The Escapists faith in the police?

[Kukakkau]

Over the past few days I have seen a lot of discussions involving a controversial incident and/or video to do with possible police misconduct. And I always seem to find a lot of escapists defend to officers and say "they are the law they must have had a reason"

Now while trusting the law to do right is important, it's also important to realise they are still people - people can always do wrong and have different senses of morals.

I personally have an uncle who is in the police and has worked on a misconduct incident within his own precinct to do with sabotage of evidence around a case where an aborted baby was involved. I'm a bit hazy on the details but it was a big incident (look it up, took place around Glasgow). He's also told me of several other incidents as well so I know not to trust all officers.

So escapists what are you thoughts/beliefs on your faith in the police and their actions?

 

[Anarchemitis]

I have a couple friends who attend my local church who are members of the RCMP. I think they're pretty cool and doesn't afraid of anything, in all seriousness.

 

[Kukakkau]

I think you are intentionally confusing blindly defending the police with being unwilling to condemn someone based on a bad quality Youtube video with no sound.

People can opt to reserve judgment until such time as the truth of the matter has been established firmly, as they very well should.

Actually I always agree an out of context video doesn't convey all the facts - and quality of video has nothing to do with that, what you see is important, otherwise CCTV would never catch criminals. I was merely talking about people who on these threads just see it and see "they are officers they must have seen a right to"

 

[ShadowsofHope]

The police are fallible beings, just like the rest of us. I treat them like every other human being on Earth until proven otherwise. Capable of any mistake the rest of us are, and capable of doing good just like the rest of us are.

So no, I do not view the police as inherently good willed or morally correct in all situations involving their person, but I do give them a slight benefit of the doubt considering the sacrifice they do sometimes place themselves in willingly for the common citizen. And in cases of moral or situational ambiguity, I await all evidence before making a final conclusion. It is alright to have an emotional reaction to something at first, as long as you remain knowledgeable that that same reaction is not to be considered set-in-stone, either.

 

[Slippers]

While I do not especially trust single policemen, I do trust the police as a whole.

From what I can say from personal experience, I've yet to see an officer outright attack anyone just for shits and giggles.

 

[Wintermoot]

zilch its illigeal for a officer to enforce the law (there was once a ENTIRE lawsuit for a officer that fired his gun at a criminal) they might as well replace the standard firearms with water pistols and you wouldnt notice any difference!

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's a case by case basis. Each cop is different.

for the most part, though, I have faith in my local police.

 

[Fetzenfisch]

Well they probably keep the society more or less peaceful just through their existence. But when it comes in trust and faith in their actual helpfulness, abilities, or fairness, there is zero to none.
I experienced more than several occasions when policemen just acted inadequate or plain wrong.
We personally experienced them denying help against a person physically threating us, because he hasnt actually stabbed anyone yet and they were busy.
And i experienced more than once the lack of will to actually investigate or making more than minimal effort before closing a case.
Its good that not everybody is trying to kill everyone because they know there is a police. But if you really need something done, DIY, especially if they dont like the looks of your kind

 

[Cosplay Horatio]

My faith in the police in minimal. One time while I was on my way home from work at night this driver behind me didn't have the headlights on the whole time I was on the highway. I saw a cop passing by before I was exiting and the car with no headlights on passed by later which means the cop saw the car but didn't do anything about it.

 

[silentrob77]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIZigF_zdXw&feature=related

This was a ridiculous time in our city.

 

[Kukakkau]

I was merely talking about people who on these threads just see it and see "they are officers they must have seen a right to"

An example of said incidents of blind faith in police would be helpful to your case.

Good point. I'll post a few here

Spoiler

It is extremely hard to see what is happening in that video. I'm sure they officers wouldn't have just done it randomly; there has to have been a reason.

Here's a whole stream of comments that match up with my views

snip

But what could he have possibly done, you can see he is just sitting there, what possible threat could this hadicaped person have done to warrant being draggeda across the road.

He could have been trying to incite a riot/violence or anything like that.

Yea. Because any amount of goading always justifies beating on a guy with cerebral palsy.

Don't even try to justify this. Unless the fucker was holding a gun this was a 100% overreaction.

I don't have anything against the police. The majority of these people have been stuck between a rock and hard place, just trying to do the best they can with a bullshit situation. But there is no explanation on this Earth that can take away from the stupidity of what that particular officer did.

My God, thank you! Someone else who doesn't think the disabled activist 'got what was coming to him' by having a different political opinion. Anyone would think these threads were from Cold War era USA (or maybe even the USSR), the way people support and encourage oppression sometimes :/

Yea. It's a trend I've noticed on the escapist a lot recently. The base-less assumption that the police must be correct simply because they are the police.

The police aren't some infallible force. They're made up of humans that make just as many mistakes as you or me. And to just blindly follow and say 'Well he must've deserved it. The police don't just attack people for no reason.' Without even momenterally thinking that the police-man could have been in the wrong... Well it's a scary fucking thing.

People are just to complacent with authority. Just because someone occupies a position of power doesn't always mean they're fit to be there.

This one too, although I strongly agree with the second part

The police definitely had a reason we don't know about and can't infer from the video for killing the dog. Discharging your weapon for any reason as a police officer is a BIG DEAL, and it's not something that most would do on a whim.

I don't mind people believing in the police it's just when some say "well they must have had a reason" - the world really doesn't work like that for everyone in a position of power.

Also I apologise if anyone quoted feels I have wrongly done so

The police are fallible beings, just like the rest of us. I treat them like every other human being on Earth until proven otherwise. Capable of any mistake the rest of us are, and capable of doing good just like the rest of us are.

So no, I do not view the police as inherently good willed or morally correct in all situations involving their person, but I do give them a slight benefit of the doubt considering the sacrifice they do sometimes place themselves in willingly for the common citizen. And in cases of moral or situational ambiguity, I await all evidence before making a final conclusion. It is alright to have an emotional reaction to something at first, as long as you remain knowledgeable that that same reaction is not to be considered set-in-stone, either.

This is an amazing answer, and I thank you for it

 

[dragonslayer32]

I have faith in my local police, i actually want to persue a career with them...

 

[emeraldrafael]

I trust some of my local police, but thats cause they havent been there long enough to be corrupted. The others... well, I know they're shady and dont their jobs, so i dont trust them.

 

[Baby Tea]

I think you are intentionally confusing blindly defending the police with being unwilling to condemn someone based on a bad quality Youtube video with no sound.

That's a pretty fantastic point.

But I always, always, treat all officers I meet with the utmost respect and dignity.
They have an extremely tough job, and see the worst of society every day.

I have met many officers, and none have been rude toward me.
Though, again, I've never been in a situation that warrants them to be suspicious, or acted in a way that warrants them to be abrupt with me. Even when I got my speeding tickets (Since I was obviously in the wrong), I always treat them with, and speak with, respect.