Police

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This is based on events in the US but probably applies elsewhere.

So what is the role of police in modern society? The short answer is, law enforcement. It is their job to bring those who perform illegal acts to justice as a way to discourage others from doing the same. As well as to ensure that lawbreakers are punished as called for by the criminal code. As an added benefit, their efforts improve security in the communities they serve with all the benefits that implies.

It is not, strictly speaking, the job of the police to improve the lives of people in the community in general, or to help people who are simply in trouble although not in connection with illegal activity. However, in reality, police often do just that. And often when they don't, the community expects then to anyway, or at least to do so more enthusiastically or effectively than they do.

So it turns out that crime rates have recently risen in many US jurisdictions, typically cities but I won't say just cities. As for the security aspect I mentioned above, this has already had a bad effect on these places and I am quite frankly concerned. The immediate cause seems to be recent uncertainty concerning the role of police and how they do their job.

There is a lot of potential irony in all this. Most of us probably read books or watch films and TV shows in which the police are portrayed as heroes, or else in which the protagonist is a police officer who struggles with the "moral dilemmas" presented by their job.

Are real-life police much like the police we see on TV?

In many places, corruption is more or less a given. Often a police salary is far from enough to survive on so the police officer accepts bribes even though they may violate his personal code of ethics. He may spend a lot of time in church to compensate (possibly praying alongside a person who regularly bribes him).

In many places, police are forced to act in support of tyrannical governments, committing acts that might be considered crimes but about which there is no choice.

Consider that the mayor of New York City has alienated the members of the Police trade union, for publicly saying things that were arguably true to some extent yet I would argue that he was an idiot to say them in public.

As an aside, my mother who grew up in NYC to some extent used to sometimes make remarks about "dumb cops" which would sort of startle me. I wonder what early experiences she may have had that would cause her to say that?

Also consider the image of police spending days on the highway awarding citations for exceeding the speed limit on an empty road with perfect driving conditions, to meet their monthly quota, while children are being shot in the inner city? Not to forget the amount of effort expended fighting the War on Drugs.

Whatever, the problem I stated above seems to be getting worse and I haven't seen any credible plan to improve it.

Does anybody here have some connection with the police (e.g. through family relationship) or is possibly a police officer themselves (see "The Bridge" I suppose anything is possible)? Or not? And has something to say on the topic?

you are incorrect. punishment is not the domain of police.

Police apprehend criminals and hand them over to the criminal justice system so they can face justice, and punishment if convicted.

Not a fan of the police personally, though the ones I've encountered a nice (I know, its a contradiction)

I don't even want to go to the States with how trigger happy the cops are there.

Agreed. Nor is passing judgement on guilt or innocence. Nor is even getting to the bottom of who did what in a a situation (most patrol cops/thats a detective's job) In theory it is "to protect and serve" the public. Was that way for many years. So yes, helping private citizens in need is part of their job. They are paid with tax revenue. If you pay taxes, the police are your employees in a sense. Except try telling one that and you're likely to have your face smashed in on the concrete or hood of his car.

Today the police are there to generate revenue for the dept. This is done through tickets and drug seizures. Which is one reason why in criminalized states they look so hard for marijuana. The fines and possible seizures are a gold mine. Secondly, they are there to intimidate and suppress the public. They are everywhere, all the time staring at everyone like a suspect. In suburban non-violent communities. You call that security. I call that intimidation. Its a over excessive show of a controlling presence you cannot escape from, and many of them feel its their right to do or say anything the damn well please because they have a costume on.

I understand there's an important place for police. There are crimes. But police are like a legal mafia to an extent. They have so much power, and you have little recourse against it. They never rat on their own. Their word holds exponentially yours in any court anywhere. They can hit, threaten, destroy property, steal, or make things up to screw your life if they want to (not all do, but some do, and can and will). They get free stuff many places they walk into. They go through lights and disobey traffic laws when not responding to a call constantly. They are totally above the law while being the law and enforcing the law on their own terms quite often. And the police can be a very prideful meat-headed bunch (again not all, Ive met some real good ones dont get me wrong). Point of it all is sometimes you have more to fear from them than the threats they are protecting you from.

The answer gets even scarier. Because you go one of two ways. Surveillance state, or modern day wild west. And who wants either? Most people could handle either one.

But police also need to show respect like they used to years ago to the public.

In which jurisdictions are crime rates trending upwards?

I come from a family with a long tradition of serving in law enforcement. Cops are traitorous scum who sold out to the ruling class and oppress their working-class brethren for a living in exchange for a spot in the middle class.

According to this Time article from July 9, U.S. Cities See a Wave of Homicides, we have:

St. Louis - almost 60% increase in homicides, 40% robberies
Washington DC - 18% increase in homicides
Milwaukee - murders have doubled
Chicago - homicides up almost 20%

As of last Thursday, Baltimore has had 212 homicides whereas the total there for all of last year was 217.

The rates had been falling, see this article despite the title: America’s 2014 Murder Capital.

Something is wrong.

St. Louis crime seems to be trending down:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-St ... souri.html

Crime in the district seems to be at a plateau:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Wa ... umbia.html

Crime in Milwaukee seems to be at a plateau:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Mi ... onsin.html

Chicago crime seems to be trending down:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ch ... inois.html

There may be recent blips, but overall rates are from steady to decreasing.

Well I personally can only hope with all the current and advancing technology, there will be no choice but to hold them responsible for their actions just like the rest of us. I mean I am glad if I was to see police doing something despicable I or anyone with a phone could capture some of the 'evidence' in pictures or videos and put it on the internet for everyone to see. I am not so sure the problem has really drastically increased in the past couple years or if its just more visible now...either way at least its more or less out in the open.

Has yet to be seen if the citizens can find a way to unite on common ground and stand up to this abuse, and put a stop to it....or if the move towards a authoritarian police state will continue. In which case there will be lots more cases of police doing unethical things and brutalizing the population because its their 'job' and 'they have no choice'. I imagine the outcome of this election could also effect this...then again for all we know the plan is already in place and this election is just a great big distraction.

If the people are divided enough, then that means the more corrupt elements of police and government....have a much better chance of successfully pushing back. I mean if everyone's fighting over race, class, immigration, welfare ect how can we actually except to hold the government or police to the standards they're supposed to abide by? You think they're happy people can snap pictures and videos on their phone and expose some of this stuff? or that they aren't going to fight back and try and silence people....they already try to do that. Recently some police officers in California tried to appeal to a judge in court to throw out a surveillance video from a dispensary they raided which shows one mocking a disabled women who had an amputated leg, all of them munching on edibles(stolen goods? doing drugs on duty?) as well as the police breaking the other surveillance camras on account of their 'privacy' being violated. The judge ruled against them so the video will be used as evidence....I mean what gives them the idea they get special privacy rights when in public places or places of business where there are cameras for security reasons? Its kind of disturbing they even have that mindset.

That data is 2 years old. Refer to my previous post, the trend was downwards even last year. What I'm talking about is VERY recent.

And it's too early to tell if it is more than just an aberration.

Just to clarify, and correct me if I'm wrong so that I can adjust my read of your statement:

If people aren't united around your hatred of cops, then the more corrupt elements of police and government have a better chance of successfully pushing back.

We need to unite around this evil of destroying the police state, just as we need to unite around fighting the evil of rape culture, and climate change, and Islamophobia, etc, etc, etc. They're all important battles, but this one is slightly more important.

We need to drop our free associations and join in on the more important war you're fighting. One that doesn't end with fighting the police state. After the police state, with the same sense of urgency and warnings of an end-days reckoning if we don't confront the problem, you'll declare a new fight lol, where you'll give prophetic warnings of the end of all that's good, if we don't join up with your social justice activism.

Police use of force in this nation needs to be reconsidered.

There's too much of it, generally speaking.

I think it might be difficult for them to do their job because then leftists amongst the public will go on a lynchmob after them the next time a white cop kills a young black male. Nobody wants to be called a racist, or to have their home address tweeted/reposted on the internet for social justice warriors to harass.

Why do they believe that doing their job requires that level of force?