open letter from a cop

[ONEADAM12]

please take time to read.....

I owe you an apology. I'm not perfect.
All humans make mistakes, and I've paid
for every one of them. In thirty years of
law enforcement, I've also seen more than
you'll ever know.

I've taken knives, clubs, guns, drugs and
violent people out of cars. Teens and
otherwise. I've seen drunk, drugged and
distracted drivers of all ages who've been
dangerous to everyone on the road. I've
been in more fights than I can count with those
drivers and passengers. All the while risking my
life because of passing traffic that almost never
slows down...much less stops to offer help.

I've picked up bodies off the roadways.
Drivers, passengers, pedestrians and otherwise.
I've seen almost every kind of death you can
think of. Because of my duties, I've almost
died and I've lost friends and co-workers.

I've taken that long walk to the front door to
tell the parent, spouse, child or relative that
their loved one isn't ever coming home. I've
borne the verbal agony and even threats
because these poor people can't stand their
grief.

I've seen husband's beat wives and vice versa.
Parents beat children and vice that versa as well.
I've seen the results when people kill each other.
I've also had "victims" jump on my back when I
try to take the guilty or the batterer to jail.

I've seen and heard people sneer and snicker
when I speed on the road or highway. They
usually call my boss to complain or say something
they think is humorous about "coffee shops and donuts."
Yet these same people get in my face, remind me
they pay my salary and scream at me when I'm not
at their house thirty seconds after they call.

I've seen the sick. Those who're physically ill as well
as mentally. I've listened to merchants who rightly
complain about the homeless killing their business.
And listened to the transient who has no options.
I've seen those whose addiction to drugs, alcohol
or a "homeless lifestyle" doesn't allow any fast or
easy solution.

I've heard the family or neighborhood problem that
took years to develop. Now I'm expected to solve it
in minutes. And if I fail, I can be sued for my house,
car, bank account and I'll lose my career. I may even
lose my freedom. For a bad situation that may require
a decision in mere seconds.

I've answered the calls of "shots fired; robbery in
progress; rape in progress; homicide just occurred;"
and every possible crime and inhumanity you can name.
I've seen the eyes of a child when meth has taken Mommy
and Daddy. I've seen the haunted eyes of the parent who
suddenly knows their life is no longer their own...but instead,
is possessed by their drug. I've seen crimes you've never
dreamed of and won't ever see on "Cops."

As a fellow officer once told me, "Cops constantly live in
the worst twenty minutes of other people's lives."

Yes. I may have talked brusquely to your dear child.
Or gotten you out of the car. Asked you to take your
hands out of your pockets, or something similar. But
you may want to consider that one of the "kids" I dealt
with in our lovely area probably came closest to killing
me in all the years I worked. He had a .357 magnum
hidden under the shirt he asked me to let him put on.

Thank God I refused. Gee. Looking back on that...
I guess I was being rude.

I've also seen my employer's bargaining agents come
to salary negotiations and literally say, "Yes. We have
the money to give you raises...and no...you can't have
them."

I've seen my wife scrimp and scratch trying to raise
four children on a cop's salary. I've seen my kids
"grin and bear it" when they found I couldn't come
to their special event because "Daddy doesn't work
regular hours." I've also seen my kids take up a
burden they never should have had to, when one of
your little darlings called my child a "piglet." Or
worse yet, cursed at or hit my kid because I took
their family member to jail.

I've seen my family wait for me. When I worked
nights, weekends and holidays, while you were
snug at home...and my whole family did without
me way too much of the time.

I've also seen the faces of toddlers and children
who were lost and whom my co-workers and I were
privileged to place back into the arms of a crying mother.
I've seen the bleeding I was able to stop, the heart
I was able to get a chance to re-start and the crime
victims my comrades-at-arms and I were able to
protect.

I've got the faces in my mind of people whose lives
my partners and I saved. Yes. I have my success
stories...and my failures. And I've seen the nights
when I can't go to sleep or get back to sleep
because of the faces...faces and the "what if" factor
in every case.

If you never see one thousandth this much...then law
enforcement has done its job...and after all...if cops
had a rabid need to be liked, we'd have become
firemen.

Trust me. If I was rude or insensitive to your child
or anyone else, I'll pay for it. And I'll still put on my
uniform, ballistic vest, gun belt and badge. And I'll
go out again.

Because that's what professionals do.

 

[KooLaid]

REPOST
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88645&highlight=cop+craigslist

and I still don't like em.

 

[ONEADAM12]

nope... read it again..... not a repost

 

[KooLaid]

ooops, I copied the wrong link. I have definitely read it here before though. The first person to post, made the thread about the same time as the link I posted. Maybe it was on another forum......

either way, still not a fan of the man.

 

[naaman]

Got a better solution?

 

[flaminio]

nope... read it again..... not a repost

Did you write it yourself? It reads like the standard Internet glurge, but if it's an original work, let's open up the dialogue.

FWIW, if you were rude and insensitive to my kid, she probably deserved it, and you'll find me on your side .

 

[rowr]

I would say it's difficult job that I would never be able to do...a tip of the hat to those who have chosen to do so.

As with any profession out there (mine included), there's always a few bad apples out there that can muck up the waters for the rest of us.

 

[ONEADAM12]

I would say it's difficult job that I would never be able to do...a tip of the hat to those who have chosen to do so.

As with any profession out there (mine included), there's always a few bad apples out there that can muck up the waters for the rest of us.

AMEN !!!!!!!

 

[heySkippy]

I need to write an open letter to a cop someday. It would be wonderful if they could begin to understand where the respect went and why.

 

[Cairo94507]

Just remember, cops put their pants on the same way we all do. They are human and have bad days. The difference is that when they get out of their car or off their bike, horse, what have you, they have to check their attitude and remember they are not flipping burgers somewere (not that there is anything wrong with that). They are paid to be professionals and I expect that.
Everyone has aspects of their job(s) that are fun and not so fun. So when you see two motors riding in tandem down the road enjoying the good weather, that is the fun stuff (think chips) but when they are stuck in the 100+ degree heat at a major crash directing traffic or doing an investigation on a 5 car crash, maybe that is not so much fun.
Finally, every profession has a couple of bad apples-when they are reported and identified, the system will generally go after them and get rid of them sooner or later. The key is to report that behaviour when it happens. If you do not report them, then you get what you deserve as a person and a community. Oh, and I do not mean reporting them because you got a ticket you did not deserve..... just my 2 cents

 

[H-carWizKid]

I think the point is well known- We have a love/hate relationship with law enforcement; It isn't a secret.

We love em when we need em or when they are there to help, and hate em when they are just doing their job, but we are on the recieving end of the justice.

We could all do with a little humility in the face of the law, instead of the cry baby antics of some. Behaviors I can only equate to the behavior of children angry at a parent for punishing them.

Remember: You get the respect you give, and deserve the respect you earn. The officer you are dealing with earns respect every day by placing himself between you and the bad things that can happen to you. What did you do besides pay taxes (as little as you possibly can) and break the rules (which brought you to the officers attention)?

I am no angel by any means. I have had my run ins, and I have taken my punishments. As a result I try to live my life on the up and up, but I bear no ill will toward officers who have dealt with me.

Now, there are a few bad apples out there I am sure (that whole college library tasering thing last fall is still on my mind, but that is something else), but for the average everyday officer working the streets?

Nothin but love for ya!

Philip

 

[steveny]

What did you do besides pay taxes (as little as you possibly can)

Because if you pay more you will get more??? I like to go into Best Buy and pay for the 60 inch plasma and then sit and watch the 19 inch color with everyone else.

I have only once in my life had an officer I did not know personally treat me with respect while on duty. All my friends who are officers are great guys and I do ride alongs and have a good time. Every other experience I have had with the police has been negative one for me. It's like to them there are only cops and criminals out there and no good people anywhere. I have a completely clean criminal record but yet I am treated like a criminal whenever I have to deal with the police. On the other hand the real POS criminals seem to stay out of jail and continue to walk all over the good people in the world.


Oh and if it's illegal to talk on the cell phone when you are driving in NY then it illegal for everyone, INCLUDING COPS!!!!! NO more double standards and I think society would not be so unhappy with the police force. I know I sure would be happier.

 

[Cairo94507]

What did you do besides pay taxes (as little as you possibly can) and break the rules (which brought you to the officers attention)?


Philip[/QUOTE]

H-carwizkid
I sure hope that was not addressed to me. Exactly whom are you referring to when you say "what did you do besides......" Because for me the answer is 25 years in law enforcement ina major metropolitan PD in CA

 

[H-carWizKid]

What did you do besides pay taxes (as little as you possibly can) and break the rules (which brought you to the officers attention)?


Philip

H-carwizkid
I sure hope that was not addressed to me. Exactly whom are you referring to when you say "what did you do besides......" Because for me the answer is 25 years in law enforcement ina major metropolitan PD in CA

Cairo94507- I am referring to a generic "you" as a generic person who has been collared for an offence (ie speeding). I was not referring to you personally. If I had been referring to you, I would have put "Cairo94507" before my post, and addressed it to you (like I have with this one).

Actually, we posted at nearly identical times, you finished yours before I finished mine. I hadn't even seen your post prior to composing my own.

As for the subject at hand- Take a moment to read my response as pro-law enforcement and I think you will get the meaning. No need to bring your career, or bravado into it- you're being a little oversensitive.


Steveny- Obviously nothing I can say is going to make you feel better about your personal experiences. I am posting based upon my own meager interactions with the law, and can't possibly justify anyones actions within the scope of your experience.

Philip

 

[heySkippy]

I grew up in a policeman's household, my dad was the Chief of Police during my middle & high school years and an investigator for the county attorney for many years after that. This was in the 60's and 70's and there was a lot of respect for the police and the police (mostly) had respect for the citizenry.

But it's way different now. The police have become militarized and the human element has been replaced by carved in stone rules. When you have unarmed civilians being gunned down in the most dramatic ways (shot 50 times?) and kids and old people being tasered, it colors the whole attitude.

Yeah, the police ratcheted up the intensity to meet certain threats, but they now apply that intensity to everyone, regardless of threat. They have exchanged respect for domination and it has poisoned the well. I have no doubt there are plenty of good cops still, but I will never see the profession as a whole with the admiration and respect I once had because I know for a fact they would turn on me in a instant.

 

[steveny]

I grew up in a policeman's household, my dad was the Chief of Police during my middle & high school years and an investigator for the county attorney for many years after that. This was in the 60's and 70's and there was a lot of respect for the police and the police (mostly) had respect for the citizenry.

But it's way different now. The police have become militarized and the human element has been replaced by carved in stone rules. When you have unarmed civilians being gunned down in the most dramatic ways (shot 50 times?) and kids and old people being tasered, it colors the whole attitude.

Yeah, the police ratcheted up the intensity to meet certain threats, but they now apply that intensity to everyone, regardless of threat. They have exchanged respect for domination and it has poisoned the well. I have no doubt there are plenty of good cops still, but I will never see the profession as a whole with the admiration and respect I once had because I know for a fact they would turn on me in a instant.

Exactly. I always am disturbed by the way the person under arrest lays on the ground with arms and legs spread out and yet the cop still finds in necessary to jump... knee down on the perps back.

 

[Synthesis]

now write one for the small town cops that are the biggest assholes. 1/100 of this applies to them.

i understand that being a cop is a tough job. but, the bottom line is, you're not going to get the respect you (may or may not ) deserve unless your peers stop doing all the little things that make people think you're abusing your authority. everything you do is out there for people see and criticize (for instance, traffic voilations). when the very person that tells you you can't do something does it in plain view - it makes people bitter..... go figure

when you turn your lights on to go through an intersection or speed down the highway at over 100mph with no lights on for no reason (ie, going that fast just to get back to your radar trap) makes people feel like you are just doing it because you can. that you have no regard for the laws you are trying to uphold (apparently there is a reason why people aren't supposed to do over the speed limit :tongue: ), and you are simply abusing your power.

little things like that make you look like the biggest pricks. if you disregard traffic laws right in front of people, what do you do behind closed doors? maybe nothing, but maybe not. this is what runs through peoples' minds.

and it doesn't help that the whole legal system is corrupt as hell..... this is just an example, but why don't you have to serve the same sentences under the same circumstances as anybody else if you are rich? dumb stuff like that that makes its way into the knowledge of the general public.... well, to say the least, it pisses us off. are we wrong to be angry about things like that?

it continues up the ladder. politics. honestly, i believe we need to set sail and find a new country. wtf ever happened to taxation without representation being an issue? last i checked the gov't takes SO MUCH MONEY from EVERYBODY and gives us absolutely NOTHING for us (and the good stuff they do is way underscaled from the money they waste on stuff we shouldn't be spending on - i remember seeing something on the net like Nintendo R&D spent more money on research for the Wii than the US government spent on education for the country in one year). i think everybody knows where this all leads - so i won't start a political debate.

in any case, give us good law enforcement, give us a GOOD system that isn't corrupt in every damn aspect, and you'll get your respect. nobody will complain. until then, consider it part of your job to deal with people that are "unappreciative". and just remember, you chose to be part of all that bullshit.

(btw, i might sound angry about how stuff is..... but that's because i am. i watch the news and i yell at the tv on a regular basis about what's going on. sounds crazy, but people do the same shit towards sports. now you tell me who's crazy)

sorry if i digressed.

 

[naaman]

Exactly. I always am disturbed by the way the person under arrest lays on the ground with arms and legs spread out and yet the cop still finds in necessary to jump... knee down on the perps back.

Well, that is for the officer's safety. With all the reality TV and Jerry-Springer-esque programs dominating the airwaves, I'm not sure how ANYONE can't realize that people are nuts. Yeah, the guy might be proned out for the moment, but that officer doesn't know him. He could have all kinds of things going wrong with him. His "cooperation" might even be a ruse to lure the officer into letting down his guard. Just realize that if the officer has proned out a suspect, it's usually because the suspect is under arrest for a violent, or potentially violent crime.

Yes, the idea is to inflict pain, but to not injure the individual. We call it "pain compliance." It lets the suspect know who's in charge and that if they want to act up, it's going to hurt more (though the purpose is only for it to hurt, not cause injury). Anyway, it only hurts for a minute and then everything's fine.

I for one can tell you that I'm not taking any chances that some person is not a nut case: I have a family to come home to. And if I run into (the generic) you one day and am a little "rough" just know that it's for both my and your and other bystanders' safety, because if as the officer I allow the siuation to escalate and have to resort to my weapon, then you're most likely going to get seriously hurt rather than be in temporary pain. It's all about the perception of the suspect breaking their will to resist. But if the officer thinks he has broken their will to resist and then eases up, the suspect picks up on this and gets the idea that the officer is a chump, and things can quickly go bad from there.

Trust me, short of being shot, anything that an officer does to a suspect, he has had it done to him by his fellow officers in training, so he knows exactly how much pain he is inflicting and he knows what you're going through. Pepper spray, mace, cuffing, wrist locks, arm locks etc...

Anyway, law enforcement has been evolving for thousands of years. I find it arrogant when people complain about the way things are done, as if they, having lived only one human lifespan (and most complaintants having lived less than half a lifespan so far) can take their few decades of life experience and just say "that's wrong blah blah blah, cops should do this, cops should not do that etc." There are centuries of history and experience behind the policies and tactics and procedures that are in effect right now. The reason that cops are trained to "go knee down" on a "cooperative" suspect is because in the past, people have feined cooperation and then turned on the nice cop. If you want to make changes, go research it, then get some law enforcement training, and work the roads for a while, and see if you can come up with a better idea.

 

[steveny]

Yes, the idea is to inflict pain, but to not injure the individual.

How is it that the individual is not injured?

 

[naaman]

now write one for the small town cops that are the biggest assholes. 1/100 of this applies to them.

i understand that being a cop is a tough job. but, the bottom line is, you're not going to get the respect you (may or may not ) deserve unless your peers stop doing all the little things that make people think you're abusing your authority. everything you do is out there for people see and criticize (for instance, traffic voilations). when the very person that tells you you can't do something does it in plain view - it makes people bitter..... go figure

when you turn your lights on to go through an intersection or speed down the highway at over 100mph with no lights on for no reason (ie, going that fast just to get back to your radar trap) makes people feel like you are just doing it because you can. that you have no regard for the laws you are trying to uphold (apparently there is a reason why people aren't supposed to do over the speed limit :tongue: ), and you are simply abusing your power.

little things like that make you look like the biggest pricks. if you disregard traffic laws right in front of people, what do you do behind closed doors? maybe nothing, but maybe not. this is what runs through peoples' minds.

I hope you realize that a cop on the beat has nowhere to go other than drive around. Whether he goes the speed limit or not, he's still getting paid until he clocks out at the station. There's no reason for a cop to be in a hurry other than that someting needs his/her immediate attention. Don't just assume that he's speeding just because he can. That's the wrong way to think of it. The law, by necessity, must allow certain individuals to break it in order to uphold it, otherwise, the criminals would run rampant. Therefore, it must be written into the law that police, when acting to intervene in their law enforcement capacity, may "break" certain laws as necessary. But also remember that if an officer does break the law for no good reason, he's still subject to the same penal system. Now, if it's a serious crime, you can bet he's going to get nailed. If it's something minor, I have no problem overlooking it in light of the service that the officer provides on a daily basis. I mean, seriously: if you called the cops because of a burglary in your neighborhood, would you want them to drive the speed limit to get there? And would you want them to have their lights/sirens blaring to alert the burglars to flee before they're caught? There are reasons to drive fast without your ligts and sirens.

Just because you see a cop zoom by you in without his ligts flashing doesn't mean he's up to no good.

 

[naaman]

How is it that the individual is not injured?

Well, a person could be punched square in the face and not be injured. Just like if you squeeze certain pressure points, the pain is pretty substantial, but no actual damage is caused to the individual. Ever bumped your head? Or fell on your tail bone? Hurts, sure. But it's not an injury. It may cause a bruise, but it's not something that wll need treatment or will need time to heal. It's just pain.

I'm not saying that cops should punch people. Just using the idea of an intentional act that is meant to cause damage failing to do so, and comparing it to an act that is intended to cause pain but not injury. When the objective is not to injure, it's pretty hard to actually do so, unless the officer has no control over the suspect. The officer must meet force with force, however, and if he finds himself in a situation where he is likely to be injured, he must escalate to inflicting injury, or presentation of lethal force.

 

[steveny]

Therefore, it must be written into the law that police, when acting to intervene in their law enforcement capacity, may "break" certain laws as necessary. But also remember that if an officer does break the law for no good reason, he's still subject to the same penal system. Now, if it's a serious crime, you can bet he's going to get nailed. If it's something minor, I have no problem overlooking it in light of the service that the officer provides on a daily basis.

..and there we have it in a nutshell. The very reason why the police act as they do. They are schooled on how to break the laws to catch the law breakers. They are themselves criminals who have the ability to interpret the laws how ever they need to in order to substantiate their own conduct. Sad very sad.

Fact is if the cops didn't have the free roam to lie all the damn time society would give them a lot more respect but on the other hand no real criminals would ever be caught. Just about every investigative show on TV shows how the perp got caught without much police work.

I have yet to meet a cop who will allow himself or his conduct to be challanged. They are never wrong!

 

[steveny]

Well, a person could be punched square in the face and not be injured. Just like if you squeeze certain pressure points, the pain is pretty substantial, but no actual damage is caused to the individual. Ever bumped your head? Or fell on your tail bone? Hurts, sure. But it's not an injury. It may cause a bruise, but it's not something that wll need treatment or will need time to heal. It's just pain.

I'm not saying that cops should punch people. Just using the idea of an intentional act that is meant to cause damage failing to do so, and comparing it to an act that is intended to cause pain but not injury. When the objective is not to injure, it's pretty hard to actually do so, unless the officer has no control over the suspect. The officer must meet force with force, however, and if he finds himself in a situation where he is likely to be injured, he must escalate to inflicting injury, or presentation of lethal force.

Yeah kind of like the cop who arrested a friend of mine from high school for public urination. I was not there at the time but my friend said he laid down on the ground hands and feet out and was screaming to the officer that he had just had shoulder surgery a few days before. The cop still found it necessary to knee him in the back and yank his arm back thus requiring him to have a second shoulder surgery. How does the cop KNOW his actions are not going to hurt the person the cop is arresting. I know for a fact if they started to throw my wife around she would probably die as she had brain surgery a few years ago and had vertebrae removed from her neck. Cops think they know everything and that they need to treat everyone with the same amount of force which in many cases can cause permanent damage or death to the person who they intended to cause pain but not injury.

 

[Ski_Banker]

Well, that is for the officer's safety. With all the reality TV and Jerry-Springer-esque programs dominating the airwaves, I'm not sure how ANYONE can't realize that people are nuts. Yeah, the guy might be proned out for the moment, but that officer doesn't know him. He could have all kinds of things going wrong with him. His "cooperation" might even be a ruse to lure the officer into letting down his guard. Just realize that if the officer has proned out a suspect, it's usually because the suspect is under arrest for a violent, or potentially violent crime.

Yes, the idea is to inflict pain, but to not injure the individual. We call it "pain compliance." It lets the suspect know who's in charge and that if they want to act up, it's going to hurt more (though the purpose is only for it to hurt, not cause injury). Anyway, it only hurts for a minute and then everything's fine.

I for one can tell you that I'm not taking any chances that some person is not a nut case: I have a family to come home to.

Ding Ding Ding! Thanks to Kindergarten Cop, we can all breath a sigh of relief at having identified the problem: Police are trained to completely distrust, and expect the worst from, everyone. Guess what buddy - that logic works both ways.

And no... you don't deserve an ounce more respect than the cable repair guy, electric utility guy, cab driver or crab fisherman, all of whom get paid for providing dangerous services.

Clearly, nationwide, the police have lost the respect of the citizens. Who is the more likely culprit - the citizens? or the cops?

 

[steveny]

Ding Ding Ding! Thanks to Kindergarten Cop, we can all breath a sigh of relief at having identified the problem: Police are trained to completely distrust, and expect the worst from, everyone. Guess what buddy - that logic works both ways.

And no... you don't deserve an ounce more respect than the cable repair guy, electric utility guy, cab driver or crab fisherman, all of whom get paid for providing dangerous services.

Clearly, nationwide, the police have lost the respect of the citizens. Who is the more likely culprit - the citizens? or the cops?

+ 1 billion squared

But here is the problem the cops know this and they refuse to adjust their behavior to gain any real respect. Instead, like a bully they will beat the perceived respect out of you. And they believe they have the right to do it too.