The 3 Myths Of Law Enforcement

The 3 Myths Of Law Enforcement
by A. Shemonia

1) “WE SERVE AND PROTECT”

When was the last time you saw this painted on the side of any police car? I haven’t seen this motto on a cop car since the 80’s and cops rarely say it anymore. But these days they often say things like “If it wasn’t for us there would be total chaos and anarchy on the streets”. When I hear this comment I think of the LA riots and how quick the cops fled the riot area, leaving the taxpayers on their own to protect themselves, or I picture the cowardly cops at Columbine High cowering behind their squad cars while Harris and Klebold slaughtered numerous innocent children inside the school, and then ended the rampage on their own terms.

This myth is created to help perpetuate the dependency society has for police. It is logistically impossible for police to protect individual members in society. Police departments around the world do not have the resources to act as personal bodyguards for everyone. And most citizens don’t have the resources to afford a public, much less a private bodyguard. So the problem of protection falls upon the individual. A gun, a dead bolt lock, and a security system for home and car is a far more effective deterrent then some tax-consuming “copster”. Case in point: in 1977 the number of burglaries was just over 3 million. By 1996 this crime was down by 2 ½ million (World Almanac 1999, page 889). This reduction in burglary had nothing to with the police, as all other crimes have shown a steady increase over the same period of time. Taxpayers simply got smart and figured out they had better place a gun under the pillow, put solid dead bolts on their doors and install alarms in their homes, because Mr. Policeman can’t protect them.

Funny thing about rapist and robbers they never bother to notify their prospective victims or the police as to when and where they are going to commit a crime. The potential criminal in most instances has the element of surprise, no one can predict when and where a crime will occur. The cop usually shows up after the crime has occurred. It is only a myth that the police can protect you.

2) “WE ARE A DETERENT TO CRIME”

Sounds a bit like the first myth. The cop will explain that when he has apprehended the bad guy, and put him/her away in jail where they belong, crime will be greatly reduced. The state and federal prison population for 1980 was over 300,000, by 1994 the number was just over 1 million and by 1997 the number was nearly 1.2 million. It cost about $30,000 to keep a con in minimum security for one year and about $50,000 to keep him in a maximum security cell, and this does not include the cost of building the prison. You would think the cop to be correct with all these so-called evil doers now in prison, crime should be at an all time low in this country and we could start laying off some of these tax-consumer cops. Sorry, think again.

Although throwing a particular convict in prison is in fact an immediate deterrent for that individual, the overall crime rate has steadily increased in proportion to the population. Crime can only be properly studied by looking at a 20 year time frame and in fact crime has remained at a constant rate throughout man's history, with or with out an organized police force.

In 1977 over 10 million crimes were committed. By 1996 the number increased to nearly 13 ½ million. From ‘77 to ‘96 violent crime increased from just over 1 million to over 1.6 million, property crimes from nearly 10 million to well over 11 ½ million, rape 63 ½ thousand in ’77 to over 95 ½ thousand in ’96, and robbery up from just over 400 thousand to nearly 550 thousand in ’96. So much for deterrence. (World Almanac 1999, page 889 & 890 ) (Seeking Justice 1994, The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation).

3. “OUR JOB IS DANGEROUS, WE LAY OUR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERYDAY”

This one goes beyond myth, this is a flat out lie. Police work is one of the safest jobs around. I know if I where a cop I would be real safe driving around with a M16, a 12 GA pump shotgun, a 45 ACP, a baton, pepper spray, restraint devices, a belt full of ammo and a small paramilitary gang to back me up in case of trouble. From 1970 to 1979 cops killed over 3,000 citizens many of whom were innocent people. Innocent people like Ishmiel Mena in Denver, Fenton Crookshank of Loveland, Dan Smith of Ft. Morgan the list goes on and on. The fact is cops kill 3 citizens for every cop that gets killed. The workmen’s compensation rate for police is a mere $5 per $100, the rate for electricians is about $45 per $100, and for carpenters it is $50 per $100. There is a reason for this. When a cop does get shot it’s because they shot themselves. In 1996, 45 cops died as result of gun accidents while on duty.

~A. Shemonia
http://www.totse.com/en/politics/police/164547.html

 

Sad but true. People gorify cops for some odd reason but they do what they do like the rest of us. For a paycheck. I would hate to see what workers comp rate would be for a crab fisherman in the bering sea. But do we glorify them for doing their job ?

 

Freudian slip maybe?

and yes, it can be sad but true, but I know a few cops who are the exact opposite of what was posted. There are some cops I wouldn't trust my life with, then there are the ones I work with at a range that I would.

 

Actually after much pondering...... lol that was a starwalt example of a freudian slip.

 

And that would be a "spoonerism", wouldn't it?

Not pickin at ya Hartage, just thought it was funny.



Interesting post. So do more cops shoot themselves than get shot by a citizen? Wouldn't surprise me.

And I agree... it's not that dangerous of a job.

 

It has to be pretty close. In that same year, 1996, 61 officers were "Feloniously Killed," according to the FBI. I highly doubt they were all shot.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2005/table1.htm

 

The cops that I have seen shooting I would feel safer with them shooting at me as aposed to shooting at the person next to me.

OGM

 

Call a criminal or gang member the next time you're victimized!

Anyone have the number of police officers and firefighters that lost their lives on 9-11-01?

Too bad that the police can't be perfect, like some of you folks! Maybe YOU should apply, TRY to get accepted, go through the training, then hit the streets!

 

Never have been a victim, and don't plan on ever being one! If I ever were one, why would I call a LEO? For what? They won't do anything for me, might even turn on me in the end as they have on so many in this country. The people have a better chance of bieng victimized by a LEO, than any criminal/gang member.

Leave fire fighhters out of this discussion. I didn't include them in the first post, did I? They are the true professionals in public service who the LEO's always tag on to for respect. The LEO's want respect, well let them earn it. I have no plans on giving it to them because they expect it.

No one is perfect, period! Although the police think they are above the law. Their everyday behavior shows that. They are nothing but tax collectors for the illegal "Corporations" in this country. And I have never claimed to be perfect either, then I never was a LEO for long.

Try to apply? Well when I left "Airforce Special Operations Command" I did apply. Graduated top 5% of class. It didn't take long for me to realize that as a group they were nothing but cowards, who are total wimps without badge and gun. They NEED others to survive, as they couldn't do it on their own.

They are great at beating up their wives and kids though....

 

as a naval LEO i see what Alter is talking about daily. i can't really speak for the police out in the "real" world but i imagine it must be similar. a majority of the cops i have worked with military and fed. were bullied/picked on in H.S. and now that they have the badge, gun, and police car, they make the rules... (disclamer: not all LEO's are bad people and i don't think anyone is saying that)

 

The issue isn't that all cops are bad but that enough of their attitude has changed from being a public servant to being an enforcer of the many extraneous and often unnecessary laws. SO their job isn't always easy, does that mean you have to develop an abusive attitude towards the people that pay you? And I would like to point out that I am not a policeman, although my sister is and has been for 30 years. I have on many occasions had to enter burning ships to save lives and have worked hand in hand with police, coast guard, firefighters, and others that were risking their lives to save others. The problem isn't the ones that do their job but rather the ones that abuse it and I don't care how many have given their lives for the betterment, its still comparing apples and oranges and in no way justifies the present trend towards militarization of the local police units and the abuse of the public that pays them.

 

That is just it, we are. "Brotherhood of police officers" The use of dehumanizing terms. The us vs them mentality. "Blue wall of silence" to cop crimes as if somehow they think they should be above the law. The cops ARE just another gang. Sadly they act like it too. Hence you are seeing the reaction to them mistreating people being vented here.

Have you ever seen a firefighter abuse people ? If they did they would be getting the same kind of reaction. But they are not COPS however do abuse people. This reaction is of their own making.

 

If your experience is with small town/city cops your assumption (that most are decent) may be correct. But in larger cities they are quite inhuman. If I said 80% are garbage and 20% are decent I would not be far off.

Don't get me wrong I have ample exposure to cops on their "good side" where they consider me a buddy. But their disdain for someone that THEY don't consider normal is extremely clear in their comments and banter with each other. When I'm out on the border I have constant interaction with border patrol agents. Much more professional with much less "us against them" mentality. The key seems to be population the more rural the more decent.

But hey generalities suck eh ? It would be nice if cops didn't use sweeping generalities either but they do. Therefore I don't feel bad at all when it is done to them.

 

aww gee more cop bashing

 

Nope, you gender did not even cross my mind. I had no idea you were even a gal to begin with. Assumptions do suck, but you get that from cops all the time. No love lost when it is done to them.

 

Sorry about that, since you mentioned your gender in reference to "the real world"

I made the mistake of thinking the two are somehow interrelated to each other. Maybe because I did not mention gender at all and for some reason you brought it up. But my bad.