Should We DISARM All The Cops?

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom

If cops show up to a protest in body armor with assault rifles, everyone else should, too.

Citizens should have every right to be just as safe as cops.

But, the weapons not making anybody safe. Only the attitudes make us safe.

And the weapons change our attitudes, make us feel powerful, instead of humble, and that's the problem.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Is this relevant?

Wasn't it just signed in that cops now have access to Military Gear?

Maybe we should down-arm them before thinking about dis-arming them.

And that's without even considering if we need to.

Id be happy with the gun wont fire if the camera is off

I would much rather see a while lot more training provided to police so they are better equipped to handle their weapons.

Removing their weapons is a bad Idea .

a reply to: Shamrock6

The people who want to disarm the police are the same ones that want to disarm citizens. They want to be able to do whatever they want, with no one able to stop them.

No of course they should not be disarmed. We don't have a firearm less society. Hiring protocols and training need to be sorely looked at. As does the wanting of them having military weapons.

a reply to: Shamrock6

Ridiculously stupid idea. Me carrying legal standing next to one of my many LEO friends... Me and a bad guy is armed and they aren't???

Assinine...

a reply to: Shamrock6

Should We DISARM All The Cops?

Of course not! They have the same right to protect themselves as the rest of us... no more and no less.

And that's the real problem: That too many thugs with badges and guns are protected by the thin blue line and long arm of the law when they violate that same right of others. At that point, it's not a right, it's a privilege.

Recently, and in the past, there's been a running meme on ATS that Americans are in grave danger from LE at all times, in all situations, any time you leave the house and any time you're in the house.

Hmmm... I kinda sorta resemble this remark... but not really. Many times I have posted links showing that police brutality/excessive force complaints are actually attributed to a handful of officers in a handful of precincts/departments. This isn't brand new information. Consequently, these statistics in the OP are worthless in the big picture. Like Mark Twain so wisely said, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics."

I love my town's cops. I have interacted with my town's police, our sheriff's deputies, even state troopers, and I have never walked away with a negative feeling towards the officers. Exactly the opposite. So I have absolutely no doubt that in my town, the chances of being shot by an officer are slim to none... but I also know that in other places, due to the rot at the top that encourages, empowers and enables excessive force by their officers, those chances go sky high. Consequently, in some areas and with some LEOS, yes, "Americans are in grave danger from LE at all times, in all situations, any time you leave the house and any time you're in the house."

And I find it very disturbing that those distinctions are not made, but rather all LEOs are put in the same basket. Much the same way and for the same reasons I find it very disturbing that too many LEOs and others refuse to make the distinction that while most crimes are committed by Blacks, it is just a handful of Blacks (mostly gangbangers) committing the majority of crimes. And it is exactly this logic that too many LEOs (and their apologizers) use to justify the excessive force and total disregard for life for all Black people who cross their path.

"I was skeered! I thought that he might have a weapon so I had to shoot him multiple times and kill him dead so I can go home tonight!!!" And yet, the person on the street knows that officer definitely has a gun and will definitely shoot him dead if the officer "fears" for his life. And chances are that LEO won't even get a slap on the wrist.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Again and again, we're told how important it is for the officer to be able to go home -- no matter the cost -- but absolutely no respect or regard is given to the victim who wants to be able to go home too and has every right to do so as well.

...the video also briefly mentions the need for training and tools.

"Briefly." We know what the problem is, and we don't need it whitewashed and sugar coated. We need solutions! But those are only "briefly" mentioned. And rather than explain, discuss and consider reasonable solutions to a very serious problem, we're given an extreme solution that everyone knows will only create more problems... for the good guys... as if that's our best and/or only option. It's not.

Obviously, if the vast majority of LEOs were not good cops and good people, the number of people dying at their hands would be 100 times greater than it is -- nay, infinitely times greater. I hate seeing the good, noble, honorable people trying to protect us being thrown under the same bus as the bad cops. Whether by cop-haters or by cop-apologists. But in the same "all or nothing" manner, there will be too many who will label me a "cop-hater" or "anti-police" because I refuse to turn a blind eye to the bad behavior of some LEOs.

Such is the world we live in.

In the old days if a cop just shot his gun and hit
Nothing they did a investergation.

Now! they give them a pat on the back for
shooting some one with a moblie phone!

You can't be serious. Enjoy having no police officers anymore.

All cops use to run around with Batons in city area or in UK except Sheriffs who work in town areas. A really good cop would be able to take down an enemy with their baton then use the enemies weapon against them just like old days. Disarming police is not going to work as long as Mafia and Cartels have guns themselves. Military grade. In order to disarm cops, you first must disarm the populace or just disband Police organization itself and make all Civilians Militia(meaning everyone can use guns, even the poor).

I would like for cops to start out unarmed and be proficient in hand to hand combat and earn the right to carry. Let them learn how to do their jobs without lethal force. That would be a step in the right direction.

Nice thread necro, kind of topical.

In this climate cops would be lucky if they only got disarmed, the might even get dislegged now too.

Disarm all the cops?

Absolutely no.

Look, i would want to be a pacifist, but pacifism only works, if the other side is capable of rationality and empathy, in order to avoid having victims.

I am also a utopia dude. I would like that there would be no need for police. Or prisons.

However, we happen to be humans, and sometimes humans get ultra violent.

Let's make up a situation: Three men, armed with machine guns, go to rob a bank. The police arrives. And the police has what? Handcuffs and a breathalyzer? Yea that will work really well huh

originally posted by: Painterz
Living in a country where only the specially trained specialist response teams are armed, I'm very much in favour of the cops not being armed.

I appreciate that's not possible in a heavily armed country like the USA though.

So I think all cops having to carry always-recording cameras on themselves would be the best solution to the problem.


All cops should carry video cameras at all times.

Doesn't matter if the footage isn't freely available.

It should all be live-streamed all the time and stored in freely available indexed archives online.

Otherwise it is almost useless.