whats your opinion?
 

What do you think about cops in general? I trust them because I got a degree in crim justice even though I don't use it. I know a lot of cops and they seem fair but there are the power hungry a-holes out there.

Obviously, I can't generalize since I don't have firsthand information regarding every policeman out there! But the ones with whom I have had personal contact are decent, hardworking individuals who do a job that you could not pay me ENOUGH to do for very little money and very little recognition.

I'm certain that there are nasty, powerhungry policemen out there but I don't believe it is a characteristic pertaining to most of them. Heck, there are powerhungry, fastfood workers (No, you CANNOT have extra special sauce with that Big Mac) restaurant hostesses (yes, the good tables are open but I want to put you right next to the kitchen) and doormen (hey you in the tight asspants and you with the cleavage, come to the front of the line!) out there. It isn't an exclusive character trait of any one profession.

I've spent a fair amount of time with cops over the course of a 35 year career in broadcasting.

They're much like the rest of humankind. The vast majority are good, honest, hardworking, upfront men and women.

And a very few are jerks.

I do think that when I was in college in a small, economically depressed city where the university was, by far, the biggest employer (and thus, influence on local affairs) with a slightly larger student population than that of the city, that the city cops had a huge chip on their shoulders when it came to students. I could site a couple of cases I was personally involved in -- but won't. The University Police, while being the brunt of lots of jokes, were trained at the State Patrol Academy (since this is a state school), and were actually pretty professional.

I visit the University a couple of times a year, and that seems to have changed rather dramatically. The cops there seem much more laid back and friendly. I suspect that this is due to a relaxation of the typical "town/gown" strife which afflicts cities like this. That relaxation began, I think, when a retired Professor of Aerospace Studies (Head of AF ROTC and a Career Air Force Colonel with a big time martial arts background) beacame mayor and dragged the two sides, kicking and screaming, together for their mutual benefit.

I heartily agree with Rose. I wouldn't have that job. Period.

DeltAlum

Yes, but it is the power-hungry police men who can f#(& you by excercising their A$$-holishness because they do have a lot of power over most people, and are generally trusted to be more right in any instance of conflicting views/interpretations. I've got so many friends who have simply been screwed by state cops misusing their power, often these fellows are acquitted, but other people don't see that, they see that you commited this crime when you didn't. I will grant you, for as many awful cops I've seen, I've seen more that are better, and are good, caring, considerate people....but should anything less really be expected? I guess I have simply have a very foul taste in my mouth from close association, and bad experience, but what else defines ones views?

quick story: I've had a cop tailgate me once when I was in another city around an hour from mine, just driving through. I was wierded out, so I turned right into a gas station, and he turned left into a parking lot, waiting, I got back in my car after 5 minutes, got back on the road, as did he, tailgating me again, I turned down a street, he pulled off the side of a road...Got back on, he followed me (tailgating) until his jurisdiction ran out at the end of the city limit.

Nevertheless, I've had wierd-a$$ encounters that left a poor taste in my mouth. I mean, obviously we need them, I think some just need pyschoanalysis once a year.

(another brief thing, for a crim just class my buddy was in, he had to ride with a cop, they reported to a man holding a gun to his head, when my buddy got there, he saw the guy pull the trigger..but he didn't die right away, just twitched for a while first)

but for this post really, we mostly, as college students, only deal with campus cops, who encounter solely a$$holish college kids contributing to minors and disturning the peace and what have you, so I'd be an asshole too if i were them

Ehhh I don't know about that. They go solely after anyone driving it seems like. The other day I got pulled over for not using a turn signal. Now that is okay, people get pulled over for that. Well she asked me if I had been drinking which I said no, because I hadn't. She than let me go without penalty.

Ex,

As regards your post above, I've had a similar experience, but look at it a little differently. This happened a couple of years ago, long after college.

I was driving home after attending a Performing Arts Gala at the university my daughter was attending at the time and was stopped by a State Patrolman. He pointed out that I was going "a little bit" over the speed limit, but if my record was clean he would let me go.

After checking, he came back and told me I could go, but to please be careful and watch my speed -- and also be careful because there were a lot of drunks on this stretch of highway on a Friday night.

It was immediately obvious to me that he had used the "little bit" of speed as cause to stop me to see if I had been drinking. I hadn't.

You know what? That's OK with me. Drunk drivers kill and injure a lot of people. Some people might have been morally outraged at that, but if that kind of thing gets drunks off the road -- go for it.

Now, it's about the time back in the sixties when a couple friends of mine and I were shadowed by a Chicago cop all the way through town. Of course it was the weekend after the 1968 Democratic National Convention...

DeltAlum

YEP !!!!
 

Having been on both sides of the fence, I can relate to it all!!!

The first night in the academy they told us all we wanted to so was carry a gun wear a badge and be Wyatt Earp! Boy did I sizzle!!!!

When I came out graduation nite I thought i was top law dog!

Did not take long to figure out that there are a lot of weirdos out there!

If I wanted to stop one, I always had a reason, and trust me there can always be a reason.

I told many new guys that came out on the street, that the best weapon they had was the one between their ears!

i use to piss my commanders off cause I did not write tickets, had the same ticket book when I left the Dept, hell it was outdated! If I wrote a ticket it was well desearved!

BUT YES, there are butt heads out there who cannot get over that it is a job! There are to many other things to deal with to be a perfect asshole! i still know a lot of Coppers and when I see a new young one in my shop with one of my oldder freinds, I give them a gig or two and tell them learn from a pro or get killed!

But many times it really goes to the head! I had the power of God in my holster and to me that was ONE BIG RESPONSEABILITY!!!!

Always be nice and polite, as I would give it to the people I stopped, but be a Butt head, then there was a problem!!!!

When you as a Police Officer see some of the things you see as in DEATH, it really gets to you!!!

Well I had my say and time to get out of here!!!!!:D

You know, I forgot to mention that in mp post. I do agree with that statement. However at the time I was thinking, why me?;)

I've really only had an experience with one jerk cop..but thats neither here nor there..for the most part when I've been stopped, the cops have been polite, and either let me go, or if they give me a citation, they do the minimal amount. Also-I usually get let go now, because I'm in nursing school-I had a cop tell me that they usually let nurses go, b/c if they come into the hospital, we're the ones who take care of them...

I wouldn't want to do their job though..you never know who you pull over, it would scare me too much.

I'm with KillarneyRose
 

I have the greatest respect for "cops". I have never refered to them as anything but police or officers. (I believe they deserve that )
In Houston, there were alleged incidents of police raiding apts. and keeping whatever they found or taking whatever they wanted. Yet, the interaction I had (range from call for help, parked car (!) and tickets) were always professional. In every field you will find good guys and bad guys. It's just frightening that some of them have guns and are in a position where they can really mess with your life.
If they raised the standards and paid them what the really deserved (considering they risk their lives every day) they might be able to reduce the number of bad apples.

For Your Info
 

Most people think that Cop is a bad name.

Actually, it goes back to when Officers walked their Beats.

Constable On Patrol ergo COP !

Yep there can be some real egos with a badge and weapon!

I got one off of the force for kicking a man we had just arrested and had him at the booking desk. I told him one more time and I took out my baton and told him I would use it on him!!!!

Self importance can be underwhelming!!!!!!!!

Tom, I swear, just recently I was wondering if C O P stood for anything since not only were the networks using the term, but police as well. Thanks!