American police changed since the 50s

[JakeWIlls92]

Yes, there are still good police officers on the streets, those who take their oaths to protect and serve seriously. But they tend to be older gendarmes, who were bred in a training environment that emphasized“service” as opposed to raw, anything-goes “law enforcement.” The new-generation is a much different breed, a post-9/11 mutant raised on violent video games, weird MTV shows and bloody movies. Many have never been in a fistfight or played contact sports, tend to be utterly devoid of courage, and have a warped sense of entitlement.

To compensate for chronic fear and, in some cases, outright cowardice, the new crop of kid-cops resorts to a menacing appearance and overt intimidation. Look at how many cops intentionally emulate skinhead neo-Nazis by shaving their craniums bald, wearing dark, wraparound sunglasses, and tailoring their uniforms to fit as tight as a hooker’s skirt. Throw in the requisite bullet-resistant vest and a black belt laden with menacing weapons, radios and ammo pouches, and you have a modern American law enforcement robo-cop that would be unrecognizable to his gutsy, common-sense predecessor of the 1950s.

But the most disgusting, perennial characteristic of many modern police officers is their above-the-law, us-versus-them mentality. That, plus the Patriot Act’s permission to view citizens as potential terrorists, is responsible for an explosion in police violence. Cops are hopelessly out of control, killing an average of three Americans per day, every day of the year.

No, not all cops fit this profile, but the good ones are universally guilty of looking the other way, going along to get along, rather than risk being ostracized for doing the right thing. It’s the rare, exceptional, honest officer, who will blow the whistle on his brethren-in-blue, especially when the screw-ups hurt or kill an innocent “civilian.”

 

[whitehall]

Have Police Officers changed since the 50's? Maybe they are smarter and better equipped but they die in the line of duty just like they did before the 50's. Here's a rundown by decade of Law Enforcement Officers who died in the line of duty since the 50's....1960's -1,596, 1970's -2,337 1980's -1,917 1990's- 1,628 2000's-1710 2010's -1,531..for a total of 10,719 Police Officers who died in the line of duty since 1960 not counting this year.

 

[22lcidw]

Yes, there are still good police officers on the streets, those who take their oaths to protect and serve seriously. But they tend to be older gendarmes, who were bred in a training environment that emphasized“service” as opposed to raw, anything-goes “law enforcement.” The new-generation is a much different breed, a post-9/11 mutant raised on violent video games, weird MTV shows and bloody movies. Many have never been in a fistfight or played contact sports, tend to be utterly devoid of courage, and have a warped sense of entitlement.

To compensate for chronic fear and, in some cases, outright cowardice, the new crop of kid-cops resorts to a menacing appearance and overt intimidation. Look at how many cops intentionally emulate skinhead neo-Nazis by shaving their craniums bald, wearing dark, wraparound sunglasses, and tailoring their uniforms to fit as tight as a hooker’s skirt. Throw in the requisite bullet-resistant vest and a black belt laden with menacing weapons, radios and ammo pouches, and you have a modern American law enforcement robo-cop that would be unrecognizable to his gutsy, common-sense predecessor of the 1950s.

But the most disgusting, perennial characteristic of many modern police officers is their above-the-law, us-versus-them mentality. That, plus the Patriot Act’s permission to view citizens as potential terrorists, is responsible for an explosion in police violence. Cops are hopelessly out of control, killing an average of three Americans per day, every day of the year.

No, not all cops fit this profile, but the good ones are universally guilty of looking the other way, going along to get along, rather than risk being ostracized for doing the right thing. It’s the rare, exceptional, honest officer, who will blow the whistle on his brethren-in-blue, especially when the screw-ups hurt or kill an innocent “civilian.”

You got a point. Return to a more non menacing uniform should be a consideration. Standards on appearance may be instituted also. The cumbersome criminal code with all of the fees, fines and more needs to change. A lot of money going into government coffers comes from that. Also cheaper insurance and license, registration fees should be packaged with it. Lawyers limited in some of this.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

I remember the police of the 50s. Women weren't allowed to be patrol so all the men were big, burly and loved to just beat the shit out of anyone that displeased them. They were foot patrol in those days. Cross one and he would drag the offender into an alley. If they lived, they never harmed another cop. The penalties were swift and the damage permanent. There was no such thing as a police brutality complaint.