5 ms·

Yeah, this is becoming more and more the case. I have friends who are associated with or in law enforcement and if you ever end up at a bar with them they will

Yeah, this is becoming more and more the case. I have friends who are associated with or in law enforcement and if you ever end up at a bar with them they will endlessly talk about the "threats to their safety" on the job. I often hear stories where they're checking out a house that has supposed drug use (or similar) and they play it up like they're a marine in a war zone, going to have a man-down shoot out. In reality, they knock on the door, a very high college student answers, they provide the warrant, search through a house of strung out people, and they do their thing. That being said, our area has a lot of rural patrols and we have had a few incidents where people fire back at the cops on their acreage and it turns into an incident. However, even when dealing with "crazy Billy with a shotgun", they're 2 people, who then call in backup, also have a shotgun, and are otherwise armed. The power dynamic still favours the cops even in that extreme situation. I feel like there are a lot of rare incidents that get repeated over and over within the police force that keep the cops on edge and further the belief of a need for more and more budget increases for more and more military-style equipment. For instance, our local city police force just bragged on twitter that they bought a modified troop carrier and a ramming tank for SWAT-like break and enter operations. I'm not sure I want my police owning a literal tank when they already have me outgunned with assault rifles, shot guns, sidearms, and sheer numbers. By the way, this is in Canada. I'm not even talking about the more extreme stuff going on South of the border.

wahnfrieden 3y ago
Bullies and thieves seek the valor and respectability they think their position warrants
biomcgary 3y ago
I have neighbor who was a police officer until last month. She was fired because she was trying to push back against an aggressive, corrupt culture in her small town police department. She and another officer had arrested a non-violent, mentally disturbed individual, who had been perfectly compliant in custody. (The guy shoplifted a beer occasionally to quiet the voices in his head.) Another officer walked in and immediately grabbed the arrestee (already in handcuffs) and threw him on the ground, fracturing his skull and causing seizures. Our neighbor pushed for an investigation repeatedly (which would have taken her off the job until complete, since she was the commanding officer on the scene), but it was denied. She was fired shortly after. She is filing a lawsuit to get her job back and the family of the police brutality victim is also suing. I hope they both win, but I do worry about our neighbor's life expectancy if she gets her job back. The tech industry has strong incentives to invade privacy, push inflammatory content, and for otherwise good people to look the other way. Nevertheless, I am opposed to broad brush denigration of employees in the sector, many of which do push back in quiet ways against dark patterns, even if not enough. I feel the same way about law enforcement. The biggest difference between tech and law enforcement is that police work involves stakes that are higher in the short-term and more visible, but tech is far more dangerous in the long-term through, e.g., inflammatory social media, persistent surveillance, etc.
xtiansimon 3y ago
> “… ramming tank for SWAT-like break and enter operations. I'm not sure I want my police owning a literal tank when they already have me outgunned…” I have a family member in law enforcement. I asked them this very question. What do you need this monster vehicle for? Their answer was they can approach a target house and communicate with the occupant without putting officers in harms way (as much as a bullet-proof ramming armored vehicle keeps its passengers safe ). The alternative is officers are much closer to the threat/danger, which makes for a situation which can escalate very quickly to deadly force.
- taylodl 3y ago
  What's the point of the 2nd amendment when the police has tanks and urban assault vehicles and your government has nukes, fighter aircraft, grenades and several other materiel? I've never understood how self-identified "patriots" support a militarized police force and the 2nd amendment. The government, at all levels, literally has the power to do whatever they want. We need to at least demilitarize the police.

wahnfrieden 3y ago

Bullies and thieves seek the valor and respectability they think their position warrants

biomcgary 3y ago

I have neighbor who was a police officer until last month. She was fired because she was trying to push back against an aggressive, corrupt culture in her small town police department. She and another officer had arrested a non-violent, mentally disturbed individual, who had been perfectly compliant in custody. (The guy shoplifted a beer occasionally to quiet the voices in his head.) Another officer walked in and immediately grabbed the arrestee (already in handcuffs) and threw him on the ground, fracturing his skull and causing seizures. Our neighbor pushed for an investigation repeatedly (which would have taken her off the job until complete, since she was the commanding officer on the scene), but it was denied. She was fired shortly after. She is filing a lawsuit to get her job back and the family of the police brutality victim is also suing. I hope they both win, but I do worry about our neighbor's life expectancy if she gets her job back. The tech industry has strong incentives to invade privacy, push inflammatory content, and for otherwise good people to look the other way. Nevertheless, I am opposed to broad brush denigration of employees in the sector, many of which do push back in quiet ways against dark patterns, even if not enough. I feel the same way about law enforcement. The biggest difference between tech and law enforcement is that police work involves stakes that are higher in the short-term and more visible, but tech is far more dangerous in the long-term through, e.g., inflammatory social media, persistent surveillance, etc.

xtiansimon 3y ago

> “… ramming tank for SWAT-like break and enter operations. I'm not sure I want my police owning a literal tank when they already have me outgunned…” I have a family member in law enforcement. I asked them this very question. What do you need this monster vehicle for? Their answer was they can approach a target house and communicate with the occupant without putting officers in harms way (as much as a bullet-proof ramming armored vehicle keeps its passengers safe ). The alternative is officers are much closer to the threat/danger, which makes for a situation which can escalate very quickly to deadly force.

taylodl 3y ago
What's the point of the 2nd amendment when the police has tanks and urban assault vehicles and your government has nukes, fighter aircraft, grenades and several other materiel? I've never understood how self-identified "patriots" support a militarized police force and the 2nd amendment. The government, at all levels, literally has the power to do whatever they want. We need to at least demilitarize the police.