Police Misconduct- have you ever experienced it?

[JamesSavik]

I'm curious to hear from our community:

 

Have you ever been on the wrong end of police misconduct?

 

Bullying, Harassment- that sort of thing?

 

I'm considering a story that involves it and I would like to hear your experiences.

 

If you aren't comfortable replying here, please PM me.

Edited April 15, 2015 by jamessavik

[Puppilull]

I'm probably not the intended target for this poll, but it's apparently not possible to answer No on question 1 and then leave out an answer on question 2. Maybe needs a N/A option?

[Graeme]

I'm probably not the intended target for this poll, but it's apparently not possible to answer No on question 1 and then leave out an answer on question 2. Maybe needs a N/A option?

 

It's traditional at GA to complain about poll options. Congratulations! You've just graduated

[Puppilull]

Why, thank you kind sir!

[Kitt]

LOL there always seem to be a few that the available options don't quite apply to.

[JamesSavik]

I'm probably not the intended target for this poll, but it's apparently not possible to answer No on question 1 and then leave out an answer on question 2. Maybe needs a N/A option?

Fixed

[Puppilull]

Thank you!

 

I understand that not every option can be available, but in this case it was impossible to even answer (because if you haven't been subjected to misconduct, you haven't).

[Cia]

I've come across misogynist cops before, but only one took it past attitude. One was very rude to my sister, and me, when she was pulled over as a teen because 'her muffler was hanging down too low'. He made her get out of the car, in a skirt, and get down on her hands and knees on the wet ground to 'look at it'. Small town being what it was, though, there was no recourse but to be polite to his face and then hate on him later.

[Carlos Hazday]

James, what are you looking for?

 

A cop tried to arrest my baby brother for drunk driving, I was present, advised him to refuse sobriety tests, she threatened to arrest me for interference, I called an attorney friend of mine on a cell phone, he named me his representative on the spot , I was able to tell the cop that and mentioned if she arrested me I'd sue the Miami Police Department. My brother was arrested, I wasn't. He's wearing a tux in his mugshot. I bailed him out within a couple of hours. The judge found him not guilty.

[Kitt]

My apologies.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Kitt

[JamesSavik]

>>James, what are you looking for?

 

GLBT peoples experiences with the cops.

 

For instance, I got pulled over and asked to explain my HRC bumper sticker.

 

My truck was searched and everything I owned tossed on the side of the road.

 

After a little over an hour they gave up and left threatening me with a citation for littering if I didn't pick that shit up.

 

This was fairly recent- 2012 I think. It's pointless to complain. All that will get is retaliation.

 

I was wondering if this was just redneck Mississippi cops or if they acted this way all over.

[Carlos Hazday]

>>James, what are you looking for?

 

GLBT peoples experiences with the cops.

 

For instance, I got pulled over and asked to explain my HRC bumper sticker.

 

My truck was searched and everything I owned tossed on the side of the road.

 

After a little over an hour they gave up and left threatening me with a citation for littering if I didn't pick that shit up.

 

This was fairly recent- 2012 I think. It's pointless to complain. All that will get is retaliation.

 

I was wondering if this was just redneck Mississippi cops or if they acted this way all over.

 

Sorry about what you went through, makes me want to strangle the fuckers. Big time cultural difference, around here even straight people have the HRC sticker on their cars LOL

[DynoReads]

I've had good and bad with cops.

 

I was 17 and walking home from a babysitting job at 3am. I didn't have ID yet. A LEO pulled over and started questioning me. I could hear his radio and police were looking for a 13 yo runaway, who was 5 inches shorter, and really didn't match my description at all. The LEO and I were arguing over the fact that I wasn't the girl he was looking for, and that the curfew didn't apply as I was coming home from a job and had been immancipated. Thankfully Dad had been waiting up for me and had his Fire/Police scanner on. He had heard the LEO call in that he had the girl and give my general description. Dad came to rescue me.

 

My second arguement with a cop is kind of my favorite story. I was coming home late from work with a migraine on a 3 lane interstate. The SUV behind me had his brights on, shining directly in my mirrors. I'd move the car and mirrors so the brights weren't reflecting back into my eyes, and the SUV would pull directly behind me. After 5 minutes of this I pulled off the road to let the guy pass, only to have a police officer pull up behind me. He came up to my window with an attitude, expecting a drunk driver. Never gave his name, just told me I'd been weaving for the past 5 miles. I answered, rather rudely, of course I was, the [several choice cuss words] idiot driver behind me had his brights on, wouldn't pass, and every time I moved so his brights weren't reflecting in my mirrors he'd pull directly behind me again. The officer cleared his throat and said he'd been following me the past 5 miles, turned and left.

[MrM]

I never argue with unstable people in uniforms with guns. 

[JamesSavik]

Down here in Mississippi, Sheriff's deputies tend to be the elected sheriff's worthless in-laws.

 

They aren't very bright, tend to be bullies and are about as progressive as George Wallace.

[TetRefine]

If you want to know about police misconduct, just do some reading up on the Philadelphia Police Department. They are the longest running, most systematically corrupt law enforcement agency in the country. They make the NYPD and LAPD look like squeaky clean boy scouts. Every year there is always some major scandal. Its one of the main reasons I turned down a job opportunity from them.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misconduct_in_the_Philadelphia_Police_Department#2015

[MikeL]

[wildone]

I've seen the bad side of police only on TV, and generally in the US.

 

Up in Canada we don't elect Sheriffs, we have appointed Police Chiefs and the RCMP and some provincial police forces have a Commissioner who is appointed as well. To be an officer you generally need a University/College degree in some aspect of Criminology. There is no nepotism that I know of.

 

As far as complaints, there is citizen oversight committees that handle that as well as the Crown will investigate abuse. There is lots of police in jail for what they have done on and off the job. In my particular city we have a LGBQT liaison officer who works closely with the community and the entire department. Also have some high profile openly gay police officers.

 

So James, sorry, I'm sure there is some abusive and homophobic cops up here, but none that I have heard about.

[JamesSavik]

So James, sorry, I'm sure there is some abusive and homophobic cops up here, but none that I have heard about.

 

If Canada wasn't so darned cold, I would have moved years ago.

[Graeme]

Australia's warmer, and we also have a generally more tolerant police force. There are always exceptions (especially in isolated areas), but the police here participate in our gay pride marches, so.... (A few years ago, a conservative radio personality tried to kick up a stink because the police were given time off to march. He didn't think that was right. As far as I know, nothing came of that).

[Krista]

I have been sitting on this story for awhile:

 

There once was a cop that pulled up beside me in the parking lot of a clinic where I worked. He was a bit put out, since you know, he could be out catching bad guys and issuing speeding tickets, but! Here I was... with a dead battery. (I had left the lights on, but I refused to admit that). So I had to admit, after some stern interrogating, that I didn't know how to jump my own battery. Or change a tire, if that were to happen as well...

 

After a lecture he jumped my car and got back to what he called, "actual work..."

 

What happened to that cop you say?

 

He slept on the couch.  

 

--

 

Seriously though, there are some cops that are insanely bad at their jobs. Those that have poor attitudes for working with people of different races, genders, sexual orientations.. etc. I have not met any of those, thankfully... It is those types that gives those that do nice thankless work a bad name.

[JamesSavik]

Australia's warmer, and we also have a generally more tolerant police force.

 

I'm too old to immigrate to Australia. (Maybe I could request asylum?)

 

I've actually looked into it.

 

I think I would like it there except for my insane fear of giant, rabid spiders.   

[daktaris]

A native New Englander now living in Virginia, I've spent some years in both the EU and Canada, so have a range of experience of police practice as a traumatologist. Generally, cops here are much more in your face. There is less courtesy. There is an assumption that the suspect will be violent. It comes from the gun culture I think.

In the US today we are becoming neurotic about safety and are seeing perps on every street corner, bringing up kids afraid of their own shadow and scared to ride their bikes a single city block.

This creates misconduct both ways - police to civilians and vice versa. If there is fear everywhere then how can there be trust anywhere?