, or be incarcerated so you could "pay your DEBT to 'society,'" even if the cop didn"t do any of that ? he would still be paid his salary out of taxes. So one way or another, this guy is a tax collector. So the next time you see a cop stopping traffic to make sure you have your seat belt on, just remember he doesn't give a damn whether you wear one or not. He's just there to collect the "no seat belt tax." Next time you hear about some "deadbeat Dad" getting arrested, realize that the State doesn"t give a damn about his kids, just that they collect the parent tax (child support) when its due. Next time you see some "drug dealer" getting arrested, it isn"t because cops give a damn about people taking drugs, it"s to collect the "unauthorized entrepreneur tax." How about when they arrest someone for taking drugs, but not selling them? They are just collecting a tax on unauthorized use of state property ? your body! Get it? I hope this makes life a little simpler.
Click to expand...

Text
 
Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
MartyMcFly3's comments: Im currently interning with a police department and I see this kind of behavior described in the letter all the time. I understand that yes, not all cops are great. Some DO abuse their position. But, in the same respect, too many good ones are treated like crap with complete disrespect.
Click to expand...

That's what I've always been saying, but a lot of these morons just don't get it :roll:

I have gotten ONE ticket I didn't deserve. I've gotten a couple warnings that easily could have been well-deserved tickets, and I've gotten ignored completely when I probably deserved to get pulled over.

And I've had a few positive encounters that had nothing to do with the way I was driving. For example, that HUGE blizzard I was stuck in...
 
Comparing the training of a cop to that of a doctor or a dentist is fallaciuos. Cops complete their training in a matter of months rather than years. And the 'manual' for pulling a tooth or removing an appendix is not a matter of public record.

The bottom line is: Soicety only produces so many individuals who would be cops for the right reason. We have more than that now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top