What is your impression of your local police?

[Mr. Ected]

Where I live, I see them as little more than revenue collectors for the municipality; predators, hiding over a hilltop, awaiting the next victim who exceeds the speed limit. In my experience, speed is only one of many factors which create dangerous driving conditions. The police seldom pull over tailgaters, or people who cruise the middle turn lane for thousands of feet. They are responsible for a great deal of traffic havoc, as well as those who drive too slowly.

The cops in our town are oftentimes thugs with a badge. I know it's harsh, and I know that they have a tough job to do. But it's not a license to be an asshole.

[Symarip]

1. I typically don't care for the police

I'll leave it at that. Last time we had this discussion, it went bad.

[mix]

2. thugs, i have never known cops to be anything else n/t

[SoxFan]

3. Generally positive

They perform a tough job with patience and professionalism.

We have a very good police chief. He worked his way through Suffolk University law school while working as a beat cop, then headed the internal affairs unit, where he earned a reputation as a guy who was tough but fair. he's done a good job of restoring morale and boosting community-based policing in Manchester.

[TZ]

4. okay I guess.

I really haven't had much interaction with them.I'm a goody-goody. Sue me..:shrug:

[LibDemAlways]

5. Useless.

When my house was robbed, the idiot who showed up 3 hours after I phoned 911 didn't even want to dust for prints, telling me in all likelihood the guy who stole my stuff would never be caught and trying to do anything about it would be "a waste of time."

However, the local cops are good at hiding in the bushes and issuing traffic citations.

[lukasahero]

6. The police in my town are great

They're probably a little bored so whenever our house alarm goes off, they're here in a heartbeat. :) They bring biscuits for my dog - who's usually responsible for setting off the alarm. :rofl:

I like living in a smallish town.

[femmocrat]

7. We don't have local police.

We have to call the State Police who are about 20 miles away. My experiences with them have always been positive though. They are very polite and professional. They come out... eventually, depending on the nature of the complaint, I guess.

Because so many of the towns and townships around here depend on them, they are considering levying a tax on residents to pay for their protection. Don't think that will be very popular!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. Same here...notionally 30 minutes response time

I am out in the middle of bloody nowhere and am pretty much on my own. Its been an issue a few times. Dispatchers apparently have the ability to have notes on an address which is helpful for new responders to find me.

[backtoblue]

8. sour grapes

no elaboration for fear of spies...

[Mr. Ected]

12. Wrong. No sour grapes whatsoever

I have never received a traffic citation, in over 30 years of driving.

I do, however, take issue with cops taking the easy way out; lying in wait for transgressors when the town is replete with violators that are far more dangerous on the roads than the guy going 45 in a 35 zone.

[SeaLyons]

15. Mr. Ected, guess what....

we live in the same town!!!!

About three months ago, I was pulled over for going 42 in a 25 zone. I didn't think I was going fast at all, (it was Tribble Gap), but anyway, he just gave me a warning and was very nice. I too haven't had a ticket in over 30 years.

[Mr. Ected]

17. Pleased to meet you!

I would be the first to admit, there are good cops and bad cops. The badge only amplifies the character of the person wearing it.

It's amazing what a small world we live in!

[SeaLyons]

21. pleased to meet you too!!

It's nice to know there is at least one fellow democrat in our town...:hi:

[Mr. Ected]

28. That would make a grand total of....2 of us....

OK, I'm exaggerating.

In the past couple weeks, we've had 2 new couples move into our neighborhood with Obama stickers on their cars.

Already, I've had several neighbors grumble to me that the socialists have taken over the subdivision.

I keep my politics quiet (self-preservation), but I must admit, I chuckle to myself.

[City of Mills]

9. Good guys

Never had a problem with the cops in my city, they're not jerks (at least to me), friendly, good-natured overall. I find the surrounding suburbs have much snobbier, uptight cops and I think it has a lot to do with the amount of crime. City cops seem to have more to do, while the suburb guys seem bored and more anxious to prove they can lord their power over you.

[HopeHoops]

10. We have a township department. They are all great.

They take pride in what they do and will stop the car just to chat. One even stopped to watch our fireworks display for a while one year before moving on to another. We take anal-retentive safety precautions - he was just watching (had some good ones going).

[JonLP24]

11. Assholes

Long story but I was seriously in the wrong place in the wrong time as a 17 year old, whenever I told the TRUTH I was called repeatedly a "liar", "dumbass", "idiot" as well as various epithets.

They are also known to shoot and kill teenagers under questionable circumstances. They awarded a 3 million dollar lawsuit to Mario Madrigal Jr's son the same day they got caught on camera slamming a black male's head on a police cruiser in police custody in the parking lot of the police station.

However there was one cool cop that even helped me out and I ran into him a couple of times. He is a black male though, the white cops I ran into are assholes.

[cwydro]

13. Two of them work parttime where I work.

And they're the nicest guys anyone could meet.

Overall unfortunately, the department here has a bad reputation.

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. Ours all seem to be pretty decent and helpful, and quite visible.

they set up speed traps, sure, but that's part of the system. We have some roads that people love to drive way too fast on, and some are near schools.

[Heidi]

16. Our local police are okay. We hardly ever see them.

The state police look like storm troopers, though, and they're armed with machine guns.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

18. Not good -- it is the NYPD after all.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. Dupe, delete.

[BlueJazz]

20. Here in St. Petersburg, the Police are fairly cool. I've been going over the speed limit...

...and seen a Cop behind me...caught a red light and the cop pulls up beside me and just waves her finger from side to side as if to say...NO, NO, NO ! (She could have EASILY given me a ticket)

I see very few people pulled over for an infraction here.

On the other hand....when I lived in Jacksonville (Hicksville) the Cops LOVED to hang out in the poorer sections of town...acting like a spider waiting for a meal.
In the area across the river, (where the more affluent lived), the story was the opposite ...you could just about "Drag Race" before
the Police would stop you and even then it was a light warning.

Typical ultra-right-wing City...Fuck the Poor!

[Iggo]

22. LAPD

Guess.

[Deep13]

24. Too many of them and kind of douchy. nt

[Iggo]

25. Oops, you said local.

The LAPD are actually down the road.

My local police should be Whittier PD, but I live in a weird limbo area because of the riverbed behind our house and the fact that we live on the border (convergence, really) of Whittier, La Mirada and La Habra. I think the La Habra PD are our guys, but I never see them, so it's hard to give an opinion. We live in a relatively quiet neighborhood with 3 or 4 cop families (oh, the fireworks! lol). But, like I said, no real opinion because I ain't seen 'em in the 2-1/2 years I've been here.

[Roon]

26. Denver cops always have bigger fish to fry

So for the most part they leave you alone,cept for traffic. But once they contact you,all bets are off..they will illegally search your car..illegaly search your home..they want that BIG bust.

[Tobin S.]

27. They like convenience stores a lot

There really isn't a whole lot for them to do around here unless there is an accident. It's pretty quiet. I live in a suburb of Dayton, btw. The Dayton city cops have got a lot more on their hands.

[graywarrior]

29. Local cops are great

Staties scare the crap out of me.

[susanr516]

30. About 10 years ago,

I came to the conclusion that little more than a badge separates police officers from the people they arrest. I have never been arrested or stopped for anything more serious than a speeding ticket.

[Strong Atheist]

31. Recommended,

dammit! x(