The majority of law enforcement officers do their duty daily without brutality or corruption

[SwampG8r]

just thought it needs to be restated.
there are reasons why we have words like maverick and rogue
they recognize some will act without regard for the group
the stereotypical "bad" cop is far less likely to impact your life than the well meaning and poorly trained cop
no kid ever dreamed about being a cop because of the bribes
not every cop is pefect but most are decent hardworking caring men and women
they have agreed to taking on a difficult job with diminishing resources and an increasing demand

[msongs]

1. citizens have a right to video their police/customer transactions, good cop or bad nt

[11 Bravo]

2. K&R (But the reflexive cop-haters will be here directly.)

[Demit]

3. I don't think it needs to be restated that nobody is perfect. That's something that should be

stipulated to in every argument: Nobody is perfect.

Now, a lot of not-perfect people (aka: people) manage to avoid bad behavior. Good for them! They show it is possible.

What CAN be debated is whether repeated bad behavior of some individuals in a group is a result of systemic flaws. It SHOULD be debated. Not avoided because the debate is perceived as a knock on all of the individuals in the system.

[w4rma]

4. And yet many "good" cops protect the bad ones by going along to get along with them. (nt)

[TommyO]

5. I was going to make the same point. The blue wall of silence still exists

An officer that protects another officer who has done wrong is no better than the one who has done wrong.

[NightWatcher]

6. The majority of oil wells don't leak. The majority of nuke plants don't meltdown...

Allowing videotaping should be a "safety measure" that should be tolerated by all those good cops just as well.

[DailyGrind51]

7. 2 members of my extended family have served or currently serve as cops.

To them, being a police officer is just like being a city engineer, a teacher, a transit worker, etc., a career in public service enabling them to support their families.

[mrcheerful]

8. Until you hit their radar scope and they decide that you are guilty of a crime

every cop will try every trick in the book as well as out right lie to get a confession out of a suspect. In todays police world the cops have only 1 goal that goal is to arrest as many perps as they can to feed the prison industry. As seen time after time, cops will invent charges to hold someone in the hopes that they can trick someone into admitting to a crime or link them to a crime.

Sure they might be great guys when out of uniform but when on the job they all will harass citizens based on race, group affiliations or area that person is in at the time of police contact. I have been pulled over for driving white in a black area, never mind that I lived in black area's because rent was $100 to $200 lower then white area's. Not to mention how dating a black person not only ensures you will be pulled over, but you will also be accused of picking up hookers or seeking drugs during the traffic stop and it will also ensure a request that you allow your vehicle searched.

Thats not to say that cops are all bad anymore then saying they are all good, even bad cops have done good deeds or good cops have done bad deeds, it more or less depends on the event at the time of police contact. I have had good police contacts too, like the time I was on the expressway and my side mirror loosened up on me from the vibration and I had to pull to the side of the road to tighten it, a cop showed up and asked if I needed help, after the cop left I got back on the road, 1/2 a mile down the road the cop had a car pulled over.

Police are a double edged sword, it just depends on what they do at the time. I known cops who saved a baby one day and the next day they beat the crap out of a war protester. There is a fine line between protect and serve and police abuse, it isn't a black or white issue because the grays get in the way. Just think of this, in the 1960's young people who took to the streets with signs unarmed were attack by police. In 2009 tea baggers took to the streets with signs and guns yet police haven't bothered them no matter what their actions were.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I have a friend who is a teacher married to a cop

She said they are considering putting a bullseye in their front yard.