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I'm elderly now, but in my distant youth I had many encounters with police officers. Every single one of them was a blessing to me. Of course, I am a white male
by metadope 10mo ago
I'm elderly now, but in my distant youth I had many encounters with police officers. Every single one of them was a blessing to me. Of course, I am a white male, and my encounters with police were probably affected by my (traditionally) privileged status.
I do not blame LEOs for the growing encrouchments on my (our) personal liberties. I view them as bona fide public servants, motivated mostly by genuine generosity of spirit, wanting to help people.
But police culture is another matter, and it is the culture than corrupts. Because it is such a boring job (for the most part), management is always seeking new ways to keep their officers engaged, enthused, gratified.
That job, sitting alongside the highway, is less boring if there's an ongoing story that you're part of, a team that you serve, that's counting on you. So you're going to do your part, hold up your end, carry your weight, even if that means you need to do something that makes your conscience go squiggly, it's okay, it's just the compromise expected of a player, taking a little one for the team. That corruption is something that management enables, and wink nod encourages. And management does it, and gets away with continuing to do it, because a large portion of the public are okay with it too.
What are the chances that the next mistaken AI-assisted surveillance conclusion is going to capture you in its crosshairs? It's a small probabilty, right? Just don't drive near the border, don't drop any women off at motels, don't drive I35 in Texas: you'll be okay.
- potato3732842 10mo ago>I'm elderly now, but in my distant youth I had many encounters with police officers. Was that pre war on drugs or just pre 9/11? Either way that world doesn't exist now. Yeah, there's workplace dynamics to it and the individuals my not necessarily be bad but but the whole institution is rotten, mostly a reflection of the governments that they serve IMO. To the average person interaction with the cops represents nothing positive.