2018 NBA playoffs

[trojanfan12]

I love what you said here, thank you.

Sometimes people forget that cops are human and have families too.

I don't have a single picture of my husband with our kids on any social media platform because a few years back, some asshole went on Facebook and threatened to go to one of my co-workers kids elementary school for a " visit".

When my husband retired, I moved out of California as quick as possible.

There is nothing worse than running into a ex-inmate while you are getting your car serviced....and that happened to me twice...lol

I was getting a tv installed and the guy who brought my car around said " You remember me?".

I always know where I know them from as soon as they ask that question.

I was paranoid as fuck that he looked at my registration and now had my address...lol

Yeah, growing up, my family always had an unlisted number. I asked my Dad why once and he said "Because I don't want someone that I arrested to be able to find where we live."

He said that when he was on the Phoenix PD a friend of his on the force had a listed number.

Some guy who he had arrested, got out of jail, looked him up in the phone book and went to his house. The officer wasn't home, but his wife was. She answers the door and he beat her nearly to death. It took her months to recover and she was never the same physically or mentally after that.

I have the same name as my Dad and on his advice, have never had a listed number.

 

[Mecca]

Yeah, growing up, my family always had an unlisted number. I asked my Dad why once and he said "Because I don't want someone that I arrested to be able to find where we live."

He said that when he was on the Phoenix PD a friend of his on the force had a listed number.

Some guy who he had arrested, got out of jail, looked him up in the phone book and went to his house. The officer wasn't home, but his wife was. She answers the door and he beat her nearly to death. It took her months to recover and she was never the same physically or mentally after that.

I have the same name as my Dad and on his advice, have never had a listed number.

Oh my God, that is ....vile.

I hope that shitbird got his comeuppance 10 fold.

 

[trojanfan12]

Oh my God, that is ....vile.

I hope that shitbird got his comeuppance 10 fold.

According to my Dad, he was caught and got what amounted to a life sentence with all of the different charges he was convicted on.

Back then, for the most part, even criminals had a certain amount of respect for the police and when the other prisoners found out why he was back, apparently they were unimpressed. lol

 

[LAD]

I have a friend who is a middle school teacher and recently got placed on administrative leave because a trouble making student made abuse claims against him. He missed 2-3 days of school while the investigation went down and I can tell you, he was extremely embarrassed and devastated.

Thankfully, there was also video footage of the alleged event that proved the student completely fabricated everything.

But, the student received absolutely no consequence for her lie, yet the teacher has to carry the black mark around for the rest of his career. Because even when exhonerated completely, it is impossible to undo the perception change that other students/parents have regarding this teacher after the gossip mill spread the news.

In other words, yes. Paid administrative leave is a very serious consequence for a public servant being investigated for wrongdoing. If guilty, the consequence will be more severe.

I can understand that perspective, but when they're guilty (and it's on video) it's hard to see it that way.

 

[LAD]

You are correct.

At the same time though, people's animosity toward police officers is at an all time high. For every case like what happened the Bucks player, there are 20 where the police officer gets mistreated and still does his/her job the right way.

But, you never hear about those. Again, because those stories don't sell papers.

I understand the desire for athletes and other public figures to want to raise awareness surrounding some of the truly terrible crimes that a very small number of police officers have committed. But I have said t before and I will say it again.

All the attention isn't helping. In fact, it is doing the opposite because it serves to further escalate both sides and increase the odds of future conflict and tragedy. That doesn't excuse the police officers at fault. But it damn sure does make the job a hell of a lot more difficult for the good ones.

I disagree. People that have been victimized shouldn't be encouraged to stay silent. PERIOD.

 

[LAD]

And if you've never been a police officer or worried that this may be the time that your family member who is a police officer may not come home...you can't claim to know what all or most police officers are like or what they deal with on a daily basis.

Your experience, whatever it may have been, while unfortunate, is anecdotal not the reality for how the overwhelming majority of police officers conduct themselves.

Because it was an upsetting experience, it pretty much is the definition of emotional. I do hope that you reported the officers and they were disciplined. That is the only way to get rid of bad apple officers.

I have never claimed to know what police officers go through. The things I'm talking about are we what know what's happened due to video of the incident. So again, no it's not just me being emotional. These things are happening & regardless of how many "good" officers that are left the bad ones make it difficult for all of them, not the victims. You can't blame people for being defensive when they literally fear for their lives. And until you've actually experienced that you can't tell others how they should feel about it.

 

[trojanfan12]

I've never claimed to know what police officers go through. The things I'm talking about are we what know what's happened due to video of the incident. So again, no it's not just me being emotional. These things are happening & regardless of how many "good" officers that are left the bad ones make it difficult for all of t by em, not the victims.

You don't know what they go through, yet you feel qualified to judge them as a whole? As @Mecca said in an earlier post...walk a mile.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but it's kind of unfair to pass judgement on a group of people when you haven't been in their shoes. Police officers are human beings just like the rest of us and even the good ones make mistakes or have a bad day.

Unfortunately, because of the nature of the job, those mistakes can have tragic consequences. That is something that every officer knows and thinks about constantly.

Agree. The bad ones do make it more difficult.

But they aren't even the biggest problem that the good officers face as far as public perception. Bad officers eventually get found out and dealt with. For most of them, the closest they can ever get to working in law enforcement again is security at Wal-Mart.

The biggest problem is news media and social media. Any time a police action gets called into question, the media reports it and then people get on social media, decide the officer(s) are at fault and convict them on the spot.

Then, weeks or even months later, when the investigation is complete and it turns out there was no wrongdoing on the officers part, people no longer care or just claim it's a cover up. Meanwhile, that officers reputation has been permanently tarnished.

Also, most of the time, when there is video, including body cams...it exonerates the officer. Problem is, we almost never get to see those videos.

 

[tlance]

I disagree. People that have been victimized shouldn't be encouraged to stay silent. PERIOD.

Not saying anybody should stay silent.

But sensationalistic media attention isn't making anything better. It is doing exactly the opposite.

The work that needs to be done is educating people on how to be more empathetic toward the police officers serving their community. They put their lives on the line to protect and serve every day. Yet they are met with increasing hostility when trying to do their job. That hostility only increases the odds of further incident, which people just don't seem to get.

Punish bad cops to fullest extent of the law. But this thing goes both ways. Kids need to be educated on how to de-escalate when approached by a police officer just like @trojanfan12 was taught. Until you have proven otherwise, the officer has to treat every encounter as if the perp is a threat to end their life. Because that is the unfortunate reality of that occupation.

 

[trojanfan12]

You can't blame people for being defensive when they literally fear for their lives.

You do realize that this is how police officers feel every time they approach a suspect, right?

And until you've actually experienced that you can't tell others how they should feel about it.

A. You have no idea what I've felt in my life. Try dealing with police officers in a foreign country where the police are known for extorting money from American tourists and throwing them in jail if they won't/can't pay.

B. I never told anyone how they should feel. I simply presented an alternate point of view based on personal experience and the experience of my father as a police officer. I also pointed out that what you said about police officers is not what the reality is re: how the overwhelming majority of police officers go about doing their job.

As a matter of fact, not only did I not tell anyone how they should feel. I also said that I hope you reported the officer(s) in your situation and that they were disciplined.

 

[flyerhawk]

The one thing that frustrates me the most about police isn't so much that there are bad cops. Of course there are bad cops just as there are bad doctors or teachers.

It is the us vs them mentality that drives me nuts. Defending cops simply because they are cops is a huge part of the problem.

The case of Sterling Brown is a perfect example. Until the body cam footage came out the official report was that Brown was tased for resisting arrest. 7 cops lied to protect their own. Maybe more. What should have happened is that the initial cop on the scene should have disciplined in some manner. Not necessarily suspended or fired but he screwed up and the community should know that the police department takes that seriously.

When the civilians think the police are on their side, they work with the police. When they view them as the enemy, they make their jobs vastly more difficult. We can never get rid of the small number of cops that are bad. But the PDs can get better.

 

[trojanfan12]

The one thing that frustrates me the most about police isn't so much that there are bad cops. Of course there are bad cops just as there are bad doctors or teachers.

It is the us vs them mentality that drives me nuts. Defending cops simply because they are cops is a huge part of the problem.

The case of Sterling Brown is a perfect example. Until the body cam footage came out the official report was that Brown was tased for resisting arrest. 7 cops lied to protect their own. Maybe more. What should have happened is that the initial cop on the scene should have disciplined in some manner. Not necessarily suspended or fired but he screwed up and the community should know that the police department takes that seriously.

When the civilians think the police are on their side, they work with the police. When they view them as the enemy, they make their jobs vastly more difficult. We can never get rid of the small number of cops that are bad. But the PDs can get better.

I don't think anyone disagrees that police departments can and need to do a better job re: weeding out the bad officers and disciplining those who lie to protect bad officers. Imo, it's an you are either part of the solution or part of the problem situation. As an officer, even if you yourself haven't done anything wrong, but you lie or stay silent to protect an officer who did...you are part of the problem.

Having said that, a big part of the problem and the reason that there is an us vs. them mentality is because cases like Sterling Brown are the only ones that the news media reports. Because of that and the reactions on social media, it leads many people to believe that all police officers behave that way.

Did you see the tribute that they did before the Rockets/Warriors game in Houston re: the recent high school shooting? During the tribute, they pointed out the brave actions of the local police who were first on scene.

Did you see those actions pointed out anywhere in the news media? I sure didn't.

 

[flyerhawk]

I don't think anyone disagrees that police departments can and need to do a better job re: weeding out the bad officers and disciplining those who lie to protect bad officers. Imo, it's an you are either part of the solution or part of the problem situation. As an officer, even if you yourself haven't done anything wrong, but you lie or stay silent to protect an officer who did...you are part of the problem.

Having said that, a big part of the problem and the reason that there is an us vs. them mentality is because cases like Sterling Brown are the only ones that the news media reports. Because of that and the reactions on social media, it leads many people to believe that all police officers behave that way.

Did you see the tribute that they did before the Rockets/Warriors game in Houston re: the recent high school shooting? During the tribute, they pointed out the brave actions of the local police who were first on scene.

Did you see those actions pointed out anywhere in the news media? I sure didn't.

Well while the Sterling Brown story was unfolding there was a story getting lots of press about a woman who falsely accused a cop of sexually assaulting him.

As for being respectful of police in the media, do you really think the media never airs positive information about the police? I can tell you that when a cop is shot the local news here in New York is pretty darn respectful of the police. And human interests stories involving the police doing good work for the community are not uncommon.

IMO, police departments that are proactive in dealing with potentially bad situations tend to be viewed far more favorably than police departments that circle the wagons. Ferguson MO being a good example of the latter.

 

[trojanfan12]

As for being respectful of police in the media, do you really think the media never airs positive information about the police? I can tell you that when a cop is shot the local news here in New York is pretty darn respectful of the police. And human interests stories involving the police doing good work for the community are not uncommon.

Locally, I agree. Nationally, not so much. The bad stories are reported nationally.

 

[flyerhawk]

Locally, I agree. Nationally, not so much. The bad stories are reported nationally.

For a story to go national it needs something to it.

There are roughly 1000 incidents of cops killing people a year. Maybe 2 or 3 make national news.

 

[trojanfan12]

For a story to go national it needs something to it.

There are roughly 1000 incidents of cops killing people a year. Maybe 2 or 3 make national news.

Because the vast majority of those were justifiable. Approximately 900+ of those people were armed.

And more than 2 or 3 make national news. Also, it's not just making the national news...it's the thousands of tweets, re-tweets, Instagram and other social media posts that feed the perception.

 

[gordontrue]

I just want to say I enjoy seeing civil discussion going on with input from both angles

 

[trojanfan12]

I just want to say Ienjoy seeing civil discussion going on with input from both angles

It's why, even though they are technically "off topic" here. I don't put a stop to them.

It's nice to be able to discuss these issues without all of the bullshit that happens in the politics forum.

 

[tlance]

The one thing that frustrates me the most about police isn't so much that there are bad cops. Of course there are bad cops just as there are bad doctors or teachers.

It is the us vs them mentality that drives me nuts. Defending cops simply because they are cops is a huge part of the problem.

The case of Sterling Brown is a perfect example. Until the body cam footage came out the official report was that Brown was tased for resisting arrest. 7 cops lied to protect their own. Maybe more. What should have happened is that the initial cop on the scene should have disciplined in some manner. Not necessarily suspended or fired but he screwed up and the community should know that the police department takes that seriously.

When the civilians think the police are on their side, they work with the police. When they view them as the enemy, they make their jobs vastly more difficult. We can never get rid of the small number of cops that are bad. But the PDs can get better.

I agree with this for the most part.

I am all for anything that can help civilians develop empathy for police and also anything that can help police develop more empathy for the BLM movement and it's supporters.

It is about common ground and developing an understanding.

Charles Barkley went through the police training course where he had make split second shoot/don't shoot decisions and it defintely opened his eyes to how difficult the job was.

If there were a way for every public high schooler in urban areas to experience some version of this (obviously not with a real gun) along with some forced positive interaction with police officers, that would be the type of program that could actually start building Community good will.

 

[Wamu]

It's why, even though they are technically "off topic" here. I don't put a stop to them.

It's nice to be able to discuss these issues without all of the bullshit that happens in the politics forum.

I'll read a comment or 2 in various threads of the political forum from time to time. Then I get a headache. Too much crazy shit going on over there to even get involved.

 

[Mecca]

You don't know what they go through, yet you feel qualified to judge them as a whole? As @Mecca said in an earlier post...walk a mile.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but it's kind of unfair to pass judgement on a group of people when you haven't been in their shoes. Police officers are human beings just like the rest of us and even the good ones make mistakes or have a bad day.

Unfortunately, because of the nature of the job, those mistakes can have tragic consequences. That is something that every officer knows and thinks about constantly.

Agree. The bad ones do make it more difficult.

But they aren't even the biggest problem that the good officers face as far as public perception. Bad officers eventually get found out and dealt with. For most of them, the closest they can ever get to working in law enforcement again is security at Wal-Mart.

The biggest problem is news media and social media. Any time a police action gets called into question, the media reports it and then people get on social media, decide the officer(s) are at fault and convict them on the spot.

Then, weeks or even months later, when the investigation is complete and it turns out there was no wrongdoing on the officers part, people no longer care or just claim it's a cover up. Meanwhile, that officers reputation has been permanently tarnished.

Also, most of the time, when there is video, including body cams...it exonerates the officer. Problem is, we almost never get to see those videos.

Yes, I feel like I'm uniquely qualified on this subject.

I'm black, a female, former Law enforcement, married to a career cop, who's also a minority.

I find it unreal how some can unilaterally condemn all police officers because of the actions of a few publicized cases.

Yet, scream bloody murder that their particular segment of the population is being victimized, murdered, discriminated against because of the actions of a few bad apples that make the rest of the world think that they are all the same.

Oh the irony....