this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024

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THE POLICE PROBLEM

thepoliceproblem@lemmy.world

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The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.

99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.

When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.

When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."

When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.

Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.

The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.

All this is a path to a police state.

In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.

Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.

That's the solution.

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Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.

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• A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions

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• Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.

• Police lie under oath, a lot

• Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak

• Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street

• Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States

• So you wanna be a cop?

• When the police knock on your door

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Video shows Toronto police cruiser hits pedestrian, organization says it wasn't a 'collision' (www.youtube.com)

submitted 2 years ago by EvilLootbox@lemmy.world to c/thepoliceproblem@lemmy.world

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[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 48 points 2 years ago (1 child)

She'd be facing 10 years if shit was reversed!

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[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

She still might have, but luckily there was a third party video (and made available immediately).

There is no telling what damages she probably made to the vehicle whilst resisting ~~arrest~~ being hit by a police car. Not to mention that the police dog (a police officer in a furry suit) would have found trace particles of acorn in her vicinity. Honestly, she should be really glad the cop was running late to shoot someone else.

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[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Lol they claim no harm no foul. I dare any driver to do to a cop, what the cop did to that pedestrian, and see if the TPS says the same thing.

That lady needs to get paid, and reminder to anyone that this happens to, sell that hit like you're Cristiano Ronaldo and make sure that cop gets in shit, and you get your money.

[–] Player2@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago

A car hitting a pedestrian should be handled on the same level as attempted murder.

[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -31 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Maybe controversial comment in a community like this, but I agree that it did not look like a collision.

A "sorry" would have been enough in most cases if this had not been a police car and the pedestrian had maybe been a bit more laid back.

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[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago (1 child)

If a cop saw that, you'd better believe that the cop would give the driver a ticket. Maybe just a failure to yield the right of way, but someone's getting a ticket.

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -28 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm not sure really. Maybe some places. Here, it may depend on who the cop is and if they're having a bad day. Also I am sure that there are massive differences not only among cops but also from country to country.

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[+] voracitude@lemmy.world 19 points 2 years ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 child)

[deleted]

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -18 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Yeah.. This is the part about stating this in the wrong community. I'm just adding the "human" element into this.

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[+] voracitude@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 child)

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

This is my argument though. At least here (Denmark) you could be lucky and not get a ticket for this. I'd argue that you'd more likely not get a ticket as long as everything was civilised and both parts talked it out.

I understand that there are differences between cops and definetelly countries too, if it's true that according to an other comment you'd get **10 years for this!?!? **

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[+] voracitude@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 child)

[deleted]

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I don't even think killing someone would give 10 years here unless it was premeditated.

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[+] voracitude@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

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[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Look up assault and battery of an officer

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[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 years ago

They are professionals who are supposed to be the most skilled drivers, shooters, and conflict resolvers on the beat. Bad policing is bad policing and the people that have been granted the ability to take away our freedoms and liberties at a moments notice need to be held to a higher standard.

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[–] 4am@lemm.ee 1 point 2 years ago

Humans don’t often lick boots as much.

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[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

Around me, if a cop sees you drive through an intersection and someone is using the crosswalk, even if you had plenty of room, you can get a ticket. Especially in tourist filled downtowns, like Madison or Door County towns. Probably get away with it in Milwaukee.

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[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

There is no way I would have drove off if I was the driver in a situation like that. Not even if I was on my way to my favorite donut shop forced to give me free donuts.

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

After making sure nothing had happened and made sure that no damage was done, and that the person was ok, why would you stick around? What more would you talk about?

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[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago

Idk, just common human things I guess, perhaps cultural differences too. At the very least I would not be the first to leave the scene.

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[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

If I did this to a cop with my car, would the cops just accept my sorry?

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[+] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world -6 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

I don't know where you are but here you'd have good chances that they would yes.

That said police here are very down to earth and done assume the worst. Check their Twitter. They try to establish a friendly approach to policing

https://twitter.com/kobenhavnpoliti?lang=en

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[–] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

Are you in Toronto? I am, the cops here are NOT down to earth. I remember the G20, and our cops here are every bit as bad as the u.s. the only time I've experienced racism aimed at me in my life, was from TPS, never the people in Toronto I grew up with, only the cops

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