a different view of police

[dozer]

this is an acquaintance of mine, and people like him are why i think policing is one of the most fascinating jobs on the planet. take the time and listen this through.
http://www.stoopstorytelling.com/shows/ ... ellers/429

[Ames]

That was amazingly well told. Thanks for sharing.

[Jonny]

That brought back some harsh memories, but thanks.

[Zer0]

Cops are easy to hate--especially at a distance and at an ideal. And I've been treated like a shitbag by cops more than once. Most cops are arrogant jocks with jurisdiction and license to make your day mniserable. I've even had to do some of the thinking for another arrogant cop when we were compiling a description of someone who was sneaking around in our backyard looking in our window.

But I know two cops, and they're good guys, and are LEOs for the same reason Dozer's buddy is. They are aware, caring and committed to the common good--I could easily hear those two sharing similar thoughts.

It's true I've likened motorcycle cops with 1%ers, in the way they ride, blowing past you but they aren't lit up. No signals, overall arrogant--no different than the Mongols and Vagos I've encountered on the road. They both are the shit, and they fucking know it. I hqave been cut off at freeway speeds by motocops and Mongols. They knew it, but didn't even look back, nothing. I was in theyr way. I have not a pissdrop of respect for cocks like that.

But one glaring difference between cops and 1%ers, is if my wife and kids are trapped in a burning car, a cop will pull over and risk everything to help them. A 1%er wouldn't.

A 24 yr-old cop was shot and killed chasing a hit and run suspect less then 10 miles from my home last week. I don't want to open up another can of worms about anyone who was shot by a cop this week. My point is a cop was killed by doing the right thing--trying to bring someone who did a wrong thing to justice. My sorrow goes out to his loved ones.

A good post, Dozer.

[DerGolgo]

I have nothing but respect for beat cops. All beat cops I have ever dealt with, to my current recollection, were friendly, curteous, helpful, understanding. Civilized folk.

But then I turn on the TV and see a 14 year old getting maced, peacedul protesters getting knocked out of tall trees by water cannon and cops refusing to allow medical aid to be rendered, peaceful protesters getting beaten up and the cameraman filming it getting beaten up also. I see cops using illegal weapons like sand-filled and weighted gloves to beat a guy lying on the ground in the head and even when one of those actually gets to court, the judge lets them walk because a "police expert" testified that, considering that the person on the ground was covering his head with his hands and the cop needed the hands elsewhere to put the cuffs on, beating a man already on the ground in the head was the appropriate response. I see cop union reps protesting that it would be a violation of cops rights if they had to wear visible identification numbers when policing mass protests, I see excesses of violence, I see provocateurs being used intentionally to spark of violence, I see cops getting away with the kind of acts that would land a civilian in prison for life. And not even getting a slap on the wrist.

Also, the plain clothes cops, the detectives, the actual investigators, threatening a friend of mine they'd denounce him as a pedophile in his neighbourhood lest he participate in a "voluntary" and entirely senseless DNA test (a common tactic when they can't be arsed to get a search warrant. Not that search warrant are commonly turned down. No judge ever refuses to sign a search warrant. And they have the right to search even without a warrant, under certain circumstances.).

The uniformed beat cops over here have a dreadful job, they are always there to call when there's trouble, they have crap equipment, crap pay, most of them collect a years worth of unpaid overtime while they are still considered a rookie and, most of the time, they conduct themselves no worse than any reasonable person. Even at protest marches and similar events, when they exchange the leather jacket and khakis for the turtlesuit, they tend to be okay unless orders come down to just beat the longhairs.

The Riot Police on the other hand, and the criminal police (the detectives and shit), they are just evil fucking thugs, drunk on power and seem to consider themselves (often enough correctly so, unfortunately) above the law when they trample on not just civil but basic human rights.

This guy, with the recording, him I can admire. He could have gotten himself any number of cushy jobs, but he picked one of the shitties, most dangerous, self-destructive jobs going.

[dozer]

glad it was enjoyed. I need to go on another ride along with him sometime soon, baltimore is a fun city to see from a cop car..

[Rench]

trapped in a burning car, a cop will pull over and risk everything to help them

Yup, just like a fucking cop, glory-hounding and crossing union lines; practically stealing the food off the plates of firefighters' families...

Really though, excellent find, and I really enjoyed it. I think your buddy Dozer is a sterling example of the top 5%. As a guy on my job says, there's the top 5%, the bottom 5%, and about 90% in the middle, just trying to do their job. Regrettably, the bottom 5 get all the press, and to be in the top 5, modesty to a fault is all but guaranteed.

-Rench