Do You Like the Police? Do You Trust the Police and Military of Your Country?

[Deary]

I've been noticing while driving through Alabama, Georgia and some parts of Florida, police are trading in the white cars for black or silver. I dislike this since it is harder to pick them out, especially at night. Their entire purpose is to "protect and serve", not to be covert. Constantly finding ways for the average police officer to deceive rather than stand out to those he protects seems ineffective to that end. I had recently seen something on the news about average police officers walking the streets dressed as landscapers and the like instead of patrolling out in uniform. There will always be undercover folk and a need for discretion, I just don't see why that has to apply to the force as a whole.

That said, I haven't had any terribly negative encounters the police. I locked myself out of my car while on a trip to Savannah, I figured I would be covered on my mother's AAA, but that wasn't the case. I phoned for an officer to come and unlock my car only to figure out that police no longer carried slim jims. He didn't check my plate or ask for my ID. He stayed around for a good two hours in the cold while one resident drove to shops in search of a coat hanger, and another gave me 40 dollars just so I could call a service and get back in my car. The police officer tried everything he could to open the car with the coat hanger, tried to keep me warm by buying me coffee and letting me sit in his car with the heater. He even didn't mind that I gave him a hug.

I have a fair amount of respect for someone who is willing to "protect and serve" daily, even if I disagree with the current route some states are taking to meet that end.

Any particularly good or bad encounters?

[Ælfhere]

I've noticed the police in my area driving up and down the highways in disguised cars too. Sometimes in pick-up trucks and SUVs with bumper stickers and everything. You can tell when they pull someone over.

I do appreciate the cops though. Especially in my neighborhood which is notorious for gang violence, drug addicts, murder, and everything else you'd expect from the 'hood.

[SwordOfTheVistula]

Cops are a mix of good and bad, nearly all my experiences with cops have been bad but then those are the ones you really notice.

The ones in my town suck, they won't car break ins and vandalism because "they are too common", and yet they have time to 'investigate' traffic violations and BB gun shootings.

A lot of police activity seems more directed towards revenue collection (giving traffic tickets to normally law abiding citizens) and not towards protecting the average citizen from the scumbags.

[Mrs. Lyfing]

Me and my husband Was having a nice Saturday, just us. We were going for a drive, and we were going to the park to walk around. The park we decided to go to is beside the police station. I turned left onto the street between the two, and passed a cop car. Well, I've never been pulled over and I've never had a speeding ticket. So, usually seeing one doesn't worry me.

As soon as I got going and looked in the rear view mirror, there he was FLYING up behind us. I said.." baby we are getting pulled over " and there went the blue lights...:

Well, there was a roach in the ash tray, from a while back and Lyfing had an empty beer can, so we were thinking O SHIT.

Lyfing eats the roach in an instant and throws the can in the compartment under his seat. So originally I am thinking this will be OK. I have license and insurance and we wasn't doing anything wrong...right? WRONG!

The cop walks up to my husband in the passenger seat and says.." Don't you have some warrants?" ..."No" he says. Asks for our ID and says I'll be right back.

I am scared to death by this point. The cop takes his time in his car, waiting for BACK UP, little did we know. Three more police show up...:

The one walks up to me and says please come here a minute. So I leave Lyfing in the van and walk back with the asshole. He continually ask me do we have any drugs in the car..? I continue to say no several times and what I really wanted to say is..." what is this..? I don't even do drugs!"

I don't consider smoking pot from time to time a drug, sorry.

Anyways, they searched the vehicle and my husband but not me.

I am wondering...why does it take so many police for nothing? They made us look and feel like scum, you would think we would at least be dangerous.

So, anyways, all they got is one open container and I think well, he is going to jail, seeing how they seem to be picking on us, they must want something!
Nah, the officer says, " Well, ya'll are good to go " I am in shock!:

The cop says be careful with the open container, Lyfing says.." well, thats from days ago.." the cops says..." its still cold " ...Lyfing says " it ain't been hot these days " ( it has been one hundred degrees out ) they both just look at each other with smirks and we are let go. :

So, basically, we were harassed, and even tho we had an open container, we were let go? We still don't get it.

[Birka]

Welcome to the Police State of America.

I am waiting for them to declare it illegal to belong to the Libertarian Party.http://forums.skadi.net/images/smilies/mad.gif
:

[Thrymheim]

I got pulled over a while back and I had three drunken idiots in the car still drinking so surprisingly enough they didn't believe it when I said I hadn't (I had just finished work) but they were nice enough about it so no problems. I've never had a bad experience with the police, finding them pleasant, and the couple who I have had around to the house on official business have always been ready to have a joke. However they have never solved any of the crimes (one motorbike theft, one mugging, one burglary, one attempted burglary and one vandalism) so nice but ineffective would be my verdict.

When we were robbed the living room door was being held open by a bong, they couldn't have missed it, however it was 4am and they probably didn't want the hassle, also my ex was caught driving while on a mobile phone, they let him off because he was extremely upset over something0000: and instead (as they had to put something down as a reason for pulling him) did him for not wearing a seatbelt, (which he was) and therefore only cautioned him so I think they do a good job in the impossible circumstances that the PC society that we live in. pun intended!

[The Horned God]

The cop says be careful with the open container, Lyfing says.." well, thats from days ago.." the cops says..." its still cold " ...Lyfing says " it ain't been hot these days " ( it has been one hundred degrees out ) they both just look at each other with smirks and we are let go. :

Nice.

So, basically, we were harassed, and even tho we had an open container, we were let go? We still don't get it.

I'm not familiar with U.S law in the slightest but I would reason that If the container in question was concealed under the seat when they found it then perhaps that is not against the law?

In Ireland, having an open alcohol container in a car in not an arrestable offense, but the gards (police) would likely breathalyse the driver, and if they're over the legal limit then that's it, goodbye driving licence for 12 months.

[ChaosLord]

I've had a few encounters with the law, but nothing too negative. One "negative" encounter I had was when I lived in Alabama years back. I was driving to Huntsville to visit some friends and on my way through Guntersville I was pulled over by three cop cars. An officer told me to get out of my vehicle with my hands up. I complied and the officers instantly started searching my car, going as far as taking my seats out. After fifteen minutes or so of searching one another officer pulls in and tells the others something. The cops look back and me and stopped searching my vehicle.

One of the officers approached me and apologized to me and told me there was a major misunderstanding. Earlier that evening there was a robbery and the culprit was a male and drove the same make and model vehicle I drove at the time. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The police were even generous enough to put my seats back in my vehicle and everything else in its place. An inconvenience for me!

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After reading Mrs. Lyfing's "possession" story that reminded me of my second "negative" experience with the law in Alabama. A buddy and I has purchased some "smoke" and were on our way home (which was a few miles away). It was late at night (11 pm or so) and we ended up getting pulled over by an unmarked car. Two sheriffs got out and started approaching my vehicle. When they got to our windows one sheriff instantly questioned me, asking if I had any weapons in the car. I told that I had a couple knives in the car, but they were legal to possess. He then asked me if I had narcotics in the car. I played dumb and told him no, though we did, but I put my stash under the hood of my car and my buddy kept his stash on him. The sheriff asked me if he could search my vehicle and I complied. I asked the officer whay this was all about and he said I had a tail light out, which I did.

My buddy and I got out of my vehicle and the cops then wanted to search us instead. I told the sheriff no, he couldn't search me, but the other sheriff had already started searching my buddy finding his stash in his pocket (7 grams). The sheriffs then started questioning us and we both played dumb. I told the one that I didn't know he had it on him and by buddy played along as well. They made us stand on the side of the road while they searched my vehicle thoroughly. They didn't manage to find my stash and then came back to question us further asking us where we were going and if we under the influence (which we weren't at the time).

In reality we were both pretty nervous since possession of "smoke" in Alabama if a pretty harsh penalty, no matter the amount. The cops then threatened to arrest us and tried intimidating us as to where we purchased it. We said nothing and I told the cop that arresting us would be a waste of time considering that they used an illegal search and seizure on us, since my buddy didn't give the other officer permission to search him; only my car was given permission to search. The cops chuckled and tried to intimidate us further, but I continued on and told them not only was it illegal, but they would have to fill out tons of paperwork just to have it thrown out of court later on, wasting their time.

The cops talked for a moment and came back. They told us that they had some good news and bad news. They said that the good news was they were letting us go with a warning, since "supposedly" they weren't looking for pot, but people in possession of meth. The bad news was that they were confiscating my buddy's bag and going to keep an eye on us for now on.

I can say that we were pretty much lucky that night. Even though they did an illegal search and seizure they could have detained us until our court hearing, which would have wasted all of our time.

Cops these days use intimidation tactics to make people feel obligated to comply, hesitant to use their rights. No matter what you've done, you do have rights that the cops must obide by and they know it.

[Cuchulain]

I think cops are the same as everything else, you have to judge them as individuals, not just as cops in general. The thing is, their power has the effect of amplifying their personalities. If a cop is reasonable and polite, he comes of as being really cool. If he is a little uptight or rude, he comes of as being a real dick.

I also agree emphatically with Sword of the Vistula that police are becoming more and more of a revenue generating entity than one which protects the rights of the citizens.

Most of the police in Chicago are corrupt, but are also pretty reasonable about minor offenses. One of my friends got arrested by a rookie Chicago cop for smoking a joint in his car, and when they got back to the station all of the veteran cops started ridiculing the rookie, and told him to get back out on the street and do his job for real, and they let my friend go.

[Mrs. Lyfing]

I'm not familiar with U.S law in the slightest but I would reason that If the container in question was concealed under the seat when they found it then perhaps that is not against the law?.

It is against the law here, no matter where it may be. You would be charged with open container.

In Ireland, having an open alcohol container in a car in not an arrestable offense, but the gards (police) would likely breathalyse the driver, and if they're over the legal limit then that's it, goodbye driving licence for 12 months.

Yes, I do believe persons driving under the influence of alcohol shall be severally punished. I do not take that lightly and a drunk taking other peoples lives into their hands and not to mention their own is awful. I do not drink, ever. My husband may drink from time to time, but never drives, I usually drive anyways...