Why Do So Many People Hate the Police?

[Malyc]

1 because prejudice is a tool of them, 2 because the law system is shit and has to be strict(police the person persicuting you is the easiest person to blame)
3 because if you know some one in the law system e.g an officer/a judge/somebody in charge of the people who give out tickets so they can get rid of fines for you,you can get away with more than others

#3 is illegal and could likely get said person serious jail time if they accepted, and you jail time if they didnt.

OT: Police have one of the toughest jobs on the planet, along with one of the highest suicide rates in any profession. I'd say they deserve our support, even if we happen to be on the recieving side of a citation or something like that. Although, i would like their response times to be a bit better in emergencies.
"When seconds count, police are only minutes away"

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

Heck my neighbours are police and RCMP and their quite fun to hang around with.
They are just the people who keep the peace and protect us from people who seek the opposite.

 

[floppylobster]

What is it about cops that gets so many people's panties in a bunch? If someone is willing to risk their life everyday to keep me safe, then I'm going to damn well support them, but I seem to be in a shrinking minority, especially with people in my age group and younger (20-30 and under).

Please enlighten me on why you believe (or don' believe) that cops deserve our support.

Because they are just people like you or me and they make mistakes and have agendas too. But mainly for what they can be seen to represent.

I don't hate them but they are just tools carrying out the rules of society. Rules I don't entirely agree with even though by default I am living in society. In the old days you had a choice to move on if you didn't like the rules. But these days there's no where left to move to that doesn't already have rules and cops to enforce them. So they can be seen, perhaps unfairly, as a symbol of the constraints we have to put up with by 'agreeing' to live within society.

Dealing with more personal experience - Yes they may save your life but they'll also fine you for speeding when you were hardly going over the limit and it was on a hill where you'd have to break to keep within the (unrealistic) limit. So they can be annoying. You can also call them when you're being robbed only to have them show up late, do nothing and never follow up on it. So you start to wonder what's the point. But the point is they keep us in line. So we need them.

I don't live in the US BTW.

 

[Autofaux]

People here don't like police because it usually starts with "fucking pigs broooo, pulled me over and breathalysed me. They said I was over the limit, but I'd only had two drinks; two scotches with coke. What the fuck? It was only my second offence and they took my lowered Subaru. Fuckin' pigs!".

And maybe, juuuuust maybe, my wish will come true and the government will allow the Police to draw their weapon after being assaulted. It is ridiculous how people can get away with beating up police here. And the implementation of tasers is not the answer.

But don't get me started on Australian law. Mail fraud will get you ten years but rape, or even murder? 2 years. Maybe even five.

 

[Lionsfan]

Same reason that teenage brats hate their parents.

"You're making me act all civilised when all I want to do is be a total idiot and break stuff and mess everything up. I hate you!"

This, many many times over.

As someone who just recently left High School I still hear, "Oh man, fuck the cops. Their such pigs and intrusive pricks. Who gave them the right to come to my party?" Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that you advertised it on Facebook saying you were providing alcohol? Or the fact that your normally quiet neighborhood suddenly has a couple hundred kids running around it? Or that your playing music so loud you can hear it a couple blocks away? Those all seem like open invitations for some police to show up

 

[Stuntcrab]

Because:
A) People are stupid
B) The Media likes blast every isolated case of police brutality or anything like it all over the place.
C) Rap music. Rappers are constantly slamming the police. You can't tell me that a few dipshit wannabe gangstas don't pick up on that.
D) People are stupid

Don't forget
E) People are stupid

 

[Jake the Snake]

Because people (especially those in younger age groups) like to do a wide array of illegal things, and need someone to get mad at when they get caught doing something wrong.

 

[tehroc]

I'd say the biggest problem is profiling. I can't tell you how many times when I was younger a simple speeding ticket caused me to be detained for an hour and half with the only probable cause is me having long hair as they search my car with canines to find drugs.

Cops also retain a brotherhood where they cover for each others crimes.

I have more respect for the fire departments and paramedics.

 

[ARatherHandsomeGent]

Because they uphold laws that take away the freedom of others.

 

[TehCookie]

Most of my hate comes from the fact they would rather give out speeding tickets or hassle people who aren't doing anything major, and completely ignore the daily murder or street shootings and various robberies. I want to be able to go to the city and not fear about being gangbanged or mugged.

 

[zHellas]

The Swedish Chief of Police was sentanced to 7 year jailtime on the accounts of assault, rape, severe rape, purchase of sexual favours (Prostitution is illegal in Sweden) and procuring.

I don't need to say more...

So you're saying that because ONE policeman was an asshole, EVERY police officer is one?

Yeah... That's quite intelligent.

 

[lumenadducere]

All it takes is one bad policeman - one that's on a power trip, or one that misjudges you and wrongfully suspects you of something, or one that's having a bad day and mistreats you - to ruin and tarnish the image for all policemen everywhere. I like cops in general, but I've dealt with a couple bad ones and it's sometimes hard not to attribute that to cops everywhere.

It's what happens when you wear a uniform or you represent something larger than yourself. All your actions get attributed to what it is you represent, and so if a cop is being a dick (ha ha see wut i did thar) it's attributed to him being a policeman rather than him just being a bad person.

And yes, having to fulfill ticket quotas is a horrible, horrible idea that detracts from cops actually doing their job and undermines their public image. Whoever came up with that idea should be backhanded.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Because they are easily corruptable, tend to abuse their authority and completely ignore any sort of serious crime happening on the streets. At least that's how it works here. I'm not sure if it's different in others countries but it probably isn't.

 

[Xojins]

Probably because cops can do whatever they want pretty much and get away with it. In other words, they consider themselves above the law, which they aren't. They should have to follow the same laws everyone else does. Also the vast majority of cops I've encounter are all cocky douchebags who look and talk down to you, then turn around demanding respect. No, thank you.

 

[Lord Nosferatu]

Around here (Bulgaria) policemen have a really bad rep and I must say it's hardly undeserved. First of all most of the people who enroll in the police academy, are those who didn't succeed (or even try) at some university. The rest are bullies who want to go on bullying their way through life. They don't receive a good education (unlike the military) as the emphasis is on physical training. After graduating from pretty much the same mold, they get to the stations where attitudes, unofficial workplace codes and ways of doing your job have been passed down for decades since communist times. The idea that everyone else is a bad guy and no one holds the police accountable has been the reason for many cases of police brutality (only here the media usualy won't make a peep about it), general ignorance, utter arrogance, disgusting mutual ass-covery, corruption of a grand scale on all levels and 30-year-old stereotypes. And I'm not some bitter wronged-as-a-kid trashtalker. Technically I've never had trouble with the police (one broken up party an one put-your-hands-on-the-car "routine check" because of long hair, leather trenchcoat and black KISS make-up ). Recently the police commissioned a pop singer to write a song in their praise/defense. Something done by former soviet countries, including mine, before they were former in praise of manifacturing plants and the like. Also now twice I have seen normal people arrested like some most-wanted-list felons and the police, and consequently the media, have portrayed them as devils incarnate. It made me think of all the other announcements of successful operations and great busts and how they could be only loosely based on truth. And how many drug dealers roam the parks while these PR stunts are pulling the wool over our eyes.

That being said, I acknowledge the need for police and the fact that without it it would be utter chaos or martial law, since there are a lot of people that would like just that. For every "I'm bored, let's routine check us some fines" there's an actual criminal cought. There may very well be smart, clean cops who only want to "serve and protect" and not "bully into fearful submission". While the system is broken and the raw material is of the poorest quality, I still prefer uniforms patrolling instead of gangs.

PS: Oh, yes. I forgot - police fail to set a personal example of how to behave. From throwing cigarette buds on the street to saying "it may be the law, but I'm not gonna do it". Though the last statement was also herd from an important MP regarding the smoking ban.

 

[rt052192]

well last night my friends and I got into an accident and the statey that came when we called 911 must have been on his period. He was a huge prick and just told us that we were "fuckin retaaads" and to just "shut the fuck up." I'm from Massachusetts so his accent was heavy and he was huge. There was no reason for him to be such a d-bag. He treated us like common criminals.

 

[l3urst]

They enforce a system of ethics I'm not okay with and are(in my eyes) a unwanted authority. I've always had a problem with being controlled and told who to listen to; stereotype me as a "Fight the man!" anarchist, rebellious teen or whatever you like. The concept of having someone else think/act for you instead of thinking/acting for yourself has never made any sense to me(unless you are unable to do so) and is truly something I despise. So I can't help but look at police in anger when they are the impersonal cloud of hired goons who only exist to control others and enforce some system of vengeance(see: "justice") I never agreed too. Also doesn't help that basically all the cops in my town are power-tripping lunatics.

Police are practical of course, no denying that. Still, dun't likes it.

 

[8bitmaster]

people don't hate the police from the start, but once you get pulled over or arrested for what ever reason, you take it out on them.