I think that's just too much of a generalization to be completely true. I am personally going for a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psych, and may actually go the route of police officer.....not because I want power over others, but because I want to HELP people. I have a few relatives who are officers as well, and they are wonderful, generous human beings.

I won't deny that there are plenty of bent cops out there, there is just no denying that. However, one must see the whole picture before making such a statement. There are many respectable and upstanding police officers who just want to do their job and get the scum off the streets my friend. Having said that, the link you posted and many other videos that i've seen are absolutely disturbing....you would think that law enforcement agencies would have a better system of weeding out the bad eggs.

It all really comes down to money, and if law enforcement agencies were as well funded as they SHOULD be, I think a lot of this behavior would be erased. Public servants such as cops and teachers should be subject to higher standards, but also paid for the important jobs that they perform.

I can't agree more with LiveLeaks coments that " American cops are as corrupted as Mexican cops and this CNN video proves it."

I have some LEO friends and relatives. They seem to believe in the law, and strive to enforce it. Nothing more and nothing less. They do not seem to abuse their power.

On the other hand, I am almost terrified of cops based on what SOME of them have been videotaped doing.

What we need is a more effective method of policing those who police us.

It's not the people, it's the system, which rewards the scum of the earth in any field of employment, not just law enforcement. Dirty system=dirty people, plain and simple.

In MHO most cops are not nice people. They're gestapo no ifs ands or buts.

It starts with their "belief in the law". Anyone who could believe that the right thing to do, is give a guy in a not so new car an expensive ticket for having a headlight or tail light out rather than give him a warning, (there's a good chance he didn't know) is gestapo crap. The law this cop so "believes in" just took food off this poor working chumps, kids dinner table. Or what about the single mother who's given an expensive ticket because she was doing five miles over the limit tying to get to work on time after she spent 10 minutes cleaning up a child that just threw up (something you can't plan for). Jobs aren't easy to come by, cops feel the law is more important than this woman trying to keep her job and feed her kids. Cops are disconnected from our reality and they couldn't care less about anything other than "the law" which btw they are above.

Star and Flag for the post.

edit for spelling

[edit on 13-6-2009 by Sundancer]

I love Cooper's failed attempt at the end of the story trying to prod the reporter into saying he was scared to drive in Texas.

I saw this earlier and decided not to post it because of the title of the article. It is totally misleading. The video talks about one county in Texas with a corrupt DA and Judge and references 2 more. This is most assuredly NOT "U.S. Cops" and that is why I didn't post it.

ATSers should strive to post things that are not misleading.

I wish that I could agree that this behavior is isolated to one small Texas county. However, no matter where you go in the U.S. ( or World), you will find SOME corrupt, jack-booted nazi's patrolling the streets with a badge.

Not all LEO's are bad people. Most have a desire to make their community better. They do not make the laws, they are paid to enforce them.

The law is the law. Nothing more and nothing less. We do not have to agree with them, but we have to abide by it or suffer the consequences. 5 miles over the speed limit is still speeding. Some cops enforce it a little more harshly than others.

I am not claiming to be a perfect law abiding citizen, I am actually quite the opposite. However, I know that if I am involved with illegal activity and get caught, there are consequences. All citizens understand this. Excepting those who have not formed yet "mens rea", those who are retarded, and those who are mentally ill.

If you do not like the law, don't blame the cops. They do not write it. They enforce it.

I would again like to point out that we need a better system of policing the LEO's and holding them to a higher accountability than the average citizen.

It didn't even mention law enforcement. It was totally about the DA and Judge. Law enforcement was.... enforcing the law. The Texas Forfeiture Law to be exact. The cops pull people over (and granted some innocent ones are in there too). This is normal so far. They then go to court. This is where it gets hinky. It's not until they are tried that they have to forfeit valuables. The DA is paying the Judge to convict these people because a portion of the proceeds go to the DA's office. The DA's office (along with friends and spouses) and the Judge take trips to Hawaii with the money. Yeah, it stinks to high heaven... it's dirty for sure... BUT it's not the cops this time.

The title's horribly misleading.

I have seen Texas cops prosper by catering to corrupt judicial systems. I have also seen those that didn't, resign from elected office, find employment elsewhere as a matter of personal scruples or be accused of infractions that they weren't able clear themselves of or find legal representation that would represent them..... The cops that play the game are the only people that get to bid on land confiscated for tax forfeiture, because the property auction isn't announced.... The same with cars firearms, mobile homes and other property confiscated in drug busts..... There are counties in Texas that are far more corrupt than the one that this thread is about, there just isn't anyone that's willing to talk about them and those that have aren't around very long afterwards.