Los Angeles Police Department

[Limewater]

I've also met cops that more or less look the other way on trivial bullshit in the interest of handling more pressing concerns. These are bad cops?

My friend prefers to do this, but on numerous occasions has been forced by higher-ups to be a dick over exceedingly minor things. And no, I'm not talking about drugs. I'm talking about folks playing soccer on a rec field after it was technically closed, or a group of guys wandering through a wide-open gate with no posted signs during the day in a highly trafficked area.

[Ivo]

There is no such thing as a good cop. Even a completely honest cop will be stuck enforcing laws written by robber barons and bigots. Anyone who would choose to do that is not a "nice guy" regardless of how much personal charisma they may have.

Disagreed.

The world is not perfect. Even when enforcing some laws that should not have been passed into effect, if they are respectful in enforcing them they can still be a genuine "nice guy". There are many more jobs where you have to do things you don't agree with, some of them are not very "nice". As long as you don't actively take pleasure in them I don't see why that excludes you from being a "nice guy" even if you chose to do that job (and lets not forget that sometimes that kind of "choice" isn't really choice as most people do need to earn a living doing something, and not all of us can do the job that we want to do for many reasons).

The important distinction is the nice guys may have chosen to be what they are, but they did not choose to enforce the specific nasty laws (some of them which indeed exist). That is just an unpleasant part of their job (hopefully a small part of it).

Sadly, I have to agree from my experience that security personnel (whether police or private) does have some self-selection effect on bullies, and many of them when in a position of power do abuse it.

Ivo.

[brunoafh]

The important distinction is the nice guys may have chosen to be what they are, but they did not choose to enforce the specific nasty laws (some of them which indeed exist). That is just an unpleasant part of their job (hopefully a small part of it).

This part doesn't make any sense. You can't just be like "well, I only became a cop for the good laws". It all goes hand in hand.

[Hatta]

Yes, if you knowingly take a job where you're going to have to hurt people, that's your responsibility. "I was just doing my job" is not an excuse. That has been abundantly clear for at least 66 years now.

[aaron]

if you hate the police so much, just be sure to call the vigilante patrol when your house is broken into, or your wife/girlfriend is assaulted, etc.

[Limewater]

if you hate the police so much, just be sure to call the vigilante patrol when your house is broken into, or your wife/girlfriend is assaulted, etc.

I called the police when my identity was stolen and $1200 was charged on my credit card. I even knew who did it. I would have been much better off calling the vigilante patrol. They might have actually talked to me/acknowledged my existence/answered the phone/taken a report from me. Of course, being vigilantes, they wouldn't have put the report in writing. If they did that, the cops would make trouble for them.

Fun fact-- Atlanta police want you to call 911 to reach them, even if it isn't an emergency. If you're out of town at the time, you're screwed.

Also, are you under the impression that the police will get your stuff back to you if your house is robbed?

[Hatta]

I'm a lot more likely to be victimized by the police than anyone else. Who do I call then?

[gtmtnbiker]

Fun fact-- Atlanta police want you to call 911 to reach them, even if it isn't an emergency. If you're out of town at the time, you're screwed.

Their website (http://www.atlantapd.org/contactus.aspx) says this:

Contact Us
Emergency - 911
Police Information - (404) 614-6544
Public Affairs - (404) 546-6873
Webmaster - (404) 546-7234
Chief of Police
Comments about an Officer
General Comments
Community Events (Notify us about an event you are having in your community)
Taxicab and Vehicles for Hire (Comments or complaints on cabs or other vehicles for hire)
Webmaster (If you are not sure who to contact email the webmaster)

It shows 911 is for emergency and a 404 area code number for non-emergencies. Where did you get your information from?

[Limewater]

It shows 911 is for emergency and a 404 area code number for non-emergencies. Where did you get your information from?

I got my information from the police. They do have the 404 area code number. I got it off the website just like you did and had to call it like six times in a row to get anyone to answer it. I don't think they even had voice mail set up, it'll just ring forever. When I finally reached someone on that line they told me that they don't usually answer it and that in the future I should just call 911.

[dsheinem]

It shows 911 is for emergency and a 404 area code number for non-emergencies. Where did you get your information from?

I got my information from the police. They do have the 404 area code number. I got it off the website just like you did and had to call it like six times in a row to get anyone to answer it. I don't think they even had voice mail set up, it'll just ring forever. When I finally reached someone on that line they told me that they don't usually answer it and that in the future I should just call 911.