Lion in Winter

What a coincidence.

Pulaski

Given the million or so LE officers of one flavor or another across the country, unwarranted police aggression is rare, but when it happens the media are all over it, ... and rightly so, but that doesn't make it commonplace.

Lion in Winter

Maybe it just feels more commonplace? I mean, it isn't more commonplace than in Mexico where the police are corrupt and liable to rob you, beat you up, or worse. But it does seem that their training involves what they consider to be techniques of domination and aggression to control, as opposed to de-escalation which I believe to be the more common training and technique in the UK and Europe. Here it feels much like the general population is the potential enemy, as opposed to simply people, and the police train that way.

Pulaski

And it is a well-armed enemy, which is a good part of the problem.

Every call a police officer responds to, every house he/she is sent to, every car he/she stops, has the potential to become an armed ambush attack against the officer. Is it any wonder that the police, sheriff's deputies, state troopers, etc. are edgy and tend towards aggression?

kimilseung

In at least some places it has been systematic and institutional. That is why the Justice Department gets involved with some police districts and demands that they comply with the Constitution via court-ordered police reforms. This is the case in my city. They are now apparently in compliance, and it has been a year or two since an incident made the news..

SultanOfSwing

How does that boot taste?

Pulaski

My interactions with LE have always been pleasant, or at least professional and respectful, even the time that I was chased.

scrubbedexpat099

Tell me more!

SultanOfSwing

And? That's their job, professionalism in interactions with the public is the bare minimum one would expect from civil servants. No reason to lick boots.

scrubbedexpat099

But not a bad idea when the can make your life hell, no issues in the US, a few weird ones in the UK.

SultanOfSwing

I don't think it's exactly an ideal situation when public servants can be considered to have the ability to make anyone's life hell with apparent impunity, wherever on Earth that may be taking place.

scrubbedexpat099

Venezuela.

Seriously, pretty much everywhere.

SultanOfSwing

Got to fill those for-profit prisons somehow I guess.

scrubbedexpat099

Quick trip to the DMV, dealing with the Building Dept, well we can go on.

SultanOfSwing

What kind of fantasy world do you live in?