Law Enforcement - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly.....

[fastar1]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

If you think there is no harm in answering a cop's nosy questions,
please think again. Here is a simple scenario, fictional but plausible.

Cop: Where are you coming from?
Biker: I just had a donut at Tim's on O'Rourke Street.
Cop: WELL! There was just an armed robbery at that place,
so you are under arrest for suspicion of armed robbery.

You can try to tell me that no such thing can happen.
But save your breath (or fingers), because I won't believe you.

I will not bare my belly for the jackboots. I won't even start.

Of course it can happen, and if they want to arrest you for some stupid made-up reason, they can make up any stupid reason they want whether you talk to them or not.

"I see you're coming from the direction of Tim's on O'Rourke, you're under arrest."

Anyways I'm not saying there is no harm in answering their questions, just that it needs to be weighed against the harm of not cooperating. If you never answer any of their questions out of mere principle then of course you're always gonna have confrontional encounters with them! That's because you choose confrontation!

And sure, I recognise that some cops wil be d**** regardless, but they truly are a very exceptional minority. And being uncooperative with those types isn't a solution to that problem either.

 

[sixstring]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

they only disclose 100k plus... that's the threshold... so of course everyone on that list is over 100.

I didn't see the details of the disclosure act until you pointed it out. That explains all the high numbers. BUT take a force like the Toronto police which, according to Bill Blair has 5,598 sworn officers. 2159, according to that list makes over 100k which is about 40%. Still makes for a lot of well looked after cops no?

and its still a thankless job.
the fact that ppl on this board seem to think that all cops do is write traffic tickets and mess with "innocent" riders essentially proves the point.

How much thank in your opinion should you give a cop while your helping to pay his comfy salary and he's got you bent over a barrel?

I'm not sure I even understand what you mean by thanks. There's thanks in the form of compensation and thanks in the form of gratitude. Cops get more of the former than most Canadians (by a good margin too I think), and no job gets much of the latter; cops certainly don't get any less of it. At least they get a parade for deaths on duty.

 

[turbodish]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

At least they get a parade for deaths on duty.

I'm sure that every cop out there is just waiting to cash in big and win his very own parade. That just makes the job oh so worthwhile, right?

 

[sixstring]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

I'm sure that every cop out there is just waiting to cash in big and win his very own parade. That just makes the job oh so worthwhile, right?

Certainly not.

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

I didn't see the details of the disclosure act until you pointed it out. That explains all the high numbers. BUT take a force like the Toronto police which, according to Bill Blair has 5,598 sworn officers. 2159, according to that list makes over 100k which is about 40%. Still makes for a lot of well looked after cops no?


How much thank in your opinion should you give a cop while your helping to pay his comfy salary and he's got you bent over a barrel?

I'm not sure I even understand what you mean by thanks. There's thanks in the form of compensation and thanks in the form of gratitude. Cops get more of the former than most Canadians (by a good margin too I think), and no job gets much of the latter; cops certainly don't get any less of it. At least they get a parade for deaths on duty.

No cop has ever bent me over anything. But the attitude is exactly what I am talking about, name another profession where a bunch of jackasses are hostile to you before you even do anything.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

No cop has ever bent me over anything. But the attitude is exactly what I am talking about, name another profession where a bunch of jackasses are hostile to you before you even do anything.

Lawyer

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Haha maybe if I was part of the Defense Bar. =D /puke

in any event when ppl think lawyer they aren't thinking about what I do.

 

[eastcoast_gsx]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

and its still a thankless job.

the fact that ppl on this board seem to think that all cops do is write traffic tickets and mess with "innocent" riders essentially proves the point.

I am sure it is mostly thankless in todays world. Remember, it is a choice to become a LEO.

Not eveyone thinks that on this board. I would argue that 98% get/got what they deserve. (including me at one time)

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

I know it doesn't apply to everyone but thats my general impression of the attitude of the board.

 

[Baggsy]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

No cop has ever bent me over anything. But the attitude is exactly what I am talking about, name another profession where a bunch of jackasses are hostile to you before you even do anything.

Name a profession where there isn't someone, who's hostile to you before you even do anything?

At least with the cops they have a psych test to try and filter them out.

Spending a significant portion of your time dealing with certain types of people has to stress your outlook on life. Probably the same with lawyers.

I've only ever had one cop lie, about what happened, and I'm sure he thought that I must have done something.

Two others have followed me too close, when trying to clock me.

All the others in 35+ years of driving have been honest and upstanding, some didn't let me have my way, but they were fair and concerned.

 

[fastar1]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

At least with the cops they have a psych test to try and filter them out.

To filter out the honest ones maybe.

I heard that one of the questions in the psych test is "have you ever stolen anything?" to which the only acceptable answer is "no", even though that's almost certainly a lie.

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Name a profession where there isn't someone, who's hostile to you before you even do anything?

At least with the cops they have a psych test to try and filter them out.

Spending a significant portion of your time dealing with certain types of people has to stress your outlook on life. Probably the same with lawyers.

I've only ever had one cop lie, about what happened, and I'm sure he thought that I must have done something.

Two others have followed me too close, when trying to clock me.

All the others in 35+ years of driving have been honest and upstanding, some didn't let me have my way, but they were fair and concerned.

Well i am speaking generalities but I would say that

Firefighters, doctors, nurses, members of the military, engineers, as examples, don't have any social stigma attached to their professions.

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

To filter out the honest ones maybe.

I heard that one of the questions in the psych test is "have you ever stolen anything?" to which the only acceptable answer is "no", even though that's almost certainly a lie.

Really? i have a level of govt clearance and I am sure I responded with some yeses where they probably wouldn't be appropiate.

 

[Baggsy]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

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Well i am speaking generalities but I would say that

Firefighters, doctors, nurses, members of the military, engineers, as examples, don't have any social stigma attached to their professions.

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Firefighters, doctors, nurses, members of the military, engineers, as examples, don't have any social stigma attached to

Occasionally, a firefighter gets so interested in, or stressed, from the fires that they start setting them.

Doctors if you disagree with what they want to do. (I had one stomp his feet, say "ok you be the doctor" and storm out of the room, taking the nurse with him and she left with him). Another more experienced nurse came back from break and fixed all the issues a few minutes later, but it was a tense time, before the birth of our first child. That doctor had finally retired before the twins came along.

Military people may show poor judgement with enemy dead and prisoners.

Engineers may be more interested in filling their pockets than in designing safe things.

I can't judge a whole profession based upon the few weak links. Some have cracked under the tremendous pressure placed upon them.

Every profession has some "interesting" people within it. Police are held to a higher standard than the rest of us, but they are still people, and sometimes the standard is too high.

 

[OpenGambit]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Thats not an argument against the existance of a social stigma, thats just saying some ppl suck.

the point made by a situation where if you tell 100 people what your profession is. how many people react negatively to that information.

 

[gwelfmike]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

The only person I know who reacts negativly to someone admitting they are a cop is someone who has something to hide, oh, except my wife, but she is from Venezuela and police there rank just ahead of the Military, who are in last place.

Hang around

Thats not an argument against the existance of a social stigma, thats just saying some ppl suck.

the point made by a situation where if you tell 100 people what your profession is. how many people react negatively to that information.

 

[fastar1]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Really? i have a level of govt clearance and I am sure I responded with some yeses where they probably wouldn't be appropiate.

I'm gonna make a guess right outta left field that you have a degree that is in high demand, and that you aren't expected to follow a strict chain of command in your duties, both of which differentiate your clearance requirements from your average cop applicant.

 

[fastar1]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Thats not an argument against the existance of a social stigma, thats just saying some ppl suck.

the point made by a situation where if you tell 100 people what your profession is. how many people react negatively to that information.

I would say people would rate the societal merits of different professions roughly in accordance with the degree to which each is trying to sell them something.

Firefighters and paramedics will score 0 negative reaction. A little more than 0 for doctors (selling drugs and treatments) and engineers (selling technologies and new designs), cops (selling obediance of the state) and teachers (selling a curriculum) would start to get up there a little more.

Used car salesman, lawyer... not good.

 

[mxs]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

I know it doesn't apply to everyone but thats my general impression of the attitude of the board.

Then I would say to you that you are wrong. It's exactly the same way it is with LEOs. Most of them are decent people I think. Some of them are not and they deserve to be dealt with ... the same with this board.

Now, lawyers are a different ball game altogether ... LOL

 

[mxs]

Re: Wonder why some folks distrust LEO's?

Used car salesman, lawyer... not good.

Why ..... is the simple question?