Giving Cops the Middle Finger

[240 is Back]

Just saw a FB post on a police page where one of our retired cops who is now with our communication division got a $200 ticket for using his cell phone while driving which is against our city ordinance. he posted on the FB page that he got it even after mentioning he was a retired APD cop. I think he worked the streets in the 80's. He was not really "complaining" but he really was complaining... He was told in no uncertain terms that the bad guy in this scenario wasn't the cop, but the guy who thought he should get a pass because he was a retired cop. Some retired cops came to his defense but for the most part, the cops supported the active duty cop writing the ticket. It ain't the old days anymore.   

that's good.  We had the red light camera thing installed here.  Six cops ran it, and all six paid it.  A coverup on an obvious crime caught on camera would be way worse than a $120 ticket. 

[Agnostic007]

that;s awesome to hear.  I support cops 100%.  My grandfather was career LEO in OH.  But CROOKED cops?  piss me off more than even bad guys, because they have added power and thus a higher standard.  It's like if a teacher sexually assaults a 14 year old girl vs. if some scumbag in the club does it.  Both deserve prison, no doubt, but the teacher has POWER over this girl and a vow to adhere to higher ethics.

Scumbag needs 15 years in prison, but the teacher needs 25 years.

Trust me, crooked cops piss me off more than they do you.. there are a bunch of us who work hard to uphold the honor and integrity of the position... all it takes is one idiot to set us back years.

[240 is Back]

Trust me, crooked cops piss me off more than they do you.. there are a bunch of us who work hard to uphold the honor and integrity of the position... all it takes is one idiot to set us back years.

I bet that really does piss off the good cops, which are most of them.

Every time you see some jackass cop eat a pot brownie or pocket thousands of dollars in a raid, you realize you are going to be painted with that same brush. 

Of course, if they FIRE their asses fast, if they make a big example of them, then people would stop thinking all cops cover for all cops.  I think they're WAY too lenient on cops that break the law, frame people, even write up reports wrong.  Do you agree?

[Agnostic007]

I bet that really does piss off the good cops, which are most of them.

Every time you see some jackass cop eat a pot brownie or pocket thousands of dollars in a raid, you realize you are going to be painted with that same brush. 

Of course, if they FIRE their asses fast, if they make a big example of them, then people would stop thinking all cops cover for all cops.  I think they're WAY too lenient on cops that break the law, frame people, even write up reports wrong.  Do you agree?

It's too vague a question. For example, there have been cases where you felt a cop wrote a report wrong, or purposefully left something out. You would say he needs to be punished, I would say he doesn't as it was not the case. The "choke hold" on the dude that ended up dying is a specific example. Because the cop didn't use the word "choke hold" doesn't mean the force wasn't described in the report. But in general, absolutely. I was just discussing this with a co-worker last week. We have the authority to take someones liberty away. Cops on the street often make several arrests a night. hundreds a year. We tend to deal with similar elements over and over. Some of those people spend more time in jail/prison than they do at home. A trip to jail is no big deal. However, there are people who have never been to jail who would find the experience very traumatic. So before we make the decision to arrest someone, often times on crimes such as Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct and things of that nature, we really need to be sure that's the appropriate route. Not to mention a bad arrest for a family violence assault could destroy the family in the long run, it's not something to take lightly. But when it's clear an officer lied in a report, then I'm all for firing them and filing charges. I've seen examples where cops got off easy because they were cops. I don't agree with that for criminal offenses. They should get the maximum.

[240 is Back]

It's too vague a question. For example, there have been cases where you felt a cop wrote a report wrong, or purposefully left something out. You would say he needs to be punished, I would say he doesn't as it was not the case. The "choke hold" on the dude that ended up dying is a specific example. Because the cop didn't use the word "choke hold" doesn't mean the force wasn't described in the report. But in general, absolutely. I was just discussing this with a co-worker last week. We have the authority to take someones liberty away. Cops on the street often make several arrests a night. hundreds a year. We tend to deal with similar elements over and over. Some of those people spend more time in jail/prison than they do at home. A trip to jail is no big deal. However, there are people who have never been to jail who would find the experience very traumatic. So before we make the decision to arrest someone, often times on crimes such as Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct and things of that nature, we really need to be sure that's the appropriate route. Not to mention a bad arrest for a family violence assault could destroy the family in the long run, it's not something to take lightly. But when it's clear an officer lied in a report, then I'm all for firing them and filing charges. I've seen examples where cops got off easy because they were cops. I don't agree with that for criminal offenses. They should get the maximum.

great response.  I wish every cop had your sense of maturity and responsibility.  Way too many immature idiots out there watching Shield or The Wire thinking they can crack skulls and lie.

[Jack T. Cross]

In this case, it was to provoke a response. Cop Watch and similar organizations are notorious for pushing buttons then crying about being mistreated. I concur it is dumb. It is disrespectful and it's juvenile. It would be dumb to call a black cop the "N" word. Sure, you should be able to trust that the cop will be professional and not give a response, but there is the human factor involved. Why even go there? I've been flipped off dozens of times. Sometimes it ends in arrest due to other factors, some times it doesn't. But if I was on the fence about making an arrest or not, flipping me off would certainly be a factor. The point Dos Equis was making is a valid one.. it's the opposite of smart, to flip off any stranger, including cops

Yes. The reason it might be called dumb and the reason it might be said to defy common sense, is because it is expected that the typical cop can't control his emotions and is incapable of resisting his own inappropriate behavior - which is sure to exceed raising a finger back.

(and once again, to show how extreme the degree: WHO would you sooner get away with flipping off?)

Meaning that these things are the exact opposite of what they need to be. Isn't that the truth?

[Skeletor]

I've seen examples where cops got off easy because they were cops. I don't agree with that for criminal offenses. They should get the maximum.

How so? What about Internal Affairs?

I don't agree with that for criminal offenses. They should get the maximum.

What about non-criminal offenses? Are you implying the law should not apply equally because they are cops?

[Jack T. Cross]

007, are you familiar with the "Cannibal Cop" story?

[Agnostic007]

How so? What about Internal Affairs?

What about non-criminal offenses? Are you implying the law should not apply equally because they are cops?

Internal Affairs deals with policy violations, not criminal violations. Criminal violations are investigated by our Special Investigations Unit. There can be concurrent investigations depending on the situation.  Not sure what you mean by non criminal offenses.

[Skeletor]

Internal Affairs deals with policy violations, not criminal violations. Criminal violations are investigated by our Special Investigations Unit. There can be concurrent investigations depending on the situation.  Not sure what you mean by non criminal offenses.

You said you've seen some cops who got off easy because they were cops. If there were legit concerns that there was bias and they were treated favorably, why not report these concerns to IA or the SIU? The law should apply equally to all, not have privileged classes with authority, immunity and favorable treatment.

For the offenses, I should've phrased it differently, thought you were referring to felonies but not misdemeanors.

[Jack T. Cross]

BTW, as I'm sure you guys know, we're talking about battles of inappropriate behavior and how to avoid escalating those battles. So when you focus on the behavior of some random citizen (who could be dumb, or have otherwise-harmless behavior problems, or perhaps he/she suffers from mental illness), instead of the cop: you ought to know better than that.

Do yourself a favor, and realize how backwards your take is.

[Agnostic007]

You said you've seen some cops who got off easy because they were cops. If there were legit concerns that there was bias and they were treated favorably, why not report these concerns to IA or the SIU? The law should apply equally to all, not have privileged classes with authority, immunity and favorable treatment.

For the offenses, I should've phrased it differently, thought you were referring to felonies but not misdemeanors.

The cops I see get off light in my opinion, are usually news articles so there is really nothing to report and generally happen in other jurisdictions. I don't have any personal knowledge of an incident where I felt a cop got off lightly and I withheld information if that's what you mean. As far as the law and policy, unless there is good reason for deviating from them then cops shouldn't. If they do then they need to be held accountable.   

[Agnostic007]

007, are you familiar with the "Cannibal Cop" story?

somewhat

[Agnostic007]

Yes. The reason it might be called dumb and the reason it might be said to defy common sense, is because it is expected that the typical cop can't control his emotions and is incapable of resisting his own inappropriate behavior - which is sure to exceed raising a finger back.

(and once again, to show how extreme the degree: WHO would you sooner get away with flipping off?)

Meaning that these things are the exact opposite of what they need to be. Isn't that the truth?

It's my opinion that the typical cop can and does control his emotions. You may be able to get away with it 99 out of 100 times. but it may be that 100th time. I would love to be able to say every cop you push buttons on will respond professionally but that would be about as stupid as flipping off a cop

[Jack T. Cross]

It's my opinion that the typical cop can and does control his emotions. You may be able to get away with it 99 out of 100 times. but it may be that 100th time. I would love to be able to say every cop you push buttons on will respond professionally but that would be about as stupid as flipping off a cop

I'm sure you don't really mean anything like this.

[Agnostic007]

I'm sure you don't really mean anything like this.

Point being, not every cop is going to arrest you for doing it. Again, maybe it's just a local phenomena here. We have walking beat which works the down town bar district. People push buttons all night long and the cops ignore it. But there obviously are some cops who will believe it's abnormal for a person to do so and initiate an inquiry where it could go bad for the person. Why even do it?

[Jack T. Cross]

Point being, not every cop is going to arrest you for doing it. Again, maybe it's just a local phenomena here. We have walking beat which works the down town bar district. People push buttons all night long and the cops ignore it. But there obviously are some cops who will believe it's abnormal for a person to do so and initiate an inquiry where it could go bad for the person. Why even do it?

Shouldn't that question be directed at the cop, though?

In fact, isn't asking that question of a citizen nearly meaningless compared to asking it of the cop?

[Dos Equis]

It's my opinion that the typical cop can and does control his emotions. You may be able to get away with it 99 out of 100 times. but it may be that 100th time. I would love to be able to say every cop you push buttons on will respond professionally but that would be about as stupid as flipping off a cop

Plus cops are human.  Yes they need to control themselves more so than civilians because they have the power to use weapons and deprive people of their liberty, but at the end of the day they are just people.  If you go around unnecessarily antagonizing people, don't be surprised if one of them reacts. 

[240 is Back]

Plus cops are human.  Yes they need to control themselves more so than civilians because they have the power to use weapons and deprive people of their liberty, but at the end of the day they are just people.  If you go around unnecessarily antagonizing people, don't be surprised if one of them reacts. 

and if he reacts with violence, he deserves prison.   just like if we react with violence to a random person on the street that flips us the bird.

no excuses for wearing a badge. 

[Dos Equis]

and if he reacts with violence, he deserves prison.   just like if we react with violence to a random person on the street that flips us the bird.

no excuses for wearing a badge. 

I don't think anyone is disputing that a cop who loses control after being antagonized needs to be punished.  But that doesn't mean people should go around like idiots. 

[240 is Back]

I don't think anyone is disputing that a cop who loses control after being antagonized needs to be punished.  But that doesn't mean people should go around like idiots. 

this is america, where it is 100% legal to be a completely rude, mean, cruel idiot.  We can be total dicks, like what we want, hate on what we want, and it's cool.  This is what makes it's acceptable to speak out against the obamas and clintons of the world.  This is what makes it legal to protest a certain house of worship going up ten feet from world trade center. 

I like a country where idiots can flip off cops - and don't forget, we live in a world where the police can run their tags and bust them for tickets, for any legal offenses.  Cops can work WITHIN the law.  Or, pro-police groups can yell louder and make a youtube channel where they put little penises all over pics of the people throwing the bird at the cop.  Again, legal.

as long as we live in a place where i can say tom brady sucks, where you can hate on obama, where idiots can flip cops the bird, we are in a great country.

[Dos Equis]

this is america, where it is 100% legal to be a completely rude, mean, cruel idiot.  We can be total dicks, like what we want, hate on what we want, and it's cool.  This is what makes it's acceptable to speak out against the obamas and clintons of the world.  This is what makes it legal to protest a certain house of worship going up ten feet from world trade center. 

I like a country where idiots can flip off cops - and don't forget, we live in a world where the police can run their tags and bust them for tickets, for any legal offenses.  Cops can work WITHIN the law.  Or, pro-police groups can yell louder and make a youtube channel where they put little penises all over pics of the people throwing the bird at the cop.  Again, legal.

as long as we live in a place where i can say tom brady sucks, where you can hate on obama, where idiots can flip cops the bird, we are in a great country.

You like arguing with yourself?  Nobody said it should be illegal. 

This is about can versus should. 

[Primemuscle]

My experience suggests that it is not a good idea to flip off anyone while your behind the wheel. - Never flipped a cop off, but I have given the bird to other drivers who make stupid moves. This is not a good idea either. Onetime, I gave a stranger the finger for cutting me off on the freeway in San Francisco. The fucker followed me for miles. My whole family was in the car. This experience made me think twice before giving someone the fuck you finger in the future.

[Dos Equis]

My experience suggests that it is not a good idea to flip off anyone while your behind the wheel. - Never flipped a cop off, but I have given the bird to other drivers who make stupid moves. This is not a good idea either. Onetime, I gave a stranger the finger for cutting me off on the freeway in San Francisco. The fucker followed me for miles. My whole family was in the car. This experience made me think twice before giving someone the fuck you finger in the future.

Thank you.  You never know who is on the receiving end, what their mental state might be, whether they are packing, etc. 

[ritch]

A big middle finger fuck you for all in this thread, lol!!!