So you don't like cops

[Jackrat]

Well this ain't NZ but it's still kind'a interesting anyway.
http://fredoneverything.net/PoliceMenu.html

[What?]

Hmmmmmmmmmm, food for thought, Jack.
The old "two sides to every story" story.

[Lou Girardin]

I've seen similar over the years, usually US sourced. Remember they chose the job, some for very suspect reasons. I don't think they should have carte blanche to persecute the public simply because of that. Paramedics and firefighters have even tougher jobs.
One factor that changed my attitude to the Police was a case where they let a woman bleed to death while they cordoned off a house. They wouldn't enter because they thought the offender was present and armed (he wasn't). Do firefighters refuse to enter buildings because they may get hurt? The situation is like the services, you may collect your pay for years in perfect safety. But when combat happens you don't get to choose whether you go or not.
Lou

[Hitcher]

Went for a fang up the coast today with Mrs H for a bite of lunch and to polish up a dented mojo. Highway 1 north was crawling with ossifers of the law. Discovered a new sneaky spot... tucked in behind the end of the armco at the end of the Porirua onramp merge lane, complete with laser gun. I wish I'd had one later in the morning -- we were coming down from the top of the Paekak hill (the road to Pauatahanui) taking in the sights and sounds and along comes Joe Law honking the other way in his HP Special pretending he's Craig Lowndes. No lights on or siren, obviously just seeing what it would do on the twisties! Personalised plate too -- SLOWDN Amazing what taxpayers' money can buy...

[Jackrat]

Hmmmmm,yep well I did post this because I think it is an interesting read.
Like you point out Lou, I have noticed our own finest tend to come across as
having a bit of a gang mentality at times,IE Gutless.
But then I also know a few cops and I wouldn't discribe them this way.
Obviously we have problems with certain standards in NZ.
Probably standards in command I think.

[mangell6]

Obviously we have problems with certain standards in NZ.
Probably standards in command I think.

As the recent media circus has shown. I know a number of police men who have left due to the way the force has headed. A seemingly large number of the new police officers wouldn't know judgement if one was handed to them or is it the ones that I associated with.

Tis a pity there was a time that you respected Police, now though I only respect the ones that respect me first.

[mangell6]

I was once told that there were only seven 'negative' people in the world and that they get around a lot.

I have tended to apply this to 'groups' that I deal with. For example there are only seven 'ignorant' police officers, I just wish they had desk jobs.

[Motu]

Back in the days when we had a Police force and seperate traffic cops - the Police were always respected,the Traffic cops were mean and nasty,wannabe policemen who were on a power trip,they enjoyed that fact people hated them.Now the police have traffic duty,poor bastards,now they take all that flack too now.

Our local Traffic cop became a Policeman in the change over - but he didn't become a Policeman .....some nasty things were found out about him and he dissapeared from the face of the earth,what a scumbag he was,tainting the Police force with his depravity.

[merv]

I wish I'd had one later in the morning -- we were coming down from the top of the Paekak hill (the road to Pauatahanui) taking in the sights and sounds and along comes Joe Law honking the other way in his HP Special pretending he's Craig Lowndes. No lights on or siren, obviously just seeing what it would do on the twisties! Personalised plate too -- SLOWDN Amazing what taxpayers' money can buy...

Yep remember a few weeks ago I said how can these hypocrites sleep at night when they ping us for doing 111km/hr but at heart many of them have the same boy racer instincts as any other young guy - and a few I know own bikes that they don't ride slowly.

[Hitcher]

I was once told that there were only seven 'negative' people in the world and that they get around a lot.

I have tended to apply this to 'groups' that I deal with. For example there are only seven 'ignorant' police officers, I just wish they had desk jobs.

Tee hee! We wish...

[What?]

Back in the days when we had a Police force and seperate traffic cops - the Police were always respected,the Traffic cops were mean and nasty,wannabe policemen who were on a power trip,they enjoyed that fact people hated them.Now the police have traffic duty,poor bastards,now they take all that flack too now.

There were doubtless cases of that, Motu, but I believe that to be unfair as a generalisation. Agree, Lou?
Back in the days of MoT cops, I got more warnings than I ever got tickets. Some of those warnings were for things that would cost me my license these days.
My old man was an MoT cop. Thus I know and knew many others. Not one of them ever wanted to be a policeman. When being a policeman was thrust upon them, quite a few left the job.

[James Deuce]

All the MOT guys I ever bumped into were fair minded and reasonable.
NONE of the HP guys I have bumped into have been respectful in the way those guys were. You could get told off by an MOT guy and it stuck. If an HP guy tells me off I do it again (twice).

When I went for my car license I was nervous as hell. My driving instructor and the MOT cop were mates and they laid out a bastard of a course between them - because my old man was a loose unit behind the wheel and they both wanted to check that I wasn't mental as well.

My point is they seemed to give a damn. Every time I see an HP car the Police badge gets replaced by an IRD logo in my head.

[Lou Girardin]

You're dead right,What. The first day I started in the MOT, I got a lift into Auckland with a BIG Maori cop (forgot his name). He stopped a young guy for speeding on the motorway. He ripped this guy to shreds for 5 minutes, told him to stay where he was for 1/2 an hour and think about what he'd done. NO ticket though.
!/2 an hour later the young guy was still there.
That's something you'd remember, not a ticket 3 weeks later from a goddamn camera!
Lou

[SPman]

There was a time that you respected Police, now though I only respect the ones that respect me first.

Ain't that the truth!

[k14]

Tis a pity there was a time that you respected Police, now though I only respect the ones that respect me first.

Yip, gotta agree with you there aswell mangell.

I just finished reading a book about this FBI agent in the US. He said that the most valuable thing he ever learnt is to treat everyone with the same respect. Doenst matter if the person is a serial murderer, rapist or a 80 year old lady. He said it has saved his life on 3-4 occasions cause he didnt talk down to the crims he was trying to catch.

If only the NZ pigs would listen to this aswell. On my two occasions of being greeted with the cops, they both were polite to me, 1 time when i didnt deserve it. So i was polite to them, but it didnt get me any lienence, so go figure.

That was my 2c anyway.