Police Brutality and Misconduct

[Neurotoxin]

http://www.presstv.com/detail/2012/07/27/252995/us-govt-scared-of-occupy-movement/


Is police brutality and misconduct a big deal, or no?

[Warborn]

Pretty big deal but not unexpected. Cops are just regular people with typically a low level of education and otherwise no remarkable characteristics. Their job isn't particularly dangerous, they get paid relatively well, and they have the added perk of being able to do illegal things with a very low chance of being prosecuted for it. So it's really the perfect place for people who want to brutalize people to go.

But getting anything done about it is basically impossible. There are enough people who respect cops simply because society tells them they need to respect cops that there's never a shortage of people who'll take the side of the police regardless of circumstances. Beyond that, there are folks who'll look at the catalyst for the Anaheim incident, where an unarmed guy was murdered for the crime of running away, and shrug the shoulders and say "Well if he didn't run from the cops that never would have happened!" And corruption and brutality are so ingrained into the mindset of most police forces that you'd never be able to fix the situation unless you fired everyone and started totally anew.

So yeah, just do your best to avoid ever interacting with the fuckers and give them no reason to beat/kill you and you'll be okay. But Odin help you if you ever want to take to the streets in protest these days.

[CutterJohn]

I'd have to find the figures again, but cops commit murder/assaults/etc at about the same rate that the general population does, proving they are just people.

On the other hand, they tend to get much more lenient punishments for most offenses. Sometimes only losing their jobs/pensions for what should be an offense that gets them years.



The one thing that should change: There should be an independent organization whose sole job and responsibility is investigating police. Police should never be allowed to handle it internally and declare we found nothing wrong with our employees conduct. Any criminal charges should be handled by a non local prosecutor as well and judge as well.

[Vash02]

I'd have to find the figures again, but cops commit murder/assaults/etc at about the same rate that the general population does, proving they are just people. You cant compare the public and the police without performing psychiatric tests and knowledge of the law exams on the public and excluding those who fail. Then you can compare the two. But seeing as they probably have not been selected for, if you are correct about those numbers, they are worrying.

[Figment]

Not necessarily, if they have the same rate as the general public, that's actually a good thing, considering they get into dangerous situations and carry weapons far more frequently than your average person.


That said, police brutality tends to be largely down to stress, adrenaline and bad training and selection (lacking self-discipline and ethics). They also get into more situations where it may be profitable to look the other way or get tempted with bribes than your average person.

Are there statistics on police brutality per country btw? Human rights watch might have those?

[BuzzCutPsycho]

Pretty big deal but not unexpected. Cops are just regular people with typically a low level of education and otherwise no remarkable characteristics. Their job isn't particularly dangerous, they get paid relatively well, and they have the added perk of being able to do illegal things with a very low chance of being prosecuted for it. So it's really the perfect place for people who want to brutalize people to go.

That or the military. Hah!

On that note a lot of ex-military rejects tend to join the police force as well. Most are on detox from Iraq/Afghanistan so it only compounds the problem and increases the chance of violence and brutality.

[Warborn]

Anaheim cop:

http://i.imgur.com/QVWNE.jpg

The line between military and police is pretty fuzzy, partly because a lot of cops are ex-military, and partly because the police services have been trained to dehumanize their targets in the same way soldiers are. It's easier to beat down a bunch of people you don't really consider people.

[ItsTheSheppy]

Anaheim cop:

http://i.imgur.com/QVWNE.jpg

The line between military and police is pretty fuzzy, partly because a lot of cops are ex-military, and partly because the police services have been trained to dehumanize their targets in the same way soldiers are. It's easier to beat down a bunch of people you don't really consider people.

I will admit that what's going down in Anaheim right now is some shady bullshit.

[Figment]

Speaking of police Lawl-enforcers:

http://jonathanturley.org/2012/08/03/angry-vermont-farmer-flattens-police-cars-and-makes-slow-escape/

[Neurotoxin]

Protesters roll up to Anaheim Police Station

Anaheim PD Protest Police Brutality - YouTube