Why are cops bad?

Question

Why are cops bad?

goaded · Accepted Answer

"Those general [Peelian, 1829] principles were later distilled into nine points by Charles Reith in his 1948 book A Short History of the British Police and it is in this form they are usually cited:

To prevent crime and disorder, as an alternative to their repression by military force and severity of legal punishment.
To recognise always that the power of the police to fulfil their functions and duties is dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour, and on their ability to secure and maintain public respect.
To recognise always that to secure and maintain the respect and approval of the public means also the securing of the willing co-operation of the public in the task of securing observance of laws.
To recognise always that the extent to which the co-operation of the public can be secured diminishes proportionately the necessity of the use of physical force and compulsion for achieving police objectives.
To seek and preserve public favour, not by pandering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolutely impartial service to law, in complete independence of policy, and without regard to the justice or injustice of the substance of individual laws, by ready offering of individual service and friendship to all members of the public without regard to their wealth or social standing, by ready exercise of courtesy and friendly good humour, and by ready offering of individual sacrifice in protecting and preserving life.
To use physical force only when the exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient to obtain public co-operation to an extent necessary to secure observance of law or to restore order, and to use only the minimum degree of physical force which is necessary on any particular occasion for achieving a police objective.
To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and that the public are the police, the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
To recognise always the need for strict adherence to police-executive functions, and to refrain from even seeming to usurp the powers of the judiciary of avenging individuals or the State, and of authoritatively judging guilt and punishing the guilty.
To recognise always that the test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, and not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with them."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_Principles

America didn't get the memo.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/izdfnHBMwSs

NaultD · Accepted Answer

The nail that sticks out gets the hammer. So trying to go above and beyond makes the other cops look bad so comes down the hammer.  That thin blue line mentality does more harm then good.

Agape93 · Accepted Answer

You give anyone a gun and the ability to ruin or take lives with near impunity, you will get corruption. And who investigates corrupt cops? Other cops. Who determines if a cop murdered or raped or stole or lied? Cops.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Accepted Answer

All cops are bastards

Staximus · Answer

One of my best friends was a good cop, it ruined his life. He was the first responder to over 100 suicides out in Wyoming. There's another guy from my old neighborhood who is no friend of mine, he was one of the worst cops. He was under investigation for murder on the job

msc545 · Answer

Not all cops are bad. I think that's really a mischaracterization of them. However, some cops are bad because they can be and they get away with it. That is a big problem. We need to get rid of qualified immunity altogether, which would probably end a lot of problems with cops. On the other hand, you should also consider the fact that cops, for the most part, are risking their lives to protect you. That should count for something too.

DrPepper12 · Answer

It attracts violent psychopaths into a cult of "gods among men"

AviatorTom · Answer

Most cops are good. Like any group of people, some are not so good. It's unfortunate that the media emphasizes the bad cops.

Awesomesauce2005 · Answer

Not all cops are bad but I do think most are corrupt by bribes. We really shouldn't have them to begin with anyway because government is supposed to protect the people, not provide and enforce the people.

Snakeyes7 · Answer

The inherent concept of law enforcement isn't a bad thing. It's a bad thing when cops who constantly abuse their power are not held accountable.

slatyb · Answer

They aren't all bad, but we don't pay them enough or screen them thoroughly.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Says who? What are they doing that's so bad? And, what are you doing to deserve it?

andreasderjuengere · Answer

... because they don't question "the System". They are minions and hench-men.

Fireguy17 · Answer

not all cops are bad. Some are the vast majority of them are not.

Sal_Monella · Answer

Most aren't but there are a few bad actors. Like anonymous posters.

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

What is with your obsession with cop questions?

Anonymous · Answer

Not all of them are.

Anonymous · Answer

They aren’t

Anonymous · Answer

Hate those bloody cops

TwoToTooTutu2 · Answer

They aren't.

Twalli · Answer

They aren't.

Why are cops bad?

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