When did the police department change?


Firefighterchen

OC for Tactical Advantage
I have all ready banged heads with some of the other members between our opinions on police. While I will still hold my stance, I understand I have not been old enough, long enough, to see how the police department has changed over the years. I am asking this question, geared more toward the older carrying group that visits this forum.

I recently visited the police department, voluntarily, and they had a case of old police memorabilia. Although I do not believe this is the case anymore, at some point the public view on police was good, and in some towns still is. They were known to be noble, brave, and honorable. I truly believe that was the case before my generation.

When in your lifetime, do you believe the police department changed their reputation? When was the last time you smiled, and were greeted with a smile back from a police officer? When was the last time a police officer came to your surroundings, and you could shake their hand and say good day?
 

I have all ready banged heads with some of the other members between our opinions on police. While I will still hold my stance, I understand I have not been old enough, long enough, to see how the police department has changed over the years. I am asking this question, geared more toward the older carrying group that visits this forum.

I recently visited the police department, voluntarily, and they had a case of old police memorabilia. Although I do not believe this is the case anymore, at some point the public view on police was good, and in some towns still is. They were known to be noble, brave, and honorable. I truly believe that was the case before my generation.

When in your lifetime, do you believe the police department changed their reputation? When was the last time you smiled, and were greeted with a smile back from a police officer? When was the last time a police officer came to your surroundings, and you could shake their hand and say good day?

I think it is still that way with 95% of police officers. The problem is that since Al Gore invented the internet, all we hear about are the small minority of cops that are bad.
 
I think it was back around 1996. And definitely after Columbine in 1999, society was changing. Police departments developed SWAT teams with full military gear. Schools started installing metal detectors, and security cameras. George Bush, Richard Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld organized the Project for the New American Century espousing beliefs that the U.S. should force everyone to accept our beliefs or be crushed by our military.
 
I always wave at the police, and my daughter makes a point of it, also. It makes their day when a 9-year-old kid says "I hope you're having a good day, officer! Thanks for taking care of us!" Cops are used to people constantly lying to them and treating them as though they are enemies because they are doing their job, so I guarantee when you greet a policeman they ALWAYS smile -- at least they do to me.

My daughter has been raised to believe that if you are in trouble, you go to the police because they're our friends. Too many kids have lousy relatives who break the law and then are brought up to believe that the police are mean and lock people up. Well, duh -- look at who raised them!

As a side note, I think that stuff about "Bush having beliefs" that everyone needs to believe what we do or be crushed is a conspiracy theory and not helpful. In short, treat cops as you would like to be treated, and tell them the truth, and you won't have a problem. At 58 years old I've made it this far without being cuffed and thrown in a cell, so I suppose I must be doing something right.
 
I think I'm considered a youngster, at least around these parts, but I used to love when my grandfather would tell me stories of being a deputy in a small town.

One involved busting a party of underage drinkers. Instead of knocking heads, he just quietly went around to all the cars and disconnected the distributor caps so no one could drive home.
 
.......<snipped for brevity......?When in your lifetime, do you believe the police department changed their reputation? When was the last time you smiled, and were greeted with a smile back from a police officer? When was the last time a police officer came to your surroundings, and you could shake their hand and say good day?
So far here in my little countyship, the only regret I have is that they lowered the numbers of police and firefighters. The last time I spoke to a policeman was a little over two weeks ago when we have a storm and noticed a truck passing by our street. Hubby and I went out and looked at what was happening a little bit far away from where the "accident" was. Then we saw a police car turned around his car on a driveway so he can get out of there. We waved at him not really expecting him to stop but he did and he told us what happened. We didn't recognized him because it was a bit dark at the time. Then he started chatting us up remembering the almost-the-same incident when a lightning hit the top of our fireplace. He was the one who actually attended to us. Then we said our goodbyes...We love our police here where we live. They are almost always prompt and polite and likeable. But NOT when they are investigating something though. They are nice but detached during those times...
 
Sorry folks, my last couple of interactions with the police have been a bit unpleasent, so much so that i called someone I know in the department, a longtime detective, i told him what was going on, and he said he would talk to the one in perticular, I said I hope so before he messes with me on he wrong day and I give him a reason
 
I just turned 56 Saturday and I believe most cops are friendly and I have no problem. saying hi and having a general conversation with them. I even have some cops who I call friend, and some in the family. But there are too many of the other kind that give a bad name to the good cops and make their job harder. I have to admit though I have noticed a change in police behavior in the late 70s'. I noticed that with at least some(NOT ALL) departments there seemed to be an attitude change toward the civil population, some departments treating citizens as sheep and a patronizing attitude. Some of the change may be in part a result of the 'down with the pigs' garbage of the late 60s' and early 70s'. Some cops(not all) also have a sense of superiority over citizens and feel their position makes them better at making decisions particularly in the matter of carrying guns and I saw alot of that in California. Of course the liberal education that many cops recieve today is also a factor. I am NOT anti cop. I have to admire the beat cop who responds to a prowler call and risks his(her) life in the process. And of course too many cops have given up their lives while on duty. As with all lines of work there are good ones and bad ones. I EXPECT ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO RESPECT ME AND TO OBEY THE LAW AS WE ARE REQUIRED TO. No exceptions.
 
... I have to admit though I have noticed a change in police behavior in the late 70s'. I noticed that with at least some(NOT ALL) departments there seemed to be an attitude change toward the civil population, some departments treating citizens as sheep and a patronizing attitude. Some of the change may be in part a result of the 'down with the pigs' garbage of the late 60s' and early 70s'. Some cops(not all) also have a sense of superiority over citizens and feel their position makes them better at making decisions particularly in the matter of carrying guns and I saw alot of that in California. Of course the liberal education that many cops recieve today is also a factor.

I think you're right on target with the time frame. It's no coincidence that in the late 60s and early 70s is when the drug culture in the US was really ramping up. No longer was it just a few fringe hippies smoking some weed and tripping on a little acid. Suddenly the US culture was HUNGRY for narcotics, and rivers of substances began flowing from Mexico and South America, and new crap was being cooked up in underground labs as well. Cocaine, heroin, meth, quaaludes, LSD, PCP - you name it, a MUCH larger portion of the US public than ever before was consuming the stuff.

With the accelerated consumption (particularly in urban areas) from the late 60s and up into the 80s, came all the insanity that went along with it. Overdoses. Erratic and violent behavior from those who were high. Well-armed gangs and organized crime selling the stuff. Murders. All sorts of horror and mayhem. In order to combat this problem, police had to start acting more like soldiers. Even their uniforms and equipment started looking more like Army.

Now granted, I'm only 38 - born in 1972. But this is my understanding of events, and if correct, goes a long way towards explaining when and why police attitudes changed towards the civilian population.

But - as before - police are going to have to get used to a new reality. LEGAL firearm sales are on the rise. More states than ever are recognizing the right of a citizen to be armed. Firearms are no longer just in the hands of criminals. While in 1974 it may have been reasonable to assume a man with a gun was either a cop, criminal, or Texan - this is no longer a reasonable assumption today. Now more than ever, police will have to sharpen their skills and distinguish assailants from defenders, lawfully armed citizens from illegally armed criminals.

Let us hope they will rise to the occasion.
 
Sounds like the first step on the long road back to a police force that wasn't a clone of a National Guard would be to decriminalize all forms of self-medication.
 
I always wave at the police, and my daughter makes a point of it, also. It makes their day when a 9-year-old kid says "I hope you're having a good day, officer! Thanks for taking care of us!" Cops are used to people constantly lying to them and treating them as though they are enemies because they are doing their job, so I guarantee when you greet a policeman they ALWAYS smile -- at least they do to me.

My daughter has been raised to believe that if you are in trouble, you go to the police because they're our friends. Too many kids have lousy relatives who break the law and then are brought up to believe that the police are mean and lock people up. Well, duh -- look at who raised them!

As a side note, I think that stuff about "Bush having beliefs" that everyone needs to believe what we do or be crushed is a conspiracy theory and not helpful. In short, treat cops as you would like to be treated, and tell them the truth, and you won't have a problem. At 58 years old I've made it this far without being cuffed and thrown in a cell, so I suppose I must be doing something right.

I saw a total of 4 police officers at their department. One walked by me, we made eye contact, I smile and nodded, and he ignored me and walked right past. Maybe he was looking right through me with something on his mind, maybe it was intentional, guess I will never know.
 
Never had a bad interaction myself. Always nice and friendly, even had a friendly cop with a smile jump start my car.
 
Hi guys! I was a cop a long time ago, I see both side.
I think the job changed back when the policeman became a motorpatrolman. On the walking beat people you meet are people at thier jobs, shopping, playing, going out to movies, dinner. you get requests for help to close a stuck door, start a car, help uncle bob in to the doc's office cause your walking by and they ask you to give them a little help. your walking a beat in the rain or subzerro cold they see you out there and know your there for them. They say hey want a cup of joe, Hey come in and warm your hands. you help talk to a kid about getting good grades cause his mom said he wants to be a policeofficer. the beatcop knows everyone. he knows who is a good guy he knows the jerk, the bad kids and the good kids. he know when to be at a school parking lot when a fight is going to happen cause kids talk to him. and he shows up and stops it. he knows who he just has to say hey stop that and who he has to take to the station. He was their beatcop then it changed he was in a squadcar. very little interaction of the human kind. it became us and them.
the only time the cop in a squadcar saw people was when they were beaten up, robbed, raped, murder, drunk, mad crying, doped up and fake friendley. the two side now were just when bad thing happen then thats when you see the cop. see they became so far away from the people who need them now its a standing army to protect the rich and the powerful and the system the policedept system has become non human. they put on the job and forget that they were us. it's the job. we all became dirtbags, wantabes, whores, drunks, asxholxs so they became dirt, thugs w a badge. and now you see them as the canton officer or just the uniform.
I knew some policeofficers they were the old time cops who knew the beat they were on and they were our boys in blue. there was a tv show that tryed to show the things I am talking about george kennady was in it. he wasa a old beat cop and the moterpatrol officer were taking over and did not know the people on the beat and it showed how things were changing. the people on the beat did not know the cop in the squadcars and the cops did not know the people. ask most cops to name the owners of 5 places in their districk or if they have the phones numbers at home to call them if they found the door open and unlocked. now days the owner would get a fine for not locking the door and if the alarm go's off a fine is going to be in the mail.
police became a robot not the guy who has a heart behind his badge. people used to name babys after the beat cop. now people do not know their beatcops. most do not know the top cop. in our rush to become better we threw out the boy who grew up next door and became the cop that protects you to a starnge with a gun whos said "YOU GET YOUR Axx OUT OF THE STREET ORI SHOVE THAT BAT UP YOUR Axx " to the kids who have no park in walking distance playing in the street. want guess what they think of that cop.
I met some heros on the force I saw cops take on horrible people and stop them from killing and all kinds of bad things. no one knew what they did. if you were with a friend and saw a guy with a knife to a baby's neck and your friend took away the knife and arrested the bad guy You would be wow that was super you grabbed that knife before he knew what you were doing and you did not have to hurt the dumb axx badguy you just took him to jail. WOW Well I saw that.! the cops name was Chuck Mcdonald from the joliet PD he did it and he should have got a medal and a newspaper writeup he did not get them. But in my eyes that was the bravest thing I ever saw. Chuck was kinda like a mild manner kind of guy. He called people sir and ment it he would explain things to us young cops and let us try to learn from his style. he was a man first, a person a good person then a cop. charle chaplin made a movie where he bacame a beat cop in the badest hood in newyork.
the badguys there were beating up cops and robbing people there every day and the cops were scared to go there. so he become the new cop and he is a small guy like 5.5 115 lbs. so when he shows up they bust s gus LOL. he beat them and become the hereo of the block. the people love him. The beatcop he lived in the same block too. well we are not going back to that era. how do we fix the system? we can't
we are too big and things that happen that should not are swepted under the rug. till it's so bad they can not hide it then they say it was just one bad cop. most of us are great!! no they are not they are a army
enforcing rules,laws on a people who have little power to stop them. they do not have to change till the system is fixed. they are scary. not friendly. look at a photo of a army in a war zone see the faces then take a photo of cops at a fair same look. we are too far apart now. I don't know how to fix it . just that
ask any cop if he did a good deed today and he will rotfl. in the old days the people of the block could tell their fav cop story like hey officer tom help my dingbat son get out of a tree or uncle bill fell and officer jordan heard him and went to his house and help him, Oh he help my mom give birth to my baby sister.
well officer what was your good deed for today. I STOPPED SPEEDERS and i told this one axxhole who was like trying to be a lawer HEY I STUCK MY DICX OUT THE WINDOW AND MY BAXXS READ 40 in a 25 zone.LOL
true stort I heard a cop say that. oh and if you listen to anycop stories they never know anyone they did not arrest, write a report for or who is not on the force, a defence att or da. or family of the police.
they know noone in the blocks they patrol as people. very few. if any. the canton officer was a soldier in blue not a protector a oppreser. welcome to the monkey house.
 
If I was the top cop i would say get out of the squads do a good deed every day and if you see someone whos needs help give it. i Saw a old time cop shove snow for old people. help carry stuff in for old people. help kids get across the street. become a man not a uniform. but I guess we can't have that anymore. if you see a guy with a gas can walking from a car with the hood up don't drive past him and give him the finger. stop and give him a ride. OH THats not right you not a cab service your a man of war. eerrr peace.see not a protector a oppresser. most people only see the police on traffic stops and get $ 75 tickets and yelled at.
no wonder cops hate us and we fear them. we are at wra with each other. if i was to tell the policeofficer side I would talk about times when we tryed to help and were told to get fucx or lied to. or got hurt.
yea there are two sides the badguys the cops and the rest of us we are trapped in the ground between them.
how do the cops know who is who. they go by us at 35 mph. they learn to mistrust anyone except a other uniform. sad but true. OH I once saw Chuck tell a cop who was pushing and swearing at some people o a call to get out of herethis is my call and you are out of control.
then later he call that cop on the radio and they meet in out of the way place and chuck talked to him about people. chuck is not on the JPD now and i have not seen him in 20 years so i don't know if he is still living but he will allways be my idea of what a cop should be.
 
Sorry folks, my last couple of interactions with the police have been a bit unpleasent, so much so that i called someone I know in the department, a longtime detective, i told him what was going on, and he said he would talk to the one in perticular, I said I hope so before he messes with me on he wrong day and I give him a reason

No matter what your reason is, sorry, but if you do something violent to a policeman and think you're going to get a pat on the back from the justice system, you'll lose. Personally, I don't feel like being behind bars and being Mongo's girlfriend, but maybe that's just me.
 
some people who have killed police officers have beed clear of any charges, cops can break the law so bad that the its legal to use deadly force. just like any buddy else.
 
To me, (also not being old enough to truly remember the "old days",) it is community interaction that makes a difference. When Portland started its "Community Policing" push in the '90s, the image of the police improved. When it was abandoned, there were more bad incidents than good, and the image got worse.

So at least in Portland, it appears to be related to the ready accessibility of the officers. The stereotype of friendly cops comes from when there were 'beat cops' who walked regular beats. Whether it was purely a stereotype glorified by Hollywood, or a real phenomenon, it makes sense. When you see someone on a regular basis, you become friendly with them. (In general.) When your only interaction with police is 100% negative, you'll have a negative opinion.
 
some people who have killed police officers have beed clear of any charges, cops can break the law so bad that the its legal to use deadly force. just like any buddy else.

I don't think I would count on using that as a defense, to tell you the truth.
 
I think the job changed back when the policeman became a motor patrolman.

Agreed.

I used to hear my dad complain about this all the time. He grew up in Beverly and Lynn, Mass., and knew quite a few beat cops who would smile and wave all the time. Once they went into the cars they got seperated from the citizens and it became us against them, not us AND them.
 
I EXPECT ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO RESPECT ME AND TO OBEY THE LAW AS WE ARE REQUIRED TO. No exceptions.

This is the best response I have seen on this thread so far. I think far to many cops let the badge go to their heads. A recent example would be that Canton cop. Did he really think he could just kill someone or beat their head in and get away with it? That right there is scary enough.

Respect is something that needs to be earned. Treat people respectfully and most likely it will be reciprocated. If not, then those are the A-wipes that you need to stay away from. Just my 2 cents.
 

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