If that's the case, you go to the District Attorney. If the District Attorney won't help you you go to the Director of Public Safety for the state. If he won't help you, you go to The Ombudsman. If he won't help you, you go to your state representative. If he won't help you, you go to your state senator. If he won't help you, you go to the governor. If he won't help you, you go to your US represenstative. Etc. Etc. Etc. Everyone has someone equal to them in the chain of government or someone higher than them. You just gotta be willin' to put for the effort. Any elected official is going to jump all over this just for the sake of headlines.
I never said that. I never denied that some cops are dicks. You said you hated cops because they do all these mean things. You didn't say "some cops". You didn't say "bad cops". You said "cops" period. My experience proves to me that you are mistaken...at the very best.
Cops have to be this monolithic faceless uniform force. They get blamed the same way, as a single entity.
Oh, and I know for a fact that many large urban agencies across the nation are bringing in civilians and forming apolitical and unbiased oversight committees just for the sake of transparency. Sadly, they're the ones that can afford it. We simply have to rely on the ABI's Internal Affairs Bureau to act as our oversight. This also doesn't mention the numerous, and I mean numerous accrediting bodies across the nation that come in and do semi-regular (due to them being unannounced) surprise audits.
We were in a park after posted business hours. I can understand their thinking. It's the reason for posting business hours at a park. Liability in case someone got hurt.
Ahh. Far as I know, we don't have that. You gotta bust the panhandlers with shit like "impeding the flow".
Oh, there was definitely something "whipped out", but it wasn't a handshake...loitering on public property? Elwood, haven't we told you to stay away from the rest stops?
Yeah, with your pants down around your ankles, I bet you got covered with mosquito bites....anyone got cortizone creme?
My point is I don't give a shit what anyone thinks of me. Kind of like the way nobody here gives a shit what I think of them.
I was really naughty today. Passed a patrol officer on the highway while I was driving the speed limit, waved, and said "Howdy!" Boy! I'll bet he was pissed!
From the "Good Samaritan" thread: If that cop hadn't chased Elwood and his buddies off, would this have been what our fearless leader would have woken up to the next morning? Prophetic?
Snippiest I ever got with a cop was in the mid 80's. I was working in a tiny beer store that sold almost nothing but beer and cigs (a little candy, chips but a whole lot of beer). Guy comes in wanting to purchase beer. I card him. He whips out a military ID. He's not 21. I started thinking.... it's illegal for him to attempt to buy, so I call the police. They guy tries to get me to give him back his military ID and exchange it for his DL, but I'm like, "nope, this will do fine." We wait around for the cop to show up. I explain why I called. Cop looks at the military ID and then comes out with "let's just call this a misunderstanding." Boy I was hot and snapped back, "If I'd sold it to him I doubt you'd be calling it a misunderstanding!" He looked at me, really doesn't have a come back and leaves. He knows he can't say crap to me that would justify his position. I was too young and stupid enough to report his behavior, but I heard many years later he got into some trouble on duty. My heart didn't bleed for him when I heard.
I've never had a bad encounter with a law enforcement officer in my personal life. I've always been treated professionally. On the job, however, I run into lots of cops who need a refresher course on the First Amendment and some who like to try and bully the media "just because".
Cops are people. There are good ones and suck ones. When I am obliged to deal with them, I am always polite. Even if they're wrong. As I told my Mom, those guys can put me in jail. If I ever had a problem, I would file a formal complaint. But the few times I've dealt with cops, there has never been a problem. I'm polite and they either gave me the warning or ticket, depending on God knows what. I never whined, as when I was stopped, it was merited. Nothing worse than someone who does something and then mewls about it when busted for it. My respect for cops does not count the jagoff who was crabby when I stopped to ask him directions on my daughter's first day of Kindergarten. He wasn't doing anything but standing there with his thumb up his ass, but chose to be a bitch. Thanks for giving my kid a great first impression of cops, numnuts. Seriously, I'm amazed more cops aren't jerks. When one considers what they have to deal with, the dregs of society, it's surprising more aren't angry men.
OK. I only read the first page of this, so I have no idear where it went. But I just gotta say: ARE YOU STUPID!? Your story is boring as shit and you missed a GOLDEN opportunity for a really great story. Next time you're suspiciously loitering on private property, after dark, with your hooligan friends, and a cop accosts you here's what you do: Turn to him and ask in a conspiratorial tone "Hey. What's the most drugs you ever found up a guy's ass? [nudge closest friend] 'Cause I guarantee this guy's got it beat."
