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Cops operate with the logic of predators[1]. If something "looks fishy" they figure it is fishy. Most of the problems with police/citizen interaction have to d

Cops operate with the logic of predators[1]. If something "looks fishy" they figure it is fishy. Most of the problems with police/citizen interaction have to do with citizens not behaving in a manner that supports the severe information asymmetries of those encounters. [1] I don't mean they ARE predators, but that the information processing they use looks like what predators use - a detail out of place will trigger interest in further evaluation.

smt88 10y ago
> a detail out of place will trigger interest in further evaluation Non-predators behave this way as well. I think you meant to say that police operate with the logic of animals that aren't inherently afraid of their surroundings, which makes sense. Police shouldn't be afraid to investigate.
- hellothere999 10y ago
  That's kind of open ended. Unfortunately we've seen time again the police can't be trusted to self police. And they'll mace, taze, or shoot anyone that doesn't obey. But they should have carte Blanche to poke at anything anywhere anytime they please? Yeah no. There should be a set of limits which they're trained in. And they should be afraid to investigate outside those limits. Id rather tie their hands than allow a bunch of GI Joe wannabes do whatever they please.
  - smt88 10y ago
    > they should have carte Blanche to poke at anything anywhere anytime they please They don't. We have really, really extensive laws (including the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution) preventing them from doing that. If they illegally search you, the evidence is useless (and often the conviction becomes impossible). What you're describing is something out of 1984, not the reality of the hundreds of millions of police interactions in the US every year.
- ArkyBeagle 10y ago
  Perhaps I'm old school ( or perhaps warped :) but I do divide animals into predators and prey ( at least in pairwise relationships ) . The salient difference is exactly what you describe. There are, of course, animals that are neither but they're fewer in number. Police are "front-eyed".

smt88 10y ago

> a detail out of place will trigger interest in further evaluation Non-predators behave this way as well. I think you meant to say that police operate with the logic of animals that aren't inherently afraid of their surroundings, which makes sense. Police shouldn't be afraid to investigate.

hellothere999 10y ago
That's kind of open ended. Unfortunately we've seen time again the police can't be trusted to self police. And they'll mace, taze, or shoot anyone that doesn't obey. But they should have carte Blanche to poke at anything anywhere anytime they please? Yeah no. There should be a set of limits which they're trained in. And they should be afraid to investigate outside those limits. Id rather tie their hands than allow a bunch of GI Joe wannabes do whatever they please.
- smt88 10y ago
  > they should have carte Blanche to poke at anything anywhere anytime they please They don't. We have really, really extensive laws (including the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution) preventing them from doing that. If they illegally search you, the evidence is useless (and often the conviction becomes impossible). What you're describing is something out of 1984, not the reality of the hundreds of millions of police interactions in the US every year.
ArkyBeagle 10y ago
Perhaps I'm old school ( or perhaps warped :) but I do divide animals into predators and prey ( at least in pairwise relationships ) . The salient difference is exactly what you describe. There are, of course, animals that are neither but they're fewer in number. Police are "front-eyed".