An appeal from a cop...

It saddens and angers me that people use such stereotypes. My uncle is a retired cop and he is a wonderful person. Those willing to put their lives on the line to make the country a safer place should be held to the highest respect. Innocent until proven guilty.

The fact is, many opinions expressed in this forum are very valid--those from the OP and those from people who've had bad encounters with police. I've had the opportunity to work careers on both sides of the legal spectrum. As a cop, I observed a high incidence of ego-mania with many coworkers, and I'm sure on some level I was guilty of it myself; it is much more prevalent in the men, however. At some point, a good number of cops begin to believe they are untouchable and that if they engage in bad behavior, it'll be overlooked. There are many levels of this; at it's minimum, it amounts to using any excuse to pull over an attractive woman; at it's maximum, it amounts to officers engaging in activities with prostitutes, drugs, or worse.

I worked in one department that was entrenched in scandal all the time in levels large and small. It was unbelievable the things that went on. I thought it was a disgrace. I later took a job with another agency and it was the exact opposite. These cops had integrity and I witnessed no questionable behavior. These were the kind of cops that every city wants to have.

When I began working on the defense end, I had to put up with defense attorneys always pissing and moaning that ALL cops lie. It really griped me because most of the guys I had worked with in the profession were anything but liars. However, there's a population of bad cops out there who do stupid sh*t and wind up getting themselves wrapped up in the media. It's understandable that the media will devour a good-cop-gone-bad story because cops are held to a higher standard of behavior simply by what they do at work . . . a big part of which includes taking people's freedom away.

It is only my opinion, but I believe they hire officers too young today. A person has to have an extreme level of maturity and sense of self control to do the job right. There are too many temptations in a law enforcement job and too many ways to fall prey to peer pressure for officers who don't have themselves squared away in their head. Once you succumb to the "us versus them" mentality, you begin to think of yourself as "different" from the average guy and feel the only people that really understand you are other cops.

I have found that those who proclaim the loudest against police and give accounts of extreme abuse of authority by the law usually have done something to create the bad blood by their own actions (which they never seem to mention during their ranting). However, not ALL those who express negative opinions about cops are just sour grapes because they've been caught breaking the law. Many good citizens do encounter unwarranted treatment by officers who have over-inflated perceptions of themselves, have maybe had a bad day, or who are downright criminals themselves . . . Each of these situations has to be judged on it's own merit, just as cops should be.

reply to post by NightGypsy


I starred your post.

And you are right. There are people who have never been on the wrong side of the fence, have not obscurred their activities in their rants, yet have witnessed completely absolutely illegal, if not immoral behavior of cops on a regular basis. I am one of those people. After a long time on this planet, my opinion of police is that it has been too militarized, too far "us against them" and they will do whatever it takes to get you. The trick is, stay under the radar. If you get their attention, they will get you.

Having said all this, I find it rather suspicious that a cop would start a thread like this. And there are more than one of them. To my mind a cop has as much credibility on a witness stand as a gang banger...therefore, I will no longer read or respond to any thread of this nature.

Originally posted by JWH44
Greetings ATS,

I think it is high time I speak out about a trend that I see on these forums that is extremely disheartening to me; the unabashed blanket characterization of law enforcement officers as monsters, thugs, fascists, etc, etc…

Hello. I'm not one to criticize or label, so this is not aimed at you, the OP.

My most recent legal escapade consisted of some Hell Raisers blowing into town and looking up info. on the Internet. I got mixed up in it, and was called out. The "Take it to the Street" thing.

So, there I am, in a dark area. I am quite capable of understanding speech, and I was targeted. The last time I saw an officer, he was looking at me oddly as he rolled out. Then, some guy out of the shadows tangles. I humiliated him, then drew a chump charge. This will not be forgotten.

I've seen them good and bad, there all physical entities, and I will taint their image.

So, dust yourself off, get on your White Hat, and ride high: My Friend.


[edit on 3/21/2010 by passingthought]

[edit on 3/21/2010 by passingthought]

Originally posted by mryanbrown

Originally posted by Luminaught
In you'r haste to lie about you'r sheriff you shoot you'r mouth off attempting to insult me or belittle my opinion.
Are you in the country illegally? You'r regurgitated propaganda makes me wonder. Are you a La Raza Racist? A Reconquista? Blinded by you'r own hate of the anglo-saxon people these groups hope to overthrow by out breeding them?

You have obviously shown yourself to be a racist as well as Sheriff Joe.

You're insinuating:

1. I'm lying.
2. I'm here illegally.
3. I'm part of a hispanic hate group.
4. I'm hispanic.
5. That I hate white people.
6. That hispanics are seeking to outbreed whites.

You aren't even worth dignifying with an answer that would illuminate any of that. Because you're a racist. Have fun with that in the coming years.

Just post the retraction(a face saving nobles oblige), or don't, you have already shown more than I ever could as to your glaring lack of character.

1. You stated that Sheriff Araio was a racist=unproven,
you have conceded this point, both by your inability to post proof, and your refusal to retract shows you not a worthy debater, this speaks to CHARACTER or lack of same.
2. You said Sheriff Arpaio was a Nazi= unproven, you again conceed the point.
Proven=You have falsley accussed the Sheriff.
False accuser=Liar.
You again lack the personal maturity to retract an unproveable allegation you made.
3. I never said you were here illegally. Post proof or retract.
4. You have accussed me of being racist, well, ok. Post Proof or Retract.
5. I said you hate white people? PPOR.
6. I said you were hispanic? PPOR (BTW are you Hispanic, Mestizo, Chicana, Indio, Tejana, Negra, Yaqi, or Latina, celtic anglo-saxon, caucaisian, venuvian or what? It doesn't matter, I don't care, skin color isn't a concern except that I could be shot by some idiot of a different one tryin to make his bones.)
7. There is some kind of shame in being a Mexicana? I never said that. PPOR, and this one is a biggie because I happen to be wed to a beautiful Mexican woman for more than 30 years, who is half Yaqi (yaqui) perhaps you'd like to know more about the Yaqi. en.wikipedia.org...
8. I said you were repeating statements of known racist groups, La Raza is little different from the KKK. Mecha is nothing short of a group of socialists (NAZIs), the reconquista movement make their policy statement and it is one of calculated racism....Anger works-B.E.P.(watch the vid on youtube).
9. I was born in the Northern Territories of Tejas y Cohilla, which makes me...a Texican. I couldn't hate mexicans without hating most of my family.
I was mean, and I apologize. I shall always meet racism with it's own reflection, because I am only a man, but a man who understands struggle, as well as poverty pimps, and haters who try to keep racial tensions high. Just as the anglos point out the racially biased of their own, and loudly disagree, I feel we have a similar responsibility to shun racists of our own or in what way are we any less a racist?
But another thing, Mexico considers me an illegal alien, or would if I just crossed over and stayed, I have two major familial groups in Chihuahua, and Jalisco, and speak native level spanish both common and formal.
I could never pull down a Mexican flag on July 4th to run up the American Standard. My kind would never be allowed to have riotous protests telling the Mexicans to go home (The Yaqui wish they would)March for my citizenship papers in Mexico? No. How much more patience must the U.S.A. show?
My children could never be born in Mexico unless I payed cash at the hospital, and birth in Mexico, nor their Yaqi blood would make them Mexican Citizens.
Inequity between the US and Mexico exists on many levels. Until we can agree on that much, we shall only watch the gap grow larger.
Forgive my part in this squabble, Let us be friends, there are much better groups to select enemies from.
I shall light two candles in the name of peace.
Vaya con Dios Amiga.
XVR

[edit on 30-3-2010 by Luminaught]