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PoliceOne: 20 cop truths most people don't know

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benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
http://www.policeone.com/patrol-issues/articles/7591887-20-cop-truths-most-people-dont-know/
A question posted on Quora asked, “What are some things that cops know, but most people don't?” Police officers and those that work closely with them gave their answers to the topic, below. We’ve collected our favorites. Check them out and add your thoughts in the comments.

Stephanie Sterling
​1. Cops make a pittance. They don't do this for the money.

2. The standard to make criminal charges stick is incredibly high. Knowing someone is guilty and proving it are very different things.

3. Bad cops do exist. The "power" aspect is attractive to a certain group of people. The good cops try their hardest to weed them out, but they don't always succeed.

4. Cops actually hate giving traffic tickets. In larger jurisdictions, traffic is something that you send rookies or the guys in the doghouse to do. In others, it is a duty imposed from above. It is like scrubbing your toilet. You don't do it because you want to do it. You do it because it has to be done.

5. It isn't fair that everyone likes firefighters more. Cops actually risk their lives more often (and probably save more kittens).

6. Most convictions stem from confessions. They will do everything in their power to convince you that you should confess. Cops will (and are allowed/encouraged by prosecutors to) lie. That is one of the rules of the game.

7. The number of drunk drivers on the road would terrify you. Police have the resources to catch barely a fraction.

8. If you make it across state/county lines, your chances of getting off scot-free are exponentially higher- not because they can't follow you, but because it sets off a "whose job is it" argument among prosecutors.

9. Except for violent or extreme crimes, most police departments don't have the budget to do forensics on a scene.

Tim Fry
10. Smoking cigarettes, using mouthwash, breath mints, or sucking on pennies neither hide the odor of alcohol on your breath, nor do they affect the breathalyzer.

Roger Curtiss
11. I was never aware of any police agency that required its officers to make a certain number of arrests each month. However, the same cannot be said of traffic citations- many agencies have unwritten "minimum performance standards" to which officers are evaluated. This is basically a euphemism for quotas- but that is considered a forbidden word.

Richard Cavataio
12. Cops aren't mechanics, paramedics, firemen, judges, veterinarians or animal trainers.

13. It’s legal to call a cop names. But it's also legal for a cop to decide whether you deserve a ticket. He won't give you a ticket for treating him rudely, but he might cut you loose if you're nice. A simple compliment might go a long way if you are sincere. Keep it light. They see right through a snow job.

Rick Bruno
14. We know that your "little angel" isn't one.

15. We know you pay our salaries. You have to – it's not out of your generosity.

16. If I give you a break, it's because I chose to. Not because your mother's cousin is a cop.

17. We carry the job home with us. We remember the tragedies, traffic fatalities, hurt or dead babies, ruined lives, battered wives, bullied kids, suicides, and the insults. We remember.

18. We also remember the rare occasions someone says thanks.

19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves.

20. You might be tougher than me, but I will win in the long run. Believe it.
Click to expand...
 
C

commedieu

Banned
5. It isn't fair that everyone likes firefighters more. Cops actually risk their lives more often (and probably save more kittens).

Thats because they don't shoot people all the time for no reason. Boo hoo.
 
Z

Zabuza

Banned
They obviously aren't doing it for anything other than money. At least the bad ones.

I'd like to think the good cops genuinely want to protect people and uphold the laws.
 
K

Ketch

Member
commedieu said:
5. It isn't fair that everyone likes firefighters more. Cops actually risk their lives more often (and probably save more kittens).

Thats because they don't shoot people all the time for no reason. Boo hoo.
Click to expand...

neither do the majority of police officers.
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
Rick Bruno's "facts" certainly escalate like I imagine any interaction with him in his official capacity would.
 
R

ronito

Member
Hrmm...I already don't agree with #1. I've known several cops and they all make more than a pitance, way more if they get overtime. And they also get a pension. Not many jobs get those.
 
L

Laughing Black

Banned
I didn't know any of those 20 things.

I can understand why most people don't either.

They're concerned about that one thing where innocent people are getting shot over nothing. It's distracting from those other 20 things.
 
Z

Zabuza

Banned
Holy shit I'm crying at 20. Reads like something a short ass dude would say to a way bigger guy because he thinks he's a more skilled fighter or some shit.
 
S

Shaffield

Member
2. The standard to make criminal charges stick is incredibly high. Knowing someone is guilty and proving it are very different things.
Click to expand...
shoot first prove guilt later

12. Cops aren't mechanics, paramedics, firemen, judges, veterinarians or animal trainers.
Click to expand...
but they are executioners

#n0t4llc0pz
 
S

S-Wind

Member
Regarding #1 I know for a fact that members of the Vancouver Police Department have a nice total compensation package
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
Most of Stephanie's aren't too bad, especially the forensics one. CSI Effect is pretty real from what I can tell.
 
F

fallagin

Member
Zabuza said:
They obviously aren't doing it for anything other than money. At least the bad ones.

I'd like to think the good cops genuinely want to protect people and uphold the laws.
Click to expand...

It does say that they don't get paid a huge salary. I would wager that it is more because of the power trip that bad cops get into the gig.

PhineBuyM3 said:
21. Cops are also fans of Naruto.
Click to expand...

Nah, they probably like Sasuke more. Everyone likes sasuke more.
 
S

SocksAndShoes

Banned
"19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves."

Holy shit, is it possible for this guy to be any more embedded in his own ass? Sounds like a fucking Power Ranger.

"10. Smoking cigarettes, using mouthwash, breath mints, or sucking on pennies neither hide the odor of alcohol on your breath, nor do they affect the breathalyzer."

Uh, most mouthwashes have alcohol, and most definitely will mess up the breathalyzer reading if you swish it around your mouth. Not that that's a likely scenario, but still...
 
J

Jarrod38

Member
SocksAndShoes said:
"19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves."

Holy shit, is it possible for this guy to be any more embedded in his own ass? Sounds like a fucking Power Ranger.

"10. Smoking cigarettes, using mouthwash, breath mints, or sucking on pennies neither hide the odor of alcohol on your breath, nor do they affect the breathalyzer."

Uh, most mouthwashes have alcohol, and most definitely will mess up the breathalyzer reading if you swish it around your mouth. Not that that's a likely scenario, but still...
Click to expand...
the mouth wash myth has been sround forever and people still fall for it.
 
O

Officerrob

Banned
Bruno is an idiot, but the vast majority of those are very true. Stephanie Sterling is the most on the money, but I disagree with #4 a little. While I absolutely detested working traffic and writing tickets, there are some who absolutely LOVE it. #11 is the most nail on the head statement of the bunch
 
O

Officerrob

Banned
SocksAndShoes said:
"19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves."

Holy shit, is it possible for this guy to be any more embedded in his own ass? Sounds like a fucking Power Ranger.

"10. Smoking cigarettes, using mouthwash, breath mints, or sucking on pennies neither hide the odor of alcohol on your breath, nor do they affect the breathalyzer."

Uh, most mouthwashes have alcohol, and most definitely will mess up the breathalyzer reading if you swish it around your mouth. Not that that's a likely scenario, but still...
Click to expand...

Mouthwash is a surefire way to go have your blood get drawn depending on the laws in your area.
 
F

Fantasmo

Member
10 is wrong. I overheard a 10 minute discussion between a doctor and police department over why a patient should be let go and not lose visitation rights because his blood turned up totally 0% and his nonviolent anger was justified.
 
T

Tertullian

Member
Some thoughts:

​1. Cops make a pittance. They don't do this for the money.
Click to expand...

Define "a pittance." I would consider a pittance in the United States to be 20k, 25k, maybe 30k a year. 50k is not a pittance, even if the job is potentially very dangerous.

3. Bad cops do exist. The "power" aspect is attractive to a certain group of people. The good cops try their hardest to weed them out, but they don't always succeed.
Click to expand...

I sure wish I could believe this, but if you want me to buy it, you need to do a much better job of publicly demonstrating your willingness to condemn inappropriate actions by other cops. There are these forums for police officers that I visit sometimes, and whenever someone brings up a particularly heinous use of excessive force or violation of someone's rights, their answer is always the same: "We weren't there. We aren't going to armchair quarterback. That video could've been edited deceptively." And on and on. It doesn't matter how heinous the thing is: killing a black kid, burning a toddler with a flashbang grenade. Doesn't matter. It's always "we can't judge from here."

Don't tell me that you do your best to oppose bad cops; show me.

4. Cops actually hate giving traffic tickets. In larger jurisdictions, traffic is something that you send rookies or the guys in the doghouse to do. In others, it is a duty imposed from above. It is like scrubbing your toilet. You don't do it because you want to do it. You do it because it has to be done.
Click to expand...

Now this I have no trouble believing. Spending all day writing citations for irate people doesn't sound fun.

6. Most convictions stem from confessions. They will do everything in their power to convince you that you should confess. Cops will (and are allowed/encouraged by prosecutors to) lie. That is one of the rules of the game.
Click to expand...

Definitely true, and the reason why you should never allow cops to trick you into talking to them in the interview room. It will never, ever be the right call. "I'm going to remain silent; I'd like to see a lawyer." If any other words come out of your mouth post-arrest, you're doing it wrong.

19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves.

20. You might be tougher than me, but I will win in the long run. Believe it.
Click to expand...

The disturbing power-trip mentality in #20 kinda undermines #19 a bit.
 
DJ_Lae

DJ_Lae

Member
I dunno about pittance for earnings - for relatively little training (compared to a university degree) regular old constables here earn $60k at start and can step up to $96k.

Detectives and Sergeants earn $110,000-$120,000.
 
S

SocksAndShoes

Banned
Officerrob said:
Mouthwash is a surefire way to go have your blood get drawn depending on the laws in your area.
Click to expand...

I should have been more clear. I'm not saying it would get you out of a breathalyzer test, but it would absolutely effect the reading. Saying it has "no affect" is objectively wrong.
 
F

fawaz

Banned
19. We don't do this job for the power or prestige you might think it brings. We do it because we are tired of seeing good people suffer, and we want to help and protect them from the wolves.


Its not because you are a loser who cant succeed in anything else?
 
benjipwns

benjipwns

Banned
Stinkles said:
They should post twenty random posts from their private forums.
Click to expand...
You mean like regarding the Wal-Mart fake gun shooting?
Posted by weatherman on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 05:20 PM Pacific Report Abuse
I worry that recent events and every white on black police shooting will result in hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars spent on frivolous investigations by the Feds. This is pretty cut and dried. I didn't see any overt action by the perp, but I'm watching a video and not there. Shootings are tried on their objective circumstances and what was going through the mind of the officer at the time. Bringing a gun to a store full of people, BB gun or real is stupid and asking for a police response. Playing the race card because you have no other defense is dangerous and stupid.

Posted by Kenstah on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 12:06 AM Pacific Report Abuse
I love how morons in this country can just make a race claim and demand FBI interference and other resources just immediately be at their beckon call. WTF? The proof is in the pudding...only a MORON would go to Wally World and waive around an air rifle that LOOKS like a real rifle and NOT listen to the police. I mean, who the f*&k does that? Is common sense completely void at Wally World? I mean, I can appreciate all the twerking and bad wardrobe choices being made famous via YouTube going on there, but waiving around a rifle? Don't ANY of these protestors agree that is a BAD IDEA from the git-go? Jesus H.

Posted by novacop43 on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 11:57 AM Pacific Report Abuse
REALLY!?!?! You point a weapon at a cop, real or looks real until proven otherise, you're going to pay the price.

Posted by nptrt13 on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 11:47 AM Pacific Report Abuse
My son is 9 and has been hinting at wanting to be an Officer when he's older. I wish I could give him my blessing and encourage him to chose this honorable profession. I'm scared about what the world will be for him when he's ready to take a job. Being investigated by the FBI and having a grand jury on what clearly was a good shoot. What does the public, and more accurately, the Politicians want? This is clearly the end times. All good is being called evil and evil is being called good.

Posted by randy646 on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 10:43 AM Pacific Report Abuse
Well it shouldn't of even gotten this far but at least truth has prevailed.

Posted by bfoti on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 10:29 AM Pacific Report Abuse
WTH is going on in this country? A grand jury? A FBI probe?

Jesus - John Crawford III was waving a fake gun in an occupied business and police were called. What outcome was expected? What are police suppose to do? (wait for muzzle flash before shooting)? This world is so screwed up. Glad the first part of the nightmare is over for these "white" officers and hope the feds put it to bed quickly, so the racist AP reports can stop. What does it really matter the color of skin for the man wearing the badge. I am white, and have black friends and brothers in blue. Do they care the color of skin for the man that would shoot me - nope!
Click to expand...
 
A

Astral/H3X

Member
Of course a thread would turn out this way.

How many times per day do you think a police officer has an interaction with a person? I'm talking all throughout America, how many individual instances of "How are you today" are there.
Hundreds? Thousands? Or much more likely, millions?
If one person got shot per day (as many of you refute they do), that's still leaving it at a one in a million chance that you'll be killed by an officer. One in a million. And that's if we only count the first million interactions.
 
Q

QueenOfThorns

Member
20. You might be tougher than me, but I will win in the long run. Believe it.
Click to expand...
TqDBRu0.png
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
17. We carry the job home with us. We remember the tragedies, traffic fatalities, hurt or dead babies, ruined lives, battered wives, bullied kids, suicides, and the insults. We remember.
Click to expand...

Does that include the ones perpetrated by the bad cops?
 
S

SocksAndShoes

Banned
H3XAntiStyle said:
Of course a thread would turn out this way.

How many times per day do you think a police officer has an interaction with a person? I'm talking all throughout America, how many individual instances of "How are you today" are there.
Hundreds? Thousands? Or much more likely, millions?
If one person got shot per day (as many of you refute they do), that's still leaving it at a one in a million chance that you'll be killed by an officer. One in a million. And that's if we only count the first million interactions.
Click to expand...

Unless you're a minority.
 
O

Officerrob

Banned
DJ_Lae said:
I dunno about pittance for earnings - for relatively little training (compared to a university degree) regular old constables here earn $60k at start and can step up to $96k.

Detectives and Sergeants earn $110,000-$120,000.
Click to expand...

Slow down, it depends on where you live. I only earned about 30k when I started
 
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