Don't like cops?

[indago]

I never said these people were a horrible problem for me. I just figure if some hate cops so much, they shouldn't call them when they need them. For example, there were many schmucks in Ferguson that threw rocks at the police, shot at them and such. I hope the next time someone breaks into their houses and their lives are in danger - they should call their partners in crime for help.

They have this in a lot of places now: they're called gangs...

[jimnyc]

I wanted to share a small story. I'm sure some think I believe the police can do no wrong, and I never hold them accountable. Truth is, I dislike the bad eggs as much as the next guy. I'm just of the belief that they represent a severe minority. But even then, I hope they all get what's coming to them.

In the late 80's a friend and I were leaving NYC and went through the Holland Tunnel and came out on the NJ side. The cops were profiling I'm sure. I was a long haired hippy with tattoos, driving a piece of crap car. My friend was basically a skinhead, bald with tattoos, Doc Martens...

They pulled us into a gas station on the main road. Damn cop had me and my friend drop our pants AND undies to our knees to investigate!! Now mind you, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of cars passing every minute. Were we guilty? Yes siree! We had a dime bag or marijuana and a rolled joint. We were arrested and brought to the Port Authority police department a few blocks away. Booked and released. Asked the same cop about the car and personal property and was promptly shoved in the hallway and hit my head on a pipe. Not a huge deal, but enough to leave a bump. The car was kept, and of course compiled daily charges in the impound yard.

I called and complained about the exact issues. Apparently this wasn't the officers first rodeo and he had done similar. They immediately sent someone out and investigated the bump. Investigated cameras at the gas station and such. At court, they made a deal with me. If I signed a waiver to agree not to sue the department... all charges were dropped and the vehicle was returned without any charges.

I was wrong, no doubt about that. But I still had to deal with a bad egg fucking with me. Also, Jeff will vouch for some of the vehicles I started driving when younger. First I bought from him a beat up puke green van. Then I had a $20 Dodge dart... add in the long hair and tattoos - needless to say I was profiled quite a bit.

[gabosaurus]

There are some bad cops. Just like there are bad, dishonest people in every profession. There are bad members of the military. None of this should taint the group as a whole.
If you dislike the laws of the land, work to change them.
The true idiots are the people who feel certain laws don't apply to them. Not the police who enforce them.

We were driving the speed limit on the 405 last week and a vehicle began to tailgate us. When it got the chance, it went around and then cut us off rather sharply. The driver then threw a can out his window, presumably attempting to hit us. My daughter got the license plate and called the police.
Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

[tailfins]

There are some bad cops. Just like there are bad, dishonest people in every profession. There are bad members of the military. None of this should taint the group as a whole.
If you dislike the laws of the land, work to change them.
The true idiots are the people who feel certain laws don't apply to them. Not the police who enforce them.

Do you mean the idiots who cross the Rio Grande without going through a port of entry? Do you mean the idiot that gives those same law breakers valid Social Security numbers that occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue without Congressional authorization?

We were driving the speed limit on the 405 last week and a vehicle began to tailgate us. When it got the chance, it went around and then cut us off rather sharply. The driver then threw a can out his window, presumably attempting to hit us. My daughter got the license plate and called the police.
Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

Did the police actually stop the perp? In Florida, the police are actually quite responsive to that type of thing. They use it as an excuse to search the vehicle.

[revelarts]

I wanted to share a small story. I'm sure some think I believe the police can do no wrong, and I never hold them accountable. Truth is, I dislike the bad eggs as much as the next guy. I'm just of the belief that they represent a severe minority. But even then, I hope they all get what's coming to them.

In the late 80's a friend and I were leaving NYC and went through the Holland Tunnel and came out on the NJ side. The cops were profiling I'm sure. I was a long haired hippy with tattoos, driving a piece of crap car. My friend was basically a skinhead, bald with tattoos, Doc Martens...

They pulled us into a gas station on the main road. Damn cop had me and my friend drop our pants AND undies to our knees to investigate!! Now mind you, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of cars passing every minute. Were we guilty? Yes siree! We had a dime bag or marijuana and a rolled joint. We were arrested and brought to the Port Authority police department a few blocks away. Booked and released. Asked the same cop about the car and personal property and was promptly shoved in the hallway and hit my head on a pipe. Not a huge deal, but enough to leave a bump. The car was kept, and of course compiled daily charges in the impound yard.

I called and complained about the exact issues. Apparently this wasn't the officers first rodeo and he had done similar. They immediately sent someone out and investigated the bump. Investigated cameras at the gas station and such. At court, they made a deal with me. If I signed a waiver to agree not to sue the department... all charges were dropped and the vehicle was returned without any charges.

I was wrong, no doubt about that. But I still had to deal with a bad egg fucking with me. Also, Jeff will vouch for some of the vehicles I started driving when younger. First I bought from him a beat up puke green van. Then I had a $20 Dodge dart... add in the long hair and tattoos - needless to say I was profiled quite a bit.

thanks for sharing your story Jim.
couple things that stand out to me.
I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt and had a way out. But that cop was back on road to harass more people. And you say it wasn'tt his 1st time. But the dept and court still wanted to cover for him so you got a deal.


long hair, tattoos, pot mobile, young, So cops saw you and you were profiled, they were right that time and you were busted.
OK
the thing is you can shave your hair and drive different car, and you can avoid the profile.
You can't change your skin.
Indigo posted a link to a 57 yr old black guy in a new Cadillac pulled from his car and beaten after leaving a bad neighborhood. I've been pulled over by a cop who pulled the passenger door open at night. In the dark he thought my daughter and I were 2 young males and "moved to much" as he approched to tell me about an out of date vehicle sticker.

My brother has had police guns pointed at him twice while in a car doing nothing wrong. Once because the car "looked like" one they were searching for and once because he an officer screamed "GUN" as my brother was following anothers officers order to unbuckle his seat belt and get his ID. thankfully nothing more happened and he came home. he'd been stopped several other times as well.

I know a Nigerian family where the wife, in her 40's, was pulled over in their own upper middle-class neighborhood once or twice a month, often the same cop. She was never charged with anything. Her white neighbors never had a problem.

I mean do people get complain about this? None of the above was ever brought to the news or even to police for complaints. But knowledge of this kind of stuff is part of the air throughout black culture. We all know of and have experienced it. so when people tell us that we should just "be thankful". And that police should alway be respected. Look, the experience is different. We thank God for good cops and sometimes complain about bad ones. But there's no Pollyanna view of police in general. Black's know police are JUST human and pray for a good one every time we encounter them.

And Complaints about police don't mean people hate police. Any more than complaints about your brother/sister or co-workers means that you hate them. Even though you do want them them to change some of their ways.

[revelarts]

....I know there's many issues with the police, never stated otherwise. But NO WAY in hell do I state that it's ok for some police to be defamed, simply to make another guilty person look bad. That's simply not how it works. And that's similar to what I'm talking about - beat the police at all costs, complain at all costs, even if it costs the innocent folks their jobs or reputations. So much for wanting those pesky facts!!

I never said it's "OK for some police to be defamed,, simply to make another guilty person look bad."

this is why i write long replies to try an avoid misunderstanding.
OK
What i said was
"Even if it makes some good cops "look bad". A good cop would understand bit of loss of reputation is worth it to get the "bad apples" exposed and bad systems corrected."

As in good cops GENERALLY by default losing some reputation to catch the REAL specific "bad apples".

As in if a Church found out that there were church staff that were stealing funds. the WHOLE staff tends to look bad because it's been exposed. but you only want to punish the guilty. It does little good for those not Guilty to tell us that MOST of the staff are not thieves. Ok well sure great, we know that, but lets GET the thief though. And until the they're is exposed then sadly you all are a lil suspect. We know you've done a lot of great things. no ones denying that. but Crap. no we're not going to stop complaining until the church crooks are caught.

But to take what you said in a different direction lets put your words, with a few edits, in another context.

"....I know there's many issues with the poor blacks, never stated otherwise. But NO WAY in hell do I state that it's ok for some poor blacks to be defamed, simply to make another guilty person look bad. That's simply not how it works. And that's similar to what I'm talking about - beat the poor blacks at all costs, complain at all costs, even if it costs the innocent folks their jobs or reputations. So much for wanting those pesky facts!!"

hmm

...Bad policing is something that many of us share outrage about. But it doesn't make me want to libel/slander ALL police as a result. The man who saves 2 lives in a day is someone worthy of recognition to me. No different than a bad soldier, one who may have shot up a small village of innocents. Definitely deserving of scorn, and of course criminal charges - but sure as fuck wouldn't make me want to ignore other soldiers, or make them "look bad" simply because another soldier went off the edge.

here you go agin with the Idea that complaints against BAD police shows some intent or desire to "to libel/slander ALL police... " and that complaints mean people ".. want to ignore " the good police.

that's just BS Jim.
Have you ever complained about your wife?
Maybe you don't like me going there. Let me make it toward me, I've complained about my wife.
now more generically, I know spouses that have complained about their wives or husbands. doesn't mean they hate them.
Some complain over petty issues some for serious ones.
Most of the time it doesn't mean they want to ignore, libel and slander ALL the good that spouse does or the things they like about they're spouse.

the police are married to our communities.
But sometimes spouses need some freaking counseling.
If the husband brings home a paycheck, never cheats, mows the lawn, helps the kids with home work, feeds the dog, takes a 2nd job to pay the mother in laws hospital bills. But from time to time beats the living crap out the wife.
We don't INGORE all the other but we shouldn't pretend that everything if generally fine. Or get upset that the wife complains and doesn't thank the husband enough.