Thoughts on your Police Officers

[Thegeek]

Had interactions with good cops and interactions with bad cops. Never had a problem discerning the two just because they wore the same uniform.

 

[Miles42]

Bottom line, LEOs are human with the same failings as the rest of us. Time to quit bashing and whining and move on with your life.

 

[searpinski]

Bottom line, LEOs are human with the same failings as the rest of us. Time to quit bashing and whining and move on with your life.

Yes, but me being dishonest can't ruin the rest of your life. Law enforcement officers are expected to uphold the HIGHEST of standards. This is why people get so angry if they feel they are mistreated--it's completely justified. Ever hear of a person going to jail for years and then being released because false evidence had been planted (or similar corruption)? Imagine going to jail for 10 years while the prick who falsified the evidence was free to do whatever he/she pleased. LEOs have a tremendous amount of power. Entire police forces have, in the past, been found to be corrupt. How many innocent people have had portions of their lives TAKEN AWAY due to this?

You should go tell a person who's had years of his/her life taken away to "Quit bashing and whining and move on with your life."

 

[cexshun]

Cops? I don't dislike them, but I'll not interact with them unless I am required to.

The Supreme Court itself has said a LEO is not obligated to protect me. So, the only function of a LEO is to find something I'm doing wrong. I simply don't give them the satisfaction.

There are only 2 things I ever say to a police officer.

1) I do not consent to searches
2) Am I being detained or am I free to go

I answer every question with one of those 2 answers. Even something as simple as "Hey, you have the time?". I don't mean to be a jerk, but when your job is to find something that I'm doing illegal and then prosecute me for it, you'll excuse me for not giving you any opportunity at all.

The obvious exception is when I'm filing a police report as a victim. And even then I meet them at the station and do not allow them onto my property.

 

[Destro]

The obvious exception is when I'm filing a police report as a victim.

if their only "job" is to find something your doing wrong and prosecute you for it, why would you do that? What seems more obvious is that you do whatever you can to be a douchebag until you need something from law enforcement, then you can make an exception for yourself. Why not let the free market sort it out

 

[cexshun]

if their only "job" is to find something your doing wrong and prosecute you for it, why would you do that? What seems more obvious is that you do whatever you can to be a douchebag until you need something from law enforcement, then you can make an exception for yourself. Why not let the free market sort it out

Because their job is to prosecute the person whom I am reporting, i.e. a thief. And if that person had a brain in their head, they would respond to the LEOs exactly as I do.

I was unaware exercising my constituional rights makes me a douchebag though. I'm not offensive nor aggressive to the LEOs. I politely decline the interaction and move on with my day.

 

[VUPDblue]

Because their job is to prosecute the person whom I am reporting, i.e. a thief. And if that person had a brain in their head, they would respond to the LEOs exactly as I do.

I was unaware exercising my constituional rights makes me a douchebag though. I'm not offensive nor aggressive to the LEOs. I politely decline the interaction and move on with my day.

if you treated non-leo folks with this logic, that would be the very definition of douchebag.

if you think the job of le is simply to "prosecute" offenders then you are simply uneducated and wrong. wanting to stay that way adds another layer to douchiness IMHO.

 

[Denny347]

Cops? I don't dislike them, but I'll not interact with them unless I am required to.

The Supreme Court itself has said a LEO is not obligated to protect me. So, the only function of a LEO is to find something I'm doing wrong. I simply don't give them the satisfaction.

There are only 2 things I ever say to a police officer.

1) I do not consent to searches
2) Am I being detained or am I free to go

I answer every question with one of those 2 answers. Even something as simple as "Hey, you have the time?". I don't mean to be a jerk, but when your job is to find something that I'm doing illegal and then prosecute me for it, you'll excuse me for not giving you any opportunity at all.

The obvious exception is when I'm filing a police report as a victim. And even then I meet them at the station and do not allow them onto my property.

I bet you're a blast at parties.

 

[cexshun]

if you treated non-leo folks with this logic, that would be the very definition of douchebag.

if you think the job of le is simply to "prosecute" offenders then you are simply uneducated and wrong. wanting to stay that way adds another layer to douchiness IMHO.

The glaring difference being that other non-leo folks cannot ruin my life nor the life of my family. Sometimes even for things I didn't know was even illegal.

But I have enough friends, and if protecting myself from potential legal issues makes me a douche, that's fine. I guess I'd be a douche for protecting myself from BGs by carrying concealed also.

 

[VUPDblue]

 

[VUPDblue]

If you weren't all the way up in Portage I'd invite you to ride-along with me to see what it's actually all about....

 

[cexshun]

I'm sure you are all very nice guys and gals. I've met a lot of officers that seemed really cool. I certainly don't give LEOs the cold shoulder out of spite. But when it comes down to it, you can arrest me. Whether it's for something I admitted doing or something you saw yourself.

There's countless laws on the books. Lawyers makes tons of cash studying these laws. I could not hope to understand the penal code and all it entails. I prefer to play it safe and not risk incriminating myself.

I saw it happen with my father when I was a kid. We were fishing in Virginia on vacation. Caught a crap ton of a type of fish we hadn't seen before. So, we were having a big feast when a LEO for the park came over. We talked to him, having a good conversation until he noticed the fish we were gutting. Turns out those fish were on a temporary "endangered" list because it was their spawning season and I guess they were in low population. My old man got fined $250 per fish times 32 fish. That's stuck in my head my entire life.

If we would have simply dismissed the officer and chosen to not engage him, it wouldn't have happened.

 

[j706]

I'm sure you are all very nice guys and gals. I've met a lot of officers that seemed really cool. I certainly don't give LEOs the cold shoulder out of spite. But when it comes down to it, you can arrest me. Whether it's for something I admitted doing or something you saw yourself.

There's countless laws on the books. Lawyers makes tons of cash studying these laws. I could not hope to understand the penal code and all it entails. I prefer to play it safe and not risk incriminating myself.

I saw it happen with my father when I was a kid. We were fishing in Virginia on vacation. Caught a crap ton of a type of fish we hadn't seen before. So, we were having a big feast when a LEO for the park came over. We talked to him, having a good conversation until he noticed the fish we were gutting. Turns out those fish were on a temporary "endangered" list because it was their spawning season and I guess they were in low population. My old man got fined $250 per fish times 32 fish. That's stuck in my head my entire life.

If we would have simply dismissed the officer and chosen to not engage him, it wouldn't have happened.

Whoa! That was an expensive feast. Wouldn't it have been cheaper to have made the effort to look into the fish and wildlife laws for the area?

 

[cexshun]

We still joke to this day that it was the most expensive feast we ever had.

We did our usual research when we bought our non-resident fishing licenses. What's the minimum keeper size, is there a catch limit, etc etc. Never thought to ask if there were any fish currently under protection, nor would we have known what a "blahblahblah" bass would have looked like if they mentioned it to us.

Not trying to go off topic. I merely wanted to point out that even if in good faith, you honestly think you aren't breaking the law, you actually may be doing something illegal without knowing it.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Was curious on some of INGOs experiences and what youd like to see improved upon...

We should never forget that LEOs are just like all of us, human beings.

Some good days, some bad days. Some stressful domestic lives, some have it good.

Areas improved upon? Well, I think as a gun enthusiast we'd all like to see all officers up on the law especially when it comes to us carrying or transporting (where we are likely to encounter them). I think we'd like to see more proficiency with firearms or at least have the awareness not to touch it (it is a reflex I know) when we are around.

But other than a run in with the Wheatfield town marshal (I interrupted him hitting on counterchick with my coffee seeking) and one IMPD copper in Broad Ripple (again coffee), I've never had "bad" experiences. They do their thing, I do mine. Sometimes they help me, sometimes I help them. Ever danced in a dark club to techno--yeah, it's sort of like that.

I believe honesty and integrity are the polestar of a law enforcement officer. If the person is not honest, then we as a society should not have him in the blue (or brown or mustard or green) suit. I don't think you can "improve" on this, only via hiring.

Further, it is like every other large organization, those making the rules and policy or decisions that impact everyone are far different than those "in the trenches". As well, it is unfair to street level officers when decisions that are . . . less than optimal are made by people who are in law enforcement, indeed are the CLEOs, but voters do not realize that CLEOs are making the calls.

As to my city, meh, no problems. I've never been pulled over by Lafayette. They don't ever look at the middle aged guy in the tie (only time a West Lafayette cop even looked at me is when we were running the hills at the elementary school, he drove around the parking lot, saw what we were doing and then left). I am too long in the tooth to hang out in bars and do stupid crap that I may have done in my youth. And I only talk to them at the coffee shop or professionally.

Besides, everyone knows that if Lafayette cops will go full Mall Ninja on a cow, then they will kick your ass just for the heck of it.

View From The Porch: "It's coming right for us!"

 

[VUPDblue]

so do you accept any responsibility for the fish incident or do you believe it was all the officer's fault?

 

[lovemachine]

We should never forget that LEOs are just like all of us, human beings.

Frank isn't, and I do wonder about VUPDblue sometimes.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

so do you accept any responsibility for the fish incident or do you believe it was all the officer's fault?

I accept no responsibility for the fish incident. Further, I ask for a More Definitive Statement as to the fish count as I am likely to have a really good alibi that I was not in Virginia at the time.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Frank isn't, and I do wonder about VUPDblue sometimes.

In that case, what type of space aliens to you suppose they are? They are a little small for Klingons or Wookies.

 

[lovemachine]

In that case, what type of space aliens to you suppose they are? They are a little small for Klingons or Wookies.

Hmm...maybe Ferengi?