Police culture in different countries

[Jakey Styley]

I'm curious to know what the police is like and what attitudes are like towards them in different countries.

There is a culture of police idolization throughout America. There are police officer discounts at bars/restaurants, a lot of respect for the profession among blue collar whites, they're considered to be brave/risking their lives for our safety, etc. Their unions are politically powerful too. Does this hold where you live?

Also, what are they like? Do they all carry guns? Do you feel safe or agitated when one is around? When you get stopped in traffic, how do the interactions generally go? How quick are they to use violent force?

[Gibsonfender2323]

3 minutes ago, Jakey Styley said:

There is a culture of police idolization throughout America. There are police officer discounts at bars/restaurants, a lot of respect for the profession among blue collar whites, they're considered to be brave/risking their lives for our safety

They are they protect people of getting murderd in their beds at night or robbed in the middle of the streets. Are there issues hell yes but to say they dont  do shit is a gross deservice.

 

Also Inb4 lock

Edited June 2, 2020 by Gibsonfender2323

[Jakey Styley]

3 minutes ago, Gibsonfender2323 said:

They are they protect people of getting murderd in their beds at night or robbed in the middle of the streets. Are there issues hell yes but to say they dont  do shit is a gross deservice.

 

Also Inb4 lock

They accomplish those ends in every country, but I'm coming to learn through talking with others that the means to get there can be very different. In some countries, they don't even all carry guns, which sounds kinda insane to Americans.

[Len Cnut]

Well, I don't think attitudes can be summed up and encapsulated like that.  Yeah, there's that culture of revering them, to a point that shit is justified, they do do a hard job, I certainly wouldn't want to do it, dealing with the fuckin' scum of the earth etc, it must do shit to a person, I'm cynical enough as it is but it comes with a great responsibility too, you gotta be wired to handle certain kinds of shit and I don't think all are, through no fault of their own, I just don't think its natural.

But there's the other side of the coin too, a lot of people think they're like...the kids that were bullied in school getting their own back on society, chip on their shoulder, power trip meatheads.  And y'know what, I think it requires a certain degree of prejudice.  I mean their job, in theory, should require a person to be non-judgemental etc but...their job requires them to be judgemental every fuckin' day.  Its just what it is, a copper walking a beat in a neighbourhood fraught with Indonesian gangs is gonna be that much more wary of Indonesian people of a certain demographic, its just common sense and it'll probably save their fuckin' lives.  Thats the way that shit works.  Its a sad fuckin' reality but its also the truth and I don't think anyones come up with a workable solution to that, perhaps its because its an unnatural estate, in a society that prides itself on the equality of man, for their to be authority figures of that sort, armed fuckin' authority figures that we sort of entrust to make certain judgement calls.

I mean they're public servants, paid to work for our benefit...but who is included in that 'our'?  Once you step outside the law you're still a member of the people the police are there to serve but its difficult to tread that fuckin' line.  I think its a really complex issue and there isn't just one shade to the perception of police officers.  Personally my experience has been almost entirely negative but I realise I'm not the fuckin' length and breadth of the social spectrum.

The cops as an organisation, thats another thing altogether, like any group of people they kinda fall in behind each other, protect each other, often, very often, to the detriment of this ephemeral concept called justice that we're forever striving for, the cops as an organisation is not too dissimilar to the mafia or the government or any organisation, there's a lot that goes on under their banner that has to do with sustaining themselves.  Thats not necessarily a criticism but a statement of reality.  

Also, its a merit based job, the better you do your job the higher you climb up the ladder but the problem there is your job is arrests and convictions of criminals.  And what makes a criminal?  Why, that very same conviction of course.  Do you see the problem there?  Thats why they say when you get arrested keep your mouth shut, wait for your solicitor, or their solicitor.  Y'know, most fuckin' arrests, if you go in there, keep your mouth shut and just go 'no comment' the shit'll get NFA'd (cop talk for 'no further action').  They fact that they got you in there means they're tryna get shit out of you because, possibly, they don't have enough to just bang you up.  Now that copper in there, no matter how much he acts like your friend and you think 'oh I'm a good law abiding citizen and I should tell the truth', he don't give a fuck, all he sees is a impending charge and a pat on the back from sarge.  Again, a system open to abuse and believe me, it often is.  

I know I'm kind of going all out here highlighting problems, I realise that when some cunt sticks a knife to your throat out by the ATM on a Saturday night leftist posturing ain't gonna come to your rescue the boys in blue are, if anyone but its a system with a lot thats wrong with it, a lot that needs addressing, the solution to which is almost always self appointed regulation which is, again, bullshit 90% of the time.  Anywhere where you got people, be it gangs, governments, trade unions etc etc you have corruption and you have a concerted effort to look after your own, its a human nature thing.

And y'know, a job like that, depending on how dirty your work is, must do strange things to you.  I mean we're all sympathetic about soldiers and fuckin' war vets and their trauma cuz everyone makes movies about that shit but cops must have that too, trauma, PTSD, your fuckin' friends dying policing neighbourhoods where you feel like your job is a thankless task, its alright for me to sit here and go I'm Mr anti-fuckin' racism and I would still be fair and just and shit but you don't know what that shits like, I don't know what that shits like, you dunno what it must do to you upstairs, all the fuckin' rapes, the muggings, the beatings, senseless fuckin' crimes like grannys getting done over the cannister for a their pension check, all the murders and grim shit that some police officers have to put up with, I'm not sure that I can justifiably say that I could endure all that shit and not leave it with at least some prejudices.  We like to think the best of ourselves and shit but end of the day we're all people.  

Yeah, its a complex thing.

[Lio]

I respect the police, but they're certainly not idolized here. I often get the feeling at least some of them go for the quick fine of the law abiding citizen who parked in the wrong spot while they'll let the thugs go because they're scared of them

There are bad cops here too of course, and now and then we get a scandal of racist police, or corrupt police, (bad apples everywhere, I suppose) but nothing compared to the US police.

I think some are armed, but not all. I've never seen police draw their weapon, thank god.

A friend told me of a Canadian friend she had who was all surprised that we don't hang around to watch an arrest happen, to check on the police, so to speak. I sincerely hope that will never be necessary here. How cops can think it's okay to sit on someone's neck for minutes is beyond me. There is obviously something very very wrong with US police and the US in general when black people must teach their children not to stand out when just walking on the streets.

[UsedYourIllusion]

I think, much like Teaching (the profession I'm going in to), being a police officer in the U.S. is such an important service. It's also, incredibly difficult, and isn't very well rewarded for the hard work. I think if the U.S. wanted to solve some of these issues, making the career much more competitive as a job field could help. Higher pay, more upward mobility, much better-standardized training across the country could definitely help. Other nations have problems with police being essentially tantamount to military, especially during the cold war in Latin America. I'm not sure that is a good idea, but having more training could definitely help. Having better psychological training and weeding of bad eggs before they become officers, along with much more accountability in the department could help. 

[DieselDaisy]

I generally think all police are similar, just some carry guns and some don't. Presumably the job description carries ''wanker'', and/or new recruits are put on courses to reach the required state of ''wankerdom'' - most of them have had sense-of-humour lobotomies from my experience. Vacancies closed and the left-overs become traffic wardens, another job requiring heightened wankerdom. 

Still, you can't argue with Tosh,

Edited June 3, 2020 by DieselDaisy

[SoulMonster]

I think the police here in Norway is maybe a bit less confrontational than in some other countries and I suppose the Norwegian attitude towards the police is that they do a critical job to society. I don't think they are being idolized any more than what you would expect.

[Len Cnut]

5 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I generally think all police are similar, just some carry guns and some don't. Presumably the job description carries ''wanker'', and/or new recruits are put on courses to reach the required state of ''wankerdom'' - most of them have had sense-of-humour lobotomies from my experience. Vacancies closed and the left-overs become traffic wardens, another job requiring heightened wankerdom. 

Still, you can't argue with Tosh,

Oh yes you fuckin' can, I'll see your Tosh Lines and raise you a DI Burnside!

[action]

you don't calm the agressive drunk wreaking havoc in the local pub with tea and cookies

a good beating with a rubber stick is what's the appropriate action here, till their blue in the face. You can always say "oops, you fell, sir. oops, you fell again". 

Why the hell not? Reasonable when possible, violent when necessary.

You can abolish the police when everyone becomes friendly and obedient.

For some people it would be a revelation walking with the cops for a couple of days. Preferrable after 18 pm when people go home from work, and the thugs crawl from under their rock.

[Dazey]

4 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

Oh yes you fuckin' can, I'll see your Tosh Lines and raise you a DI Burnside!

I always get him confused with Stephen Berkoff.  

[DieselDaisy]

Tosh had an interesting demise. Turned up to The Bill pissed on set. Got sacked. Admitted to rehab. Fled rehab. Got pissed. Returned to rehab pissed. Fell asleep. Choked on his own vomit.

[Len Cnut]

12 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

Tosh had an interesting demise. Turned up to The Bill pissed on set. Got sacked. Admitted to rehab. Fled rehab. Got pissed. Returned to rehab pissed. Fell asleep. Choked on his own vomit.

Apparently he did a sort of Henry Sellars type thing (if you're at all familiar with Father Ted) like SACK ME?!?  SACK ME?!?  I MADE THE BILL!

21 minutes ago, Dazey said:

I always get him confused with Stephen Berkoff.  

Well the easy distinction there, to clear up any further confusion is that Stephen Berkoff is the one who can act, not withstanding his star turn as the Russian in Rambo 2, 'You vish tu test your strength?  Good.  Good.'

Edited June 3, 2020 by Len Cnut

[Basic_GnR_Fan]

If anyone were asking my advice I would advise them not to join the police (at least in the US), it doesn't pay enough, it's dangerous, you could end up with PTSD, and one wrong move and you could be a marked man by half the country. Just not worth it. If you want to be underpaid and do a public service, be a teacher instead.

[spunko12345]

On 03/06/2020 at 10:28 AM, Len Cnut said:

Oh yes you fuckin' can, I'll see your Tosh Lines and raise you a DI Burnside!

Burnside was a tough little bastard.

DC Carver was my guy though.

Remember watching him become a raging alkie when Reg found him searching around the bins outside Sunhill nick looking for his vodka? He took a massive swig and just went "AAAARRGH! 😁

I think he was shagging WPC Martella for a while aswell. 

Edited June 5, 2020 by spunko12345

[Dazey]

7 hours ago, spunko12345 said:

Burnside was a tough little bastard.

DC Carver was my guy though.

Remember watching him become a raging alkie when Reg found him searching around the bins outside Sunhill nick looking for his vodka? He took a massive swig and just went "AAAARRGH! 😁

I think he was shagging WPC Martella for a while aswell. 

Didn’t Reg turn into a crazy old hobo when he got sacked from The Bill?  

[Len Cnut]

8 hours ago, spunko12345 said:

Burnside was a tough little bastard.

DC Carver was my guy though.

Remember watching him become a raging alkie when Reg found him searching around the bins outside Sunhill nick looking for his vodka? He took a massive swig and just went "AAAARRGH! 😁

I think he was shagging WPC Martella for a while aswell. 

Its disgraceful that you have such recall of all this  

[dontdamnmeuyi2015]

I believe there has to be change here in America. Not sure how to do it?

There is no room for anyone who is a racist in any form of authority. 

It seems that the news reports what the police do wrong instead of the lives they save on a daily basis.

The violence against any people has to stop. We all need to talk more and be more tolerant of people. Not everyone will always get along but as long as we have respect that's what matters.

We have in the past changed our constitution so it can be done again. 

It should say all men and women are created equal no matter there differences. 

I'm curious to see if the political parties will hold things up because they don't want to agree with each other. Politics should not stand in the way of change.

Seeing all different people walking together should tell us we can have change for the better.  We just all have to try harder.

[YOUCOULDBEMINE.]

On 3-6-2020 at 11:45 AM, action said:

you don't calm the agressive drunk wreaking havoc in the local pub with tea and cookies

a good beating with a rubber stick is what's the appropriate action here, till their blue in the face. You can always say "oops, you fell, sir. oops, you fell again". 

Why the hell not? Reasonable when possible, violent when necessary.

You can abolish the police when everyone becomes friendly and obedient.

For some people it would be a revelation walking with the cops for a couple of days. Preferrable after 18 pm when people go home from work, and the thugs crawl from under their rock.

Why the hell not? Violent when necessary isn't what they're trained for. Especially in the example you give.

I saw a dude get his ribs kicked in by the police, because they were sure they had the guy who threw a chair in a bar. Once they got the wrong guy, he resisted (duh). Police thought it was necessary to jump him with 3 guys and kick the shit out of him. 

Only to release him 2 days later because he was innocent. The guy sued the police, and lost.

This had nothing to do with color or race, but the fact that most cops are dicks and that they think their uniform means they're above the law.

I can name 20+ examples like this. So I'm not a fan of cops, anywhere.