Probably also depends on the particular organization.
There are a few decent cops out there, but given my infrequent encounters with cops my perspective is that far too many of them aren't.
I have found that being extra polite, biting my tongue and following instructions has worked quite well for me in any dealings that I have had with the authorities. Then again I am a white male with short hair and no tatoos or piercings so regardless of what anyone tells you that helps a lot.
I think law enforcement officers are trained to escalate situations. I really do. Apparently they are trained to goad you into an action, ANY action, they can use to arrest you. I have been subjected to it more than once.
I don't think they are trained, but I do think that a not insignificant portion of them enjoy the chance to flex their authority.
I think the majority of them are trying to do a difficult job under pretty poor circumstances, and more often than not they succeed. But the internal politics of protecting their brothers, and the occasional very public episodes of their failings (like this one), contribute to an atmosphere of distrust. That combined with the general paranoia of our current times makes these things far more likely than they need to be.
I guess it depends on the location and the situation. Escalation usually will require a lot more explanations and paperwork later on, so it may not always be in their best interests to have things escalate.
Probably also depends on the particular organization.
There are a few decent cops out there, but given my infrequent encounters with cops my perspective is that far too many of them aren't.
I think law enforcement officers are trained to escalate situations. I really do. Apparently they are trained to goad you into an action, ANY action, they can use to arrest you. I have been subjected to it more than once.
I guess it depends on the location and the situation. Escalation usually will require a lot more explanations and paperwork later on, so it may not always be in their best interests to have things escalate.
I have to give credit where it's due...I was stopped this morning for going 38 in a 25, and the cop was visibly frustrated with the disregard of the speed limit on our street (rightly so). He was kind enough to tell me to slow down and sent me on my way. He had every right to write me ticket, but he didn't. For me, that's more effective in getting me to watch my speed than anything else. I'm grateful to him for that.
I think law enforcement officers are trained to escalate situations. I really do. Apparently they are trained to goad you into an action, ANY action, they can use to arrest you. I have been subjected to it more than once.
Border nazi: "If you’re told to do something, do it without asking the reason.”
I think law enforcement officers are trained to escalate situations. I really do. Apparently they are trained to goad you into an action, ANY action, they can use to arrest you. I have been subjected to it more than once.
Well, not every city witnessed a church bombing in which four little girls died. Among other incidents, but that one galvanized support for civil rights.
The history of that police department, and the state attorneys office, is disgusting. It took another murder to bring all this to light? Is it any surprise the black folks there (and all over the country, for that matter) believe there is no justice?
Florida is home to some of the most disturbing, disgusting racial episodes in our history. See 'Rosewood' for one particularly egregious example, but it was not isolated or unique. We like to think of Florida as Miami and the Everglades, but the north end is more like Selma and Birmingham.
The history of that police department, and the state attorneys office, is disgusting. It took another murder to bring all this to light? Is it any surprise the black folks there (and all over the country, for that matter) believe there is no justice?
Florida is home to some of the most disturbing, disgusting racial episodes in our history. See 'Rosewood' for one particularly egregious example, but it was not isolated or unique. We like to think of Florida as Miami and the Everglades, but the north end is more like Selma and Birmingham.
The state seal is seen on the side of a Vermont State Police cruiser. Some Vermont inmates have gotten the best of the state police by adding a pig to the state decal on their cruisers.
Look at the cow underneath the tree. Embedded within the cow's spots is an image of a pig, which as the Burlington Free Press reminds us is the '60s-era epithet used by protesters to refer to police.
Reuters reports that it was likely put there by inmates. The state, Reuters adds, "contracts with correctional facilities employing prisoners to make some print products, including the cruiser decals." One or more inmates somehow accessed the computer program holding the image and rejiggered it. The quality assurance department failed to notice it and as far as the state police know, the modified decal was used on as many as 30 Vermont State Police cruisers.
Some weren't laughing.
"It dishonors the memory of those past and present members, especially for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty," state police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro told Reuters.
But the Free Press reports that others took it in stride:
"'This is not as offensive as it would have been years ago. We can see the humor,' said Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, a former state trooper and state prosecutor who was named commissioner a year ago. 'If the person had used some of that creativeness, he or she would not have ended up inside.'"
It'll cost police $780 to correct the decals. The money will come from the small profits made by the prison division that makes things like license plates and stationery for state offices.
Yesterday, a Deutsche Bank branch in Atlanta had requested the eviction of Vita Lee, a 103-year-old Atlanta woman, and her 83-year-old daughter. Both were terrified of being removed from their home of 53 years and had no idea where they'd go next.
But when the movers hired by the bank and police were dispatched to evict the two women, they had a change of heart. In a huge victory for the 99 Percent, the movers "took one look at" Lee and decided not to go through with it.
