4 ms·

This has absolutely nothing to do with the US and everything to do with an asymmetric relationship. The police have immense power, you do not. What do you hav

This has absolutely nothing to do with the US and everything to do with an asymmetric relationship. The police have immense power, you do not. What do you have to gain from interacting with the police? Now, compare this to what you stand to lose by interacting with the police. The rule is simple: don't interact with the police. They are not your friends, anything you do or say can and will be used against you at a whim. Do not romanticize other countries, please.

dTal 7y ago
Ethics. If everyone avoided talking to the police all the time, it would make their job more difficult, and they would be less effective. Their job is important, and so I would prefer that people talk to the police and make life easier for them. Therefore, to be ethically consistent, I too should talk to the police.
- jodrellblank 7y ago
  > If everyone avoided talking to the police all the time, it would make their job more difficult, and they would be less effective. It would make their job more difficult, it doesn't automatically follow that they would be less effective. They might be as effective with less data if most of the data was noise, or be more effective by concentrating their efforts on fewer interactions and getting much better results from that, or become as effective or better by having to work harder. Or it might push them to develop different and better techniques.
sgift 7y ago
> What do you have to gain from interacting with the police? Now, compare this to what you stand to lose by interacting with the police. The job of the police is to help me. To do that effectively they have to sometimes talk to me. It is therefore in my interest to talk to them.
- liability 7y ago
  The job of the police is to collect "unscheduled road taxes" and to document crimes for the local prosecutor. If they end up helping somebody in the process, that is incidental. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-police-do-not-have-a-constitutional-duty-to-protect.html https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-po...
- x38iq84n 7y ago
  > The job of the police is to help me You are in for a big, big surprise. Hope your naivety does not get you in too much trouble.
- __HYde 7y ago
  The job of the police is to enforce laws. Whether this helps you is ancillary.
  - bregma 7y ago
    The job of police is to police (it's kind of in the name). Enforcing laws is only a small part of policing. It's unfortunate that many people, including both police and politicians, seem to forget or maybe don't understand that. Policing means arbitrating in a dispute even when no laws have been broken, helping those in our community incapable of helping themselves (accident victims, people whose meds are off). It doesn't really mean the regular use of violent force or even the threat of an immediate death penalty to gain compliance with a personally conveyed order. Tht's not justice and it's arguably not even law enforcement.
- StanislavPetrov 7y ago
  You are woefully misinformed - the job of the police is not to help you. The job of the police is to maintain civil order and enforce (often very poorly written) laws like this one.
- wolco 7y ago
  Helping you is not part of their job description. They may help you or hurt you but as a whole they try to provide order to society. Locking up everyone would meet that goal so be careful.
- kipchak 7y ago
  Warren v. District of Columbia is a good example of that not always being the case.
taneq 7y ago
> What do you have to gain from interacting with the police? Now, compare this to what you stand to lose by interacting with the police. This is the bottom line. 90% of police that I have personally interacted with (even when I've been in the wrong) have been absolute professionals and, I believe, genuinely good people. The other 10% are why I'm polite but cautious.

dTal 7y ago

Ethics. If everyone avoided talking to the police all the time, it would make their job more difficult, and they would be less effective. Their job is important, and so I would prefer that people talk to the police and make life easier for them. Therefore, to be ethically consistent, I too should talk to the police.

jodrellblank 7y ago
> If everyone avoided talking to the police all the time, it would make their job more difficult, and they would be less effective. It would make their job more difficult, it doesn't automatically follow that they would be less effective. They might be as effective with less data if most of the data was noise, or be more effective by concentrating their efforts on fewer interactions and getting much better results from that, or become as effective or better by having to work harder. Or it might push them to develop different and better techniques.

sgift 7y ago

> What do you have to gain from interacting with the police? Now, compare this to what you stand to lose by interacting with the police. The job of the police is to help me. To do that effectively they have to sometimes talk to me. It is therefore in my interest to talk to them.

liability 7y ago
The job of the police is to collect "unscheduled road taxes" and to document crimes for the local prosecutor. If they end up helping somebody in the process, that is incidental. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-police-do-not-have-a-constitutional-duty-to-protect.html https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-po...
x38iq84n 7y ago
> The job of the police is to help me You are in for a big, big surprise. Hope your naivety does not get you in too much trouble.
__HYde 7y ago
The job of the police is to enforce laws. Whether this helps you is ancillary.
- bregma 7y ago
  The job of police is to police (it's kind of in the name). Enforcing laws is only a small part of policing. It's unfortunate that many people, including both police and politicians, seem to forget or maybe don't understand that. Policing means arbitrating in a dispute even when no laws have been broken, helping those in our community incapable of helping themselves (accident victims, people whose meds are off). It doesn't really mean the regular use of violent force or even the threat of an immediate death penalty to gain compliance with a personally conveyed order. Tht's not justice and it's arguably not even law enforcement.
StanislavPetrov 7y ago
You are woefully misinformed - the job of the police is not to help you. The job of the police is to maintain civil order and enforce (often very poorly written) laws like this one.
wolco 7y ago
Helping you is not part of their job description. They may help you or hurt you but as a whole they try to provide order to society. Locking up everyone would meet that goal so be careful.
kipchak 7y ago
Warren v. District of Columbia is a good example of that not always being the case.

taneq 7y ago

> What do you have to gain from interacting with the police? Now, compare this to what you stand to lose by interacting with the police. This is the bottom line. 90% of police that I have personally interacted with (even when I've been in the wrong) have been absolute professionals and, I believe, genuinely good people. The other 10% are why I'm polite but cautious.