Why do you think cops became cops?

I have no idea why cops want to be cops, well here in my country anyway. Here you will be fortunate if a cop turns up. Watch Code Red, that will pretty much show you a cops life here. One guy for example was shot in the street. Passersby called the cops, and two hours later they had still not arrived. The crowd giggled at the girl crying that he is dying. He died on arrival.

But lets face it, they are paid around $300 a month. They cannot take out life cover since most of them are shot, and killed. I’m sure they had good intentions to start with. But with our country being one of the most violent and most murders per minute, they get somewhat jaded I imagine.

Ok ok, 2 religion questions and now a cop question!?. Who is fucking with me? is this part of some plot to get rid of me by driving me to insanity?

Cops become cops, because they are too innocent to know the job will turn them in to monsters, or because they already are.

EDIT: either that, or no one ever told them no one likes a snitch.

I would imagine that their initial intent was to “serve and protect”. Probably still their intent for all I know.

Regardless of how effectively they achieve that goal, I can’t imagine what life would be like without the police as a visible deterrent. Last year in Baltimore MD’s famous tourist magnet “The Inner Harbor”, a young man was beatdown by a mob of unruly teens. I wonder who the “pussy” was who called the police and saved that man’s life?

Poor jerk didn’t have sense enough to video the altercation like everyone else.

What a spaz.

@SABOTEUR Probably the same pussy who did not have it in him to pick up a blunt object and send a few kids packing.

But yes, without police, who will show up too late to help us? without police, who will fuck us over for the slightest thing and then tell us they can’t help when we have a problem.

EDIT: to save myself the gray hairs, please refer to all my previous statements on cops for more info, if so desired.

@poisonedantidote I’m wary of “throwing the baby out with the bath water”.

All cops are not incompetent and corrupt.

There’s a difference between a brawl and drama. I wasn’t encouraging the idea of anarchy, just fewer people crying wolf.

@SABOTEUR Me too, don’t get me wrong, I just hate cops so much, the topic is like a flame to a moth, it just really makes my piss boil thinking about them.

@poisonedantidote I gathered that and had already made up my mind not to encourage further discussion. At least you’re up front concerning how you feel.

@SABOTEUR Yea, I’m trying to keep it under control. I figure I have some king of knee jerk reaction to cops for some reason, that is not logical. Trying to fix it and be more consistent.

It is just a bit of a nasty subject at the moment, as I spent most of yesterday clashing with riot police. It all started over 6 people standing outside of the town hall with protest signs, peacefully protesting a few weeks ago.

A couple days ago, a female friend of mine got shot in the back with a rubber bullet, and had the crap beaten out of her by a bunch of cops wit night sticks, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

@bucko Thanks for the clarification. Wasn’t sure the topic concerned why cops become cops or why people cry wolf.

Now that I think about it…I’m still not sure.

I’m on an iPhone. It isn’t exactly the ideal typing machine.

@poisonedantidote I can understand how your experience would make you ambivalent toward the police. My wife carries the same ambivalence having watched the police beat her “mentally challenged” brother many years ago.

@bucko lol…tell me about it!

Several reasons. I think many of them want to help people. Others want to be able to drive fast, carry a gun, and have power over others. For some it is a tradition in their family; it is what is familar. I would assume some people just believe they would be good at it and are able to do it so they wind up in that career. Sometimes a couple of these reasons are happening all at once.

I’m going with tradition is second to the perks of being a cop.

I think a lot of the individuals who want to become Police Officers start out by wanting to protect the public from law breakers. Of course there are a lot of individuals who are on an ‘ego trip’ & they know that Police Officers have the power to inflict pain & suffering on the public. Unfortunately the individuals who want to protect the public, soon become disillusioned & jaded & they become almost as bad as the individuals who become Police Officers because they are on an ‘ego trip’. Anytime that a member of the public has to deal with a member of Law Enforcement, the member of the public is at a huge disadvantage. We have learned over the years that Police are not to be trusted & a lot of the Police are very willing to ‘shoot first’ & (maybe) ask questions later. I do not trust most Police Officers, but I do realize that without them, we would be a great deal more vulnerable than we currently are.

Why do people choose any career? Trash collector, politician, teacher? It depends on the individual person.

Cop hate is so stupid in my opinion. What exactly would it be like without them? Shitty and even more dangerous than it already is. I always hear cops are jerks – you would be too if you had to deal with the people they deal with on a daily basis. And it’s normally those people that hate them. The irony…

As for crying wolf, trust me, cops are as annoyed by having to deal with your petty drama as you seem to be with their presence.

The only person I am familiar with fell into the ego trip category mentioned by @Linda_Owl. He was a big guy about 6’2”. 250 lbs, a bully and jerk in high school. He put a flashing light bar on his car and actually pulled someone over (he was arrested for this stunt) for a perceived “crime”.
After graduation tried to become a cop but couldn’t pass the testing (probably for Psych. reasons but never would tell), tried to become a firefighter; with the same results. Ended up becoming a salesman who did a stint with a voluteer fire department until he was asked to leave because of his overbearing attitude.
I know this is not a common occurence but it is the only one I have personal knowledge about.

@livelaughlove21 I certainly don’t have cop hate, but I admit to being wary when a girlfriend starts dating a cop. I wait for the man to demonstrate he is not a jerk, where with most people I assume they are good people who aren’t jerks. I know too many male cops who are idiots, but I do know many policemen who are wonderful men.

You might be interested in this information that has statistics regarding how much domestic violence happens in police officer’s homes. I think there is many reasons for this. Cultural being a big part, and I don’t mean the police culture, I mean the backgrounds and cultures the policemen come from.

“First of all you should pay your dues and take what’s coming to you.”

What are you, some kind of tough guy?

My fiancé and I each worked as convenience store clerks for years, and got friendly with lots of cops. Mostly they seem to like the job because it’s easy most of the time and it pays pretty well. Additionally, it’s great for certain personality types because police work offers a career that’s big on both structure and camaraderie, and a type of work that is genuinely fulfilling for some.

@bob not at all. Why would you invite cops to your house?

It seems that police departments are always hiring and recruiting. When the economy’s bad and unemployment’s high, some young adults sign-up simply because they need jobs. It’s not easy to work as a police officer, but it’s steady work with decent pay and good benefits.

Beyond that, it seems that some people are just well-suited to joining police forces. They enjoy the “brotherhood” and camaraderie of their fellow officers. They’re comfortable dealing with confrontations and disputes, and they don’t shy away from challenges or danger. Also, it’s not so bad to have union representation when negotiating pay, working conditions, and grievances.

Police officers do seem to burn-out quickly, though. Even those who truly love the job are tired and ready to retire when the time comes. Aside from the high-ranking officers, I don’t think I’ve ever met a police office who’s lasted for more than 20 years.

Because the prisons are overcrowded? ;¬}

I don’t think it’s a ‘wussy’ move to call the cops, that’s what they’re trained to do, help people. Actually I think it’s kind of stupid to not call them instead of taking things into your own hands. Like if I shot a home intruder but called the cops first, it would make my remaining free much more likely.

When my husband had some seizures, they were the first on the scene and pretty much kept him breathing.

A lot of cops that I’ve known have had a more definate line between good and bad.

Wanting to create a just and safe world.