What’s your experience with law enforcement / police?

[Pryras]

Can't say I've ever had a positive experience with a police officer. Never committed a crime but the few instances I've spoken to one I've always felt degraded / spoken down to.

I foolishly called the hospital yesterday after a panic episode with extreme suicidal impulses and was treated like a joke. I didn't respond to their questions at first when they found me cowering on a bench and then the officers proceeded to kick my thighs to "wake me" and "get me taking"

Seconds later an officer grabbed my arm and roughly threw me into a stretcher and off to the hospital I went.

if I could say anything to the officers now it would be to learn some fucking compassion and how to handle someone going through an episode in a gentle way. Rather than feel grateful, I carry so much regret that even called in the first place.

 

[FusRohDracarys]

Yikes, sorry that happened to you. I hope you're doing a little better today though.

I haven't had any up close encounters with officers except observing them talking to my parents as a kid. They were assholes, for the most part. One of my cousins became a cop and became a royal douche. So yeah, I have a really low opinion of them.

 

[4eyebiped]

Over time, I have talked to various officers, from the local police, parole officers, correctional officers and so on. The one thing that was common between most of them is that they all were different people now than they were when they first started their jobs. Their jobs changed them.

This is a complex topic and it would take a large conversation to responsibly be had but keep the following in mind.

They spend their day having people yell at them and disrespect them, while they are forced to do their best to smile and keep their composure. They can't walk away or avoid conflict but are constantly drawn into it. Then they have to deal with nonstop lies, deception, being constantly mislead and being resisted. Your day is full of people wasting your time and complicating your job. Their lives are often at risk. Very few truly know what it is like fearing death, much less justifiably so. They get to see lovely scenes of splatter brains, dismembered body parts, dead children and all sorts of horrors. They simply see the absolute worse in humanity while everyone assumes the worst in them.

It is a completely shitty job with very little reward. If that wasn't enough the media reports things in a slanted way that not only misleads the public but gives them a highly inaccurate image of the police as a whole, which creates hate all around for us all to enjoy. Ratings and profit are far more important than lives and the truth. That is another topic but an important one.

No, I am not trying to justify any of their negative actions, I am only trying to give insight as to the possibilities of the why. There is much that is needed to be done here to improve things all around for them and us. This isn't a simple topic but an important one. What I have said concerning it is in great brevity.

 

[Pryras]

Over time, I have talked to various officers, from the local police, parole officers, correctional officers and so on. The one thing that was common between most of them is that they all were different people now than they were when they first started their jobs. Their jobs changed them.

This is a complex topic and it would take a large conversation to responsibly be had but keep the following in mind.

They spend their day having people yell at them and disrespect them, while they are forced to do their best to smile and keep their composure. They can't walk away or avoid conflict but are constantly drawn into it. Then they have to deal with nonstop lies, deception, being constantly mislead and being resisted. Your day is full of people wasting your time and complicating your job. Their lives are often at risk. Very few truly know what it is like fearing death, much less justifiably so. They get to see lovely scenes of splatter brains, dismembered body parts, dead children and all sorts of horrors. They simply see the absolute worse in humanity while everyone assumes the worst in them.

It is a completely shitty job with very little reward. If that wasn't enough the media reports things in a slanted way that not only misleads the public but gives them a highly inaccurate image of the police as a whole, which creates hate all around for us all to enjoy. Ratings and profit are far more important than lives and the truth. That is another topic but an important one.

No, I am not trying to justify any of their negative actions, I am only trying to give insight as to the possibilities of the why. There is much that is needed to be done here to improve things all around for them and us. This isn't a simple topic but an important one. What I have said concerning it is in great brevity.

I see your point and can understand but I have never had a negative experience with say, social workers who often deal with the same trauma and disrespect (only difference is that they're not carrying a gun and don't have the means to protect themselves) They don't disrespect others with a holier-than-thou attitude. Like @GoodPersonEffed mentioned, officers often go on a huge power trip with their position and I feel that they project that on others. It reminds me of the Stanford prison experiment. And how a bit of authority can change someone (especially those who have been officers for years)

Yikes, sorry that happened to you. I hope you're doing a little better today though.

I haven't had any up close encounters with officers except observing them talking to my parents as a kid. They were assholes, for the most part. One of my cousins became a cop and became a royal douche. So yeah, I have a really low opinion of them.

I called a medic but didn't expect the cops to show up, they didn't ask if I was okay. They were not compassionate and were almost burdened to be there in the first place. Apathy like this is why people don't call for help in the first place and It's not something I'll do again.

cops are assholes and I'd love to meet one that changes my view but unfortunately in 23 years that has yet to happen.

 

[netrezven]

I spent most of my life with the police on all sides possible. It was fun, but strangely i don't wanna talk about that anymore.

 

[Cashewmilk]

Both good and bad experiences... there are bad apples but for the most part they have been helpful and not always harmful to me. They do strike fear in me though because I hate confrontation, any authority figure creates fear in me because of my anxiety. I am also involved in illegal activities so yeah I really don't want to go to jail for petty shit, I am considered a victim though so I probably wouldn't anyway.