Hi Everyone

[jolt_34500]

Well here, I am not as much afraid of the cops as I am the drunks here, which is quite numerous. I have dealt with the police dept here over the years and I have been here all of my life, in fact the chief is a friend of the family. But I do know those here, being a very small town that will cause me trouble and thus why I don't go into public.

[Since1982]

Wherever "HERE" is. Jolt, you could be in the Himalayas for all we know. Could you at least tell us what country "HERE" is in?

[crfriend]

[Tackling "suspects" is] standard procedure here in the USA. All police here are taught in training how to tackle a "suspect" how to kneel on his head while cuffing him with their full body weight, how to interrogate prisoners in their police cars, how to badger prisoners into saying anything that can be added as an additional charge against them.

I can speak from some authority on the matter having dealt with US police on "both ends" of the "stick". I was arrested once, on spurious charges, and the treatment I got wasn't pleasant at all; in fact it cost me the use of my fingers for precision work for about three weeks whilst the nerve damage caused by over-tight handcuffs healed (all charges subsequently either tossed out or dropped). That said, my more recent dealings with my local constabulary have been, without exception, exemplary; they have shown utmost professionalism and courtesy in the times I've interacted with them.

That said, the typical "law enforcement" type here in the US tends very heavily toward the "jackbooted thug". It's a sad commentary on what used to be a country that celebrated the freedom of the individual, but those times are long past. However, to say that they're all as bad as what shows up in "reality TV" (an oxymoron) is a misrepresentation.

As an aside, the majority of the local cops have seen me in my skirts. I have not even once received so much as a sideways glance.

To the UK crowd -- does "cop" stand for "Constable On Patrol", a slang shorthand for "copper" (referring to the buttons on the early uniforms), both, or something else? I believe that the term migrated westward 'cross the pond. Curious minds are, well, curious....

[jolt_34500]

East Central New Hampshire Skip.

[RichardN]

CR,
"Cop" definitely comes from "copper" which has been British slang since the early days of policing. The derivation, however, may be from the (British?) verb "to cop". See below.

Wikipedia has the following:

Cop: while commonly believed to be an acronym for Constable on patrol, the term refers to "one who captures or snatches". This word first appeared in the early 18th century, and can be matched with the word "cap", which has the same meaning and whose etymology can be traced to the Latin word 'capere'. (The word retains this meaning in other contexts: teenagers "cop a feel" on a date, and they have also been known to "cop an attitude".)

Variation: Copper. It is also believed that the term Copper was the original, unshortened word, representing the copper badges officers used to wear at the time of origin.

Chambers has:

Copper noun, slang, chiefly Brit: a policeman. Often shortened to cop noun. Derivation: 19c from cop.

Cop noun, slang: 1 a policemen. 2 an arrest. > cop out colloq to avoid a resposibility; to escape. verb: (copped, copping) 1 to catch. 2 to grab; to seize. 3 to suffer (a punishment, etc). > cop it slang to be punished. > not much cop colloq having little use or interest. Derivation: 18c: from French caper to seize.

"Constable On Patrol" is nothing more than a feeble attempt to make it into an acronym!

Richard

[crfriend]

"Constable On Patrol" is nothing more than a feeble attempt to make it into an acronym!

Thank you, Richard. I'll expunge that piece of misinformation from my already overworked and over-addled brain.

[Since1982]

Anyone in the UK for instance that would like to see Carls "jackbooted thugs" in action need only send my email address their email address and I'll gladly send them a compilation of what I call "Brutal Cops On Patrol" clips on a DVD disc where cops badger, brutalize and kill "suspects". Because it's actually REAL, lawsuits won or not afterwards, just the fact that it is recorded and shown gives a tacit acceptance by the people doing the recording that it is acceptable behaviour by the Police in the United States. I've seen recorded Police vs "suspects" action in 3 countries on these shows and I must say, the USA is the SECOND most brutal. Russia is the first most brutal and possibly a lot of the now commonplace brutality practiced by the American police "might" have been copied from watching tapes of Russian police in action. The third country I've seen police on patrol tapes in is Australia. The Australian police still seem to treat their "suspects" as if they really were "innocent until proven guilty". In America our police still SAY that, but don't really practice what they preach.

Now having said all this, I'm sure the companies that record and show this brutality don't do any recording in the towns and cities that have police that are friendly and careful and polite in their work. Too boring I guess for TV.

If they are only showing these "Jackbooted thugs" because it sells commercials, then it's too bad because it paints all American Police with the same brush. :shake:

[Stu]

Since 1982

If such behaviour by your police is commonplace, I think I'll avoid visiting the US. The police are a public service. They are there to catch the bad guys - and the vast majority of the publc are the good guys (and the guys who pay our wages). In my area, we have approximately four times as many letters of appreciation as we do complaints.

I wonder if guns are part of the problem. Perhaps the US police ought to try working without carrying firearms, as we do here in the UK. And also working alone, instead of always having a "partner". That way, you have to treat people properly, otherwise you are really going to cause yourself a great deal of trouble!

Stu

[Since1982]

Most of these police on those "Cops" shows do work alone. They need the passenger seat for the cameraperson. However, If they get called on a run and there "might" be an arrest, they "call for backup" which usually is about 4 or 5 other cars with an officer in each, then on scene they are all trying to outdo each other in front of the camera. I wish I knew how to put a video together that could be shown here like Ham did. I have one particular clip that would blanch you right out. Two cars stop a speeder. With guns drawn they tell him to get out of his Corvette. He does exactly what they say, they tell him to turn his back to them and reach for the sky with both hands, he does...One officer tells the speeder to "get down on the ground". He starts to turn slightly to tell them he has a broken leg that is very stiff and can't kneel on it. An officer that weighs about 200 pounds tackles the man from the rear, tackles him around the neck and slams his face into the pavement, chipping several teeth and bloodying his face. The man asks for what he's being charged with as he is handcuffed very tightly behind his back by the 2nd officer who is kneeling on his head while doing the cuffing. The officer does not tell him what the charges are and starts interrogating him as to why he was speeding. The man says he didn't realize he was speeding and weren't they just supposed to ticket him? The big officer replies with, "Don't tell us how to do our job", grabs the guy from the ground, drags him to the police car and stuffs him in the back while banging the guys head on the door frame on the way in. And they "NEVER" read him his Miranda rights.

And the "Cops" show people actually filmed and showed that brutality on Television as if it was perfectly normal police work. And that section is just the tip of the iceberg. No wonder people don't stop as soon as they see a blue light behind them. Once they've seen this type thing on TV, they don't want anything to do with these stormtroopers.

[isobar]

the cameraperson

Ah yes, the cameraperson! I doubt if shows like "Cops" offer any kind of insight into day-to-day policing.

[Stu]

Two cars stop a speeder. With guns drawn they tell him to get out of his Corvette. He does exactly what they say, they tell him to turn his back to them and reach for the sky with both hands, he does...One officer tells the speeder to "get down on the ground".

All that for a speeding offence? I'll be keeping well away from the US! That sounds more like what you'd expect in some third world junta republic.

Stu

[Since1982]

Ah yes, the cameraperson! I doubt if shows like "Cops" offer any kind of insight into day-to-day policing.

ohh but they do, IN America, not England. In the crack and meth craze that has hit America our police are expecting nearly everyone they stop to resist or run so they act accordingly whether the person is polite or rude.

[crfriend]

All that for a speeding offence? I'll be keeping well away from the US! That sounds more like what you'd expect in some third world junta republic.

I think it needs pointing out that "reality TV" does not resemble any known reality, nor does it make for particularly good television -- and it's just this sort of nonsense that makes our land look overtly hostile to people; I wish they'd knock it off. Airing what amounts to terrorist drivel is a disservice to the many decent peace officers of the land. There are a few rotten apples to be sure, and the police forces that have them in their midst need to do a better job at ferretting them out and charging them for their offences (the police here typically do a really poor job of policing themselves), but the average cop is likely a perfectly decent individual.

Please don't judge my country on the basis of either entertainment or yellow journalism. If it was as bad as it's made out to be, I'd be on the next freighter out.

[AMM]

I occasionally see cars stopped by police around here, and there seems to be a mix of ways they do things.

The usual is one car, one police car. Here, at least, the rule is that the motorist stays in the car and the officer comes to the motorist and checks his papers. Getting out of the car before being told to is interpreted as an aggressive act (as it often is, around here -- we've had millionaire stockbrokers get out of their cars in a traffic jam and beat people -- even police officers -- with tire irons.)

Sometimes there are multiple police cars, for no reason that I could see (but I didn't investigate.)

I haven't seen scenes like Skip describes. I don't think it would go down well in my village, unless there were extenuating circumstances.


On the other hand, based on what I read in the newspaper and what I heard in 2 years on a Grand Jury, an amazing number of more serious offences are found out during traffic stops. Sometimes when they run the license plate, it turns out the car is stolen. Or when they run the driver's license, he is wanted on a warrant. Or they look inside the car and see weapons, drugs, or obviously stolen goods. Or someone matches the description of a robber reported over the radio. You'd think the crooks would have more sense than to drive the wrong way down a one-way street after a robbery or burglary. You'd be wrong.

Also, when a police officer walks up to a car during a traffic stop, he has no idea who is in the car or how he will react. Sometimes, the motorist just panics and drives off as fast as the car will go, and next day you read in the newspaper about the damage he caused.

And occasionally the motorist will shoot the officer. The officer opens his mouth to say, "can I see your license?" and gets a bullet instead. Not very often, but it only has to happen to you once.

Traffic stops are high-anxiety encounters for police officers, and it pays not to make them any more anxious.


And, yes, there are brutal cops, and police forces with a "cowboy" mentality -- LA and NYC come to mind.

-- AMM

[Skirt Chaser]

cool picture! even I had to look twice to realise it was a denim skirt!

Me too, and we even have the advantage of knowing to look for a skirt. Denim is laden with eyeball Teflon.

Welcome to posting, Mike!

Quiet Mouse