When in the hell did calling the G-D Cops for every minor BS thing become the norm?

[maxrandb]

Is it because we all think we're in a fucking episode of "Cops"?

Is it because of "To Catch a Predator" and we're all thinking we're going to make a name for ourselves by busting the next Zodiac Killer?

Is it because 50 years of wingnut, racist hyperbole has convinced us that there's a "boogyman" behind every door?

30 years ago this shit would have not been normal.

Someone barbecuing in a park and using charcoal instead of propane? Call the fucking SWAT!

Someone disputing a charge at Waffle House? Call the FBI!

Someone napping in a Dorm area? Call the Cops!

Someone moving into an apartment? Call the Cops!

What the hell ever happened to Minding you own damn business?

What the hell ever happened to going up to someone and saying; "hey, you know that if you use charcoal, you're supposed to be over in this area"...

What the hell ever happened to if they keep say; "OK" and keep on barbecuing, you walk the fuck away, let them take the 15-20 minutes to cook their fucking steaks, and MOVING ON WITH YOUR OWN FUCKING LIFE?

What the hell ever happened to letting someone NAP IN FUCKING PEACE and walking the fuck away? Lock your damn door if that upsets you, but you DON'T CALL THE FUCKING COPS

When I was a kid, you only called the cops if there was a fucking emergency, or there was blood...even then, if someone busted your nose in a fight, you took your lumps and walked home.

I always say that, when faced with a situation, I ask myself; "am I willing to die on that hill"? In other words...is this something that is so damn important I'm willing to put serious skin in the game.

Why is EVERY FUCKING HILL SO DAMN IMPORTANT today.

Stop calling the cops for stupid shit!

[TygrBright]

1. When they succeeded in making us all afraid of each other. n/t

[Exotica]

2. Multiple decades of police/security state conditioning emanating from

multivariate levels and angles.

[cyclonefence]

3. I want to know why the cops respond

to calls like the Starbucks one, where the caller didn't describe anything dangerous or threatening going on. Same with the napping student--what was the danger in just leaving her alone? Even if you have a nervous bigot who calls the cops because a person of color is someplace they don't think the poc should be, there's no reason for the 911 operator not to say, "Is anyone in danger of being hurt?" and if the answer is no, then "why don't you ask the person yourself what she's doing there."

[Xipe Totec]

4. I want to know why they don't file false report charges. nt

[LisaM]

26. That's my question, too.

They all make me mad, but the dorm one makes me the most angry of all, because the caller had done it before.

I don't blame the police for responding to the calls; it's what they are supposed to do (though how they act after they get there is on them).

[RhodeIslandOne]

25. Because if they don't and "something happens"....

There are numerous stories of cops deciding not to respond to situations that sounded like nothing and turned out to be serious and people on every social platform including this one excoriate them for it.

[cyclonefence]

28. That's true

but then why have 911 to indicate genuine life-threatening emergencies? Not arguing with you, but isn't this crazy? If you were a racist wanting to hassle someone whose skin color irked you, you could call 911 and be sure that the cops would at the very least question said persons.

I guess maybe the solution would be some kind of fine for people who call 911 for non-emergencies? I'd actually like to see that white woman at Yale be handed a bill for a couple of hundred dollars for wasting the police's time.

[RhodeIslandOne]

29. It is crazy

But "cover your ass" rules the legal system

[ExciteBike66]

30. This

Cops know the blowback they would suffer if they were the ones who decided what calls to respond to.

[Lee-Lee]

33. Because if someone calls they have to go

That’s just how it is. If they don’t go then that opens the door to even bigger problems if it’s a legit call.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I agree

It's getting absolutely bonkers. And what's worse is that police departments don't seem to be using their critical thinking skills and screening some of this stuff out from the get go and/or punishing people for making false reports.

[Afromania]

6. Why do black people hate the police? (every racist and bigoted fuck ever)

Simple answer is that we don't. Now what I'd like to know is why their buddies in fuckery think it's ok to use the police as a bludgeon against us.

I mean "I" know the answer but I would love to hear the attempt their trump voting asses would make regarding the answer. I'm guessing it's going to involve blaming the victim.

[ret5hd]

7. When some people figured out that calling the cops was a good way...

to get someone they don't like hurt/killed without having to go to jail/prison for doing it themselves.

[dalton99a]

34. Bingo

[3Hotdogs]

8. Simple: "When you see somethin', say somethin'" becomes permission to call on anything that bothers

you.

[BarbaRosa]

9. Cowardly bullying,

when you don't have the courage to do it yourself.

[BlueDog22]

10. Nailed It

I agree.

[moriah]

11. I have called twice since getting back to the "city".

I'm feeding a deceased friend's cats on a Sunday morning and I saw one of the neighbors doors was wide open, no cars home, as I drove by. That's not normal for that house. I fed cats and as I am coming back I examine more closely. It looks like the door was kicked in. I called the non-emergency number, said I didn't want anyone hurt because they were asleep with their front door open and I wasn't seeing the door correctly, but I wasn't about to get closer.

Yep, it'd been kicked in, TV stolen.

Second time was scarier for me. I know my across-the-street neighbor, a gay black guy with an abusive ex (learned about the abusive ex from him showing up once before and causing a scene, me coming outside made him leave, neighbor thanked me, but it also meant I knew ex's car). I didn't just hear arguing this time, it sounded like someone was getting killed, front door open, same car there. I called 911, and gave them the resident's name and that the car present looked like his abusive ex's, and that it sounded like someone was getting hurt. Apparently neighbor got off one 911 call but I was able to give more info.

I waited, scared. I knew this was a potentially dangerous situation, but sadly violent thugs were needed to deal with the violent thug presumably hurting my neighbor -- just was hoping they'd not hurt my neighbor if he was starting to get the better end of the fight.

Fortunately the cops did their jobs, arrested the correct person, didn't hurt my neighbor worse than he already was. FWIW my neighbor thanked me for getting involved.

But you don't call violent thugs when violent thuggery isn't necessary.

[Mister Ed]

13. If those cops saved your gay black neighbor from harm or possible death...

...then I would like to gently suggest that it's unfair to label them "violent thugs".

[moriah]

15. Cops are violent thugs that we hope are on our side.

Doesn't diminish the fact we train and pay them to be violent thugs when violent thuggery is necessary for the protection of non-violent people.

[TheFrenchRazor]

12. i agree that minding one's own business is a lost art; needs to be revived for sure. nt

[shenmue]

14. It's fucking ridiculous, and seems to be mostly done by racists.

[dalton99a]

35. +1.

[0rganism]

16. "if you see something say something"

remember that glorious tidbit? that was some gasoline for the deplorable bonfires.
clearly not all of us agree on what exactly "something" is, but apparently whenever we see it we're supposed to call the G-D cops
i'd bet money some of the G-D cops are sick of it too.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

18. Sheesh, beat me by a minute!

[0rganism]

20. looks like 3HotDogs beat us both by about 30

we. are. so. slow.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

17. Outgrowth of the post-9/11 "If you see something, say something" thing?

[EffieBlack]

19. It's nothing new.

It's been getting more attention of late.

[loyalsister]

48. I wondered if that's the case

I have heard people say that cops unarmed killing people of color and inflicting violence is not new - it is just being filmed.
That the beating of Rodney King was filmed, was sort of a flook because large video cameras weren't easy to be tote around. But the violence itself was more of an every day event. As a white person I was not fully aware.
But now that I have learned more, I've become more hesitant to involve security or authority even under obvious circumstances. Maybe the reverse has been true among some who embrace privilege? Especially those who fear losing it.

[zipplewrath]

21. Replacement for lynching

Quite honestly I suspect what you are seeing is a reaction of the erosion of white privilege. People no longer can intimidate each other in these situations, so they seek to access the power of the police. Mind you, it is basically white people who are imbued with this expectation. I do wish the police would first discuss with the caller why they are calling and what they expect them to do about it. That might expose the problem being with the caller more than anything else.

[mythology]

22. To be fair, the woman making a scene over charges at Waffle House

Was allegedly making gun threats. Which goes to the fact that it's no longer true that saying something yourself might just result in a fist fight. Too many idiots with guns.

[Cha]

23. I don't know when that became a thing.. I

never call the cops.

I like your OP calling it out.

[Guilded Lilly]

24. When the ignorant, racist and hateful were enabled by a vengeful, twisted sociopath...

who treasonously occupied the White House and sent us spiraling into anti-humanity hell on earth.

[PoliticAverse]

27. Is it more common than it used to be or do we just know about it more thanks to the Internet? n/t

[brush]

52. It's easier with cell phones, and easy to record the results of these...

false calls with cell phones—and the videos end up online.

[Corgigal]

31. Worked 911 for ten years

In the 1990s, they call for the damn time. We answered 1500 calls a day, back then for a major city in Florida.

Cops respond to service calls, they are prioritized, but they will. Even if you have a flat tire on the side of the road, Mr. Passerby called and told us. However I monitor my old agency, haven't had any questionable shootings but they have a rigorous system in place to select who they hire.
Other agencies might not spend that type of money.

I call 911, just did a year ago for almost dead overdose in our apt complex. To each their own judgement.

[maxrandb]

37. Somebody dying is exactly why you would call 911

I think another issue is that law enforcement needs to do a better job on educating people about their "Non-Emergency" number.

Hell, I've lived in the city I'm at for 25 years, and I have never seen law enforcement do an educational spot about who you call for the "cat in the tree" shit.

911 has made it very easy to reach out to law enforcement and emergency services, but it seems like no one knows the non-emergency number of their local police.

Police also have to try to understand that walking into a downtown Starbucks in the middle of the day, in broad daylight, with folks just sitting there, DOES NOT REQUIRE THEM TO UNCLIP THEIR HOLSTERS AND PUT THEIR HANDS ON THEIR GUNS when they walk through the door.

What the hell ever happened to "de-escalating" the event.

De-escalating means that sometimes...EVEN THE COPS NEED TO MIND THEIR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS AND WALK AWAY!!!!!

[Corgigal]

40. Cop aren't gonna walk away.

The call will return. If they see nothing, they clear the call. Don't like it, contact your local agency and ask to see the SOP.

We switch to you non priority if you're not 911 call. Again, a big agency.

I also know when to call 911, but thank you.

[tammywammy]

41. In my city the non-emergency number is 911.

The dispatchers prioritize calls.

[Corgigal]

42. Also works.

We would just listen for as long as needed, after we get the address, on why you're calling. Might need EMS for an ambulance, cops will respond on certain calls to protect EMS. If a hot in active call, 911 will stay on the line. If non emergency, we get you off the 911 line.

In big cities, EMS dispatchers are trained different the law enforcement ones. I've been both, but different calls and responses.

[maxrandb]

43. That's kind of stupid

Do you mean that if the cops walk into a Starbucks, talk to a couple of guys who are peaceful, unarmed and explained that they are just waiting for a friend, the cops can't just say; "thanks for your cooperation citizen" and walk out the door?

I would love for the cops to come into my neighborhood (fairly affluent) and start detaining every kid that is just sitting around minding their own business.

I'll bet you the fucking law enforcement tactics would change "right, quick" if it were the kids of wealthy white America getting stopped every day.

Oh, and even though my neighborhood is upper middle class, the cops could find a shit-ton of broken headlights, inoperable tail-lights, broken side mirrors, fireworks, expired inspection stickers and "out of state" plates if they wanted to.

Wonder why they don't????

[Corgigal]

44. Doesn't matter what we believe are stupid.

Private property should have their own security, but don't so taxpayers can pay for a law enforcement response instead.

Again, check your local police dept SOP. I don't wonder why.

[maxrandb]

45. It absolutely matters what we believe is stupid

See...in a Democracy, we have the power to change stupid shit, so it's important to identify stupid shit.

[Corgigal]

46. Call your local Starbucks

Ask them what do they do when they have a suspicions person? Trust me, that's what they told us on the 911 line. Have to respond, not their call.

[Lee-Lee]

32. When schools started calling cops instead of handling kids themselves

That teaches kids that what you do in every difficult situation is call the cops.

I seriously believe this is a big part of it. There was a time when teachers and principals did their job and handled unruly kids. The cops being called was a rare thing. Very rare. Now it’s almost daily to have a cop involved in minor disciplinary actions every day.

Now? Kid won’t give up her cell phone? Call a cop. Kid is disruptive in class? Call a cop. Kid had a clock he made? Call a cop.

There are time when it’s appropriate to invoke LE, and sadly sometimes they don’t. But more often they involve the cops in situations where they absolutely don’t need a cop, to the point in some agencies the SRO is more like an assistant principal for discipline than a cop.

And all the other kids see this. And it’s a lesson they learn, if your in any situation you just don’t want to handle call a cop just like their teachers did. When little Johnny see the cops called on a classmate who won’t quit using her cellphone because the teacher doesn’t want to do his job himself he learns that you call the cops for anything you don’t want to handle yourself.

[loyalsister]

49. "handled unruly kids"

That is the kind of language used in reference to kids by policy makers who endorse corporal punishment in schools. What you described doesn't question the legitimacy of various interpretations of behaviors.

The other side of your concern is the criminalization of children and the authoritarian chain of command that gives police the power teachers with punitive styles and philosophies wish they had.

[Mariana]

36. It isn't the norm. Very few people do that. nt.

[fxw]

38. You forgot golfing too slowly*

[oberliner]

39. It's not new

Just more people with camera phones and social media platforms.

[alarimer]

47. I blame the internet.

Self-righteousness is all over social media in all kinds of contexts. Lots of people just want attention.

I also think people are afraid of confrontation, so it's easier to make the cops do it, because it's their job. Even for dumb stuff that really isn't.

[Blue_Tires]

50. It's backlash intended to humiliate and dehumanize us...

[TNLib]

51. I think this has always gone on just the police use to or use more sense in those situations.

Statics have shown that violent crime and robberies have gone down and I sometimes wonder if the police are just looking for trouble where there isn't any just to justify their jobs.