pixiedustboo
Redfidelboo
Do you think police abuse the power they are given?
Abuse of Power: Cops
pixiedustboo
Redfidelboo
I voted sometimes. I still hold out hope there are honest, good men caring for us.
I live on a very busy street and we have street racers almost every night. There is never a cop in sight. They tend to stay a few blocks down close to the "rich" neighborhood. I have yet to ever see street racing or "light racing" in that area. (I'm not sure what one calls racing through yellow and red lights, but around here it is a marvelous game that is played - even by the police and medical vehicles. I have seen it with my own eyes several times).
I'm curious to what other members think, do the police abuse their power in droves or is it just the select few?
I live on a very busy street and we have street racers almost every night. There is never a cop in sight. They tend to stay a few blocks down close to the "rich" neighborhood. I have yet to ever see street racing or "light racing" in that area. (I'm not sure what one calls racing through yellow and red lights, but around here it is a marvelous game that is played - even by the police and medical vehicles. I have seen it with my own eyes several times).
I'm curious to what other members think, do the police abuse their power in droves or is it just the select few?
The Highway Man
Brit Pack 2I/C
You can't paint all coppers with the same brush. You're going to get bad eggs in all walks of life. I've worked with some bloody good coppers, on the other hand, I've also worked with some. I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them!
pixiedustboo
Redfidelboo
I agree with you, there are bad people in every profession and certainly I think another problem is that we don't always see and hear about all the good that is done.
I think another problem is people hold the police on a pedestal. When one messes up it tarnishes the entire image of the police to some extent. I have been thinking about this specifically because earlier tonight I saw two police officers racing their freaking cars to get through a light that just turned red and the thought that popped into my head wasn't nice and it wasn't "oh look at those two cops being bad." It was a general assumption, "COPS." Lately the news as been the same. If the police taze someone, bad. If the police kill someone, bad. If the police over-cook their chocolate chip cookies, bad. I think it's starting to scare the general population that the police are not here to protect us, they are here to cage us.
Maybe so, maybe not so, that is why I'm wondering how others' feel.
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senojekips
Active member
Although I voted that "Sometimes police abuse their powers" I would also like to add that there are some who abuse their power almost constantly, and similarly there are some who virtually never abuse their power.
Really, I think that they probably all have their limits and when looked at along side some of the people they have to deal with, who could really blame them if they gave the occasional wife beater, or trout mouthed kid a whack in the ear, or tightened the handcuffs that extra notch or two.
Really, I think that they probably all have their limits and when looked at along side some of the people they have to deal with, who could really blame them if they gave the occasional wife beater, or trout mouthed kid a whack in the ear, or tightened the handcuffs that extra notch or two.
Yossarian
Forum Resistance Leader
Depends on the agency and the area, as well as your personal relations with them in my opinion.
Around where I am they are not that bad, most are really good people and I don't have any qualms to any of my local agencies.
Some in larger towns and cities are a bit more impersonal buy hey, that's the nature of the game in populated areas.
What I am getting at is in some instances it does happen. More or less it would become common place as long as people are confused and disorganized in creating a motion to protect their rights.
Because let's face it, if you don't want to do anything then you won't have any rights left to protect.
Although I feel uneasy about center trends nation wide. For the moment at least I don't think it's hit home yet.
Capt Frogman
Brit Pack (Troop Commander)
Capt Frogman
Brit Pack (Troop Commander)
As The Highway Man says, you get "bad ones" in all careers.
I can say hand on heart that those police officers who do abuse their powers, are very very few and far between. More often than not, they will be found out in the end. When they are found out, their police career is over for good and their pension removed.
No one hates police officers who abuse their powers more than police officers themselves.
I can say hand on heart that those police officers who do abuse their powers, are very very few and far between. More often than not, they will be found out in the end. When they are found out, their police career is over for good and their pension removed.
No one hates police officers who abuse their powers more than police officers themselves.
The Highway Man
Brit Pack 2I/C
I'll have you know, it's very comfortable sitting on this fence. 
I'll have you know, it's very comfortable sitting on this fence.
heheheh...the view is nice from Switzerland?
muscogeemike
Active member
An abuse of power is something as small as double parking just to run an errand or speeding without any official requirement. I think, at some time or other, every PO (just like every person) will take advantage of his/her position. These thing are annoying to the rest of us but aren’t really a serious problem.
I’m sure you mean abuse to be something far more serious. I think that Policemen in large cities are easily jaded. Like people in the medical profession (and military people) they experience so much of the bad in humanity it is hard, sometimes, to remember not all people are like that. They become immune to the horror which they work in.
Police in smaller communities and rural areas are more in contact with the people in their communities. I don’t think they experience the same levels of human misery as seen in the large cities and don’t become so immune to it, but they have their own ways of abusing their positions.
I have seen places which cater to police and fire fighters, discouraging or even not admitting “civilians”. I understand there are many reasons for this.
Like military members, especially service people who have experienced combat or have been in special operations, it is almost impossible to relate to anyone who has not “been there”. Sometimes one can’t relate to others who have “been there”. In a policeman’s case it may be dangerous, in many ways, to “socialize” with the public.
I believe no one can experience what Police Officers (and soldiers) do and not be effected. Over time it is easy for these experiences to cause problems with behavior.
I believe this has always been true and will always be true. This does not excuse abuse of power but, in my opinion, politicians, social and religious leaders cause far more harm then all police abuse - ever.
I’m sure you mean abuse to be something far more serious. I think that Policemen in large cities are easily jaded. Like people in the medical profession (and military people) they experience so much of the bad in humanity it is hard, sometimes, to remember not all people are like that. They become immune to the horror which they work in.
Police in smaller communities and rural areas are more in contact with the people in their communities. I don’t think they experience the same levels of human misery as seen in the large cities and don’t become so immune to it, but they have their own ways of abusing their positions.
I have seen places which cater to police and fire fighters, discouraging or even not admitting “civilians”. I understand there are many reasons for this.
Like military members, especially service people who have experienced combat or have been in special operations, it is almost impossible to relate to anyone who has not “been there”. Sometimes one can’t relate to others who have “been there”. In a policeman’s case it may be dangerous, in many ways, to “socialize” with the public.
I believe no one can experience what Police Officers (and soldiers) do and not be effected. Over time it is easy for these experiences to cause problems with behavior.
I believe this has always been true and will always be true. This does not excuse abuse of power but, in my opinion, politicians, social and religious leaders cause far more harm then all police abuse - ever.
m551sheridan
Active member
BritinBritain
Per Ardua Ad Astra
I'll have you know, it's very comfortable sitting on this fence.
Mind you don't get splinters up your bum.
Where I lived in UK we didn't have a proper police station, it was more of a satellite station. There was a copper who's colleagues called "Nick it quick." If someone looked at him wrong he'd slap the cuffs on them, at the other end of the scale we had a copper who in his 20 + years has never nicked anyone. He was a typical village copper who's most vicious weapon was a wagging finger, and you know what, he was very highly respected by the community, young and old alike, while "Nick it quick" was despised. As I was a firearm dealers I came into contact with the police on numerous occasions to I.D. firearms and or ammunition picked up at crime scenes or confiscated from suspects, I had a pretty good relationship with all the cops except "Nick it quick."
Capt Frogman
Brit Pack (Troop Commander)
I'll have you know, it's very comfortable sitting on this fence.
No wonder with an arse the size of yours!
senojekips
Active member
Oooo,... I bet that hurt more than sitting on the fence :wink:No wonder with an arse the size of yours!
Capt Frogman
Brit Pack (Troop Commander)
I've never witnessed abuse of power by police 1st hand, but I am usually well behaved. I do think it takes a special breed of character and a lot of self-discipline; I know I couldn't do it. Arresting a man who just beat his pregnant wife would not be done gently, and anyone who harmed a child or animal would receive special attention. I had an officer in my home last night (filing report over ID theft) and he was perfectly professional, reassuring and rock solid. Honestly, I wanted to keep him, lol. I do feel really bad for people abused by them though, that's an uphill battle to fight and must leave its own brand of scars.