Poll: Cops Good or Evil

[Buck111]

A simple poll to get the pulse of those on this forum.

 

[WillowTree]

You have plenty of cop hating examples to choose from.

 

[JoeMoma]

All of those things are true to some degree about some cops. That being said, I'm going with the second and fifth items on the poll. The 8th item should probably be broken up into two separate items. It's standard practice for cops to lie to get a confession, while lying in court is perjury -- a whole different level. Yes, some cops commit perjury (and usually don't get called out on it), but human memory sucks and sometimes cops testimony is simply wrong when they are doing their best to tell the truth.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Let's face it, in all occupations there will be a few bad apples. It's unavoidable, whether police or surgeons, doctors, firemen, politicians or fast food employees.

I think without question the vast majority are good people. In fact, I would bet the best despise the bad apples. It makes their jobs tougher and more dangerous. Furthermore they don't want poor colleagues as it reflects poorly on their professional which most join for the right reasons, especially in America where you don't have so many making North of $100k a year as they do in Canada, and you also have many former soldiers who are police officers. The salt of the earth serving and keeping their duty at home.

 

[SavannahMann]

Let's face it, in all occupations there will be a few bad apples. It's unavoidable, whether police or surgeons, doctors, firemen, politicians or fast food employees.

I think without question the vast majority are good people. In fact, I would bet the best despise the bad apples. It makes their jobs tougher and more dangerous. Furthermore they don't want poor colleagues as it reflects poorly on their professional which most join for the right reasons, especially in America where you don't have so many making North of $100k a year as they do in Canada, and you also have many former soldiers who are police officers. The salt of the earth serving and keeping their duty at home.

I'd like to say you were correct on every count. I'd like to say that. But I feel I would be lying if I did.

http://nypost.com/2016/04/08/serpico-police-corruption-is-here-to-stay/

Frank Serpico was one of the honest ones. I won't say that the honest cops in the NYPD could be counted on one hand. But you certainly wouldn't have gone into triple digits if you had counted them.

Frank Serpico has been outspoken his entire life about police corruption. I don't blame him since fellow cops left him to die when he had been shot. Some even argue with some merit that the fellow cops wanted him shot and killed.

The Police Are Still Out of Control

There are few like him. But those few are always gotten rid of as soon as possible.

Cariel Horne of Buffalo stopped a fellow officer from beating a non resisting and already secured prisoner and was fired for it.



The department got rid of the honorable cop and kept the brutal thug.

It is stories like that which are far too common that prevent me from saying you are right. I wish I could say it. I wish I could believe it. I want to, but I am honest enough that truth matters.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Its legal for LE to lie to get you to talk.
IMO, cops are trying to do a difficult job.
The gun culture makes their job so much more difficult.

One of your choices:
Cops only kill people who "need killing".

I didn't vote for this one but its fact that some soldiers and some LE are there because it lets them do the one thing they want to do - kill.

I find that fascinating, distressing, sad and ultimately, very human.

Its certainly one more reason why we need body cams on cops. And its why we need to increase mental health care for anyone whose job includes the possible taking of another life.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, until you have experienced that, you cannot judge others who have.

Good poll.

 

[SavannahMann]

Its legal for LE to lie to get you to talk.
IMO, cops are trying to do a difficult job.
The gun culture makes their job so much more difficult.

One of your choices:
Cops only kill people who "need killing".

I didn't vote for this one but its fact that some soldiers and some LE are there because it lets them do the one thing they want to do - kill.

I find that fascinating, distressing, sad and ultimately, very human.

Its certainly one more reason why we need body cams on cops. And its why we need to increase mental health care for anyone whose job includes the possible taking of another life.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, until you have experienced that, you cannot judge others who have.

Good poll.

I've been thinking about your post for some time. One part is sadly misinformed. The gun culture as you call it does not make their jobs harder. The so called gun culture is an excuse.

In Atlanta the police involved shootings resulted in half of the shootings being against unarmed people, or people shot in the back. Half.

OVER THE LINE: Police shootings in Georgia

The police defense of "I thought he had a gun" is a convenient lie. In one the cop was literally sitting on top of the guy and swore that the baddie was reaching for his gun. The baddie was on his stomach with the cop on his back. No one could recreate the events of the shooting. No one could reach the gun while on their stomach. The cop was cleared of wrongdoing.

In Los Angeles one cop shot by mistake and then his partner yelled I've been shot and they both shot the baddie.

The baddie didn't have a gun. He didn't shoot. He died.

We've seen the videos. We've seen the stories. We want to believe that the cops are trying to do the right thing. In a recent one a cop shot an airman who complied with the orders to raise his hands. No charges were filed. The cop was cleared. He felt terrible about the mistake. I bet it didn't hurt as much as getting shot for doing what you were told to do.

The gun culture as you call it is the excuse. If guns were to vanish from society through Harry Potter magic tomorrow the cops would find other excuses.

 

[Buck111]

Seven votes for "There are a few "bad apples", but most cops are really good guys and gals". I would like to ask those who voted such believe most cops (and what percentage of cops) are "really good guys and gals"? Is this based on personal dealings with cops, or just something you think because you have had limited exposure to cops? Maybe you were taught to believe that since childhood and never questioned it? These are serious questions that you should be asking yourselves, but I would also appreciate your telling us here. Thank you.

 

[Buck111]

Another quick question for those who think the majority of cops are good people:
If you indeed believe this, why do they make you feel uncomfortable when they "cruise up behind me, even if I am doing nothing wrong.? Do good people ordinarily frighten you and make you apprehensive? Does your preacher, rabbi or mother make you uncomfortable just by being in your space? How about your children and friends (if they are good people)? Good people do not cause concern for your safety.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Seven votes for "There are a few "bad apples", but most cops are really good guys and gals". I would like to ask those who voted such believe most cops (and what percentage of cops) are "really good guys and gals"? Is this based on personal dealings with cops, or just something you think because you have had limited exposure to cops? Maybe you were taught to believe that since childhood and never questioned it? These are serious questions that you should be asking yourselves, but I would also appreciate your telling us here. Thank you.

Based on personal dealings with cops. Most are OK people, but the few bad apples get all the press. How often do you see news reports about how a cop helps out? Almost never, I'd bet. But you know every single detail about every single shot some cop makes somewhere, nationwide.
Police render aid far more often then they fire a weapon...

 

[SavannahMann]

Seven votes for "There are a few "bad apples", but most cops are really good guys and gals". I would like to ask those who voted such believe most cops (and what percentage of cops) are "really good guys and gals"? Is this based on personal dealings with cops, or just something you think because you have had limited exposure to cops? Maybe you were taught to believe that since childhood and never questioned it? These are serious questions that you should be asking yourselves, but I would also appreciate your telling us here. Thank you.

Based on personal dealings with cops. Most are OK people, but the few bad apples get all the press. How often do you see news reports about how a cop helps out? Almost never, I'd bet. But you know every single detail about every single shot some cop makes somewhere, nationwide.
Police render aid far more often then they fire a weapon...

The same cop who "renders aid" also covers up for abuses at the hands of his fellow cops. The "bad apples" don't exist in a vacuum. They work with and are backed up by and back up the other cops. Their behavior is seen and reports written to cover for the "bad apple".

There be the rub. Let's say my neighbor asks me to confirm to the police we were together Saturday Night watching a Football game. We drank some beers and watched the game I say. I'm a deacon of the church, and a respected member of society. No one would dare claim I was lying. Later I hear my neighbor was suspected of a hit and run accident where a child died. I mean sure he wasn't with me but I'm sure he didn't do anything like that. Besides I know his family. How could I tell them I helped send their father to prison.

I don't know that child. I do know his kids. I'm taking care of my own.

 

[Buck111]

Seven votes for "There are a few "bad apples", but most cops are really good guys and gals". I would like to ask those who voted such believe most cops (and what percentage of cops) are "really good guys and gals"? Is this based on personal dealings with cops, or just something you think because you have had limited exposure to cops? Maybe you were taught to believe that since childhood and never questioned it? These are serious questions that you should be asking yourselves, but I would also appreciate your telling us here. Thank you.

Based on personal dealings with cops. Most are OK people, but the few bad apples get all the press. How often do you see news reports about how a cop helps out? Almost never, I'd bet. But you know every single detail about every single shot some cop makes somewhere, nationwide.
Police render aid far more often then they fire a weapon...

This will probably surprise you.
The vast majority of police wrong doing gets no press - or just a blip of press - beyond where it occurred. Actually, most gets no press at all. The majority of police wrong doing is dealt with internally by the department. Only in some shootings or killings does main stream media even bother reporting. For instance, the Ferguson killing (I wont debate justification of that killing as this topic isn't about that.) That same year (2014) more than 1,000 people were killed by police. You didn't hear about all of them, only a select few. A very select few. My guess is you never heard of the vast majority of the police shootings:
2014 police charged shooting - Google Search

"Based on personal dealings with cops."
Thank you for your honesty. I too have had pleasant dealings with some enforcers. I have also had bad dealings with cops I had previously had good dealings with. Cops, like anybody else, are subject to moods. One day everything is going well for the cop and he treats everybody good; next day not so good, you're screwed. If the guy the cop had a problem with before he stopped you spit on him, odds are, you're going to pay for it.

Cops have this "us against them" mentality. Guess what? You're "them".