"I'm a black ex-cop, and this is the real truth about race and policing" - Article

[dubious_doomhammer]

Good read that outlines police culture and how people influence it.

http://www.vox.com/2015/5/28/8661977...police-officer

Few excerpts:

On any given day, in any police department in the nation, 15 percent of officers will do the right thing no matter what is happening. Fifteen percent of officers will abuse their authority at every opportunity. The remaining 70 percent could go either way depending on whom they are working with.

It is not only white officers who abuse their authority. The effect of institutional racism is such that no matter what color the officer abusing the citizen is, in the vast majority of those cases of abuse that citizen will be black or brown. That is what is allowed.

3) The mainstream media helps sustain the narrative of heroism that even corrupt officers take refuge in

This is critical to understanding why police-community relations in black and brown communities across the country are as bad as they are. In this interview with Fox News, former New York City Police Commissioner Howard Safir never acknowledges the lived experience of thousands and thousands of blacks in New York, Baltimore, Ferguson, or anywhere in the country. In fact, he seems to be completely unaware of it. This allows him to leave viewers with the impression that the recent protests against police brutality are baseless, and that allegations of racism are "totally wrong — just not true." The reality of police abuse is not limited to a number of "very small incidents" that have impacted black people nationwide, but generations of experienced and witnessed abuse.

[Hana Song]

I find this hard to believe

[Puupi]

So TL;DR version would be something like: American cops are shit people, regardless of race?

Because that's what he really is saying.

[Mazeari]

It's not truth, it's his opinion. Which is also based on numbers provided without evidence.

[Ryme]

I think is a much more complicated issue that anyone wants it to be. There are enormous disparities by race in:

• Crime rates
• Assault
• Deaths
• Wealth
• Location
• Various forms of inequality

This can't be boiled down to a view point, or a person's experience. There's too much going on here for any one person to have the experience to know.

[Deleted]

I'm a green ex-cop with red dots, and this is the real truth (important: real truth, by no means unreal or fake truth ) about statistics on the interwebs...

[dubious_doomhammer]

So TL;DR version would be something like: American cops are shit people, regardless of race?

Because that's what he really is saying.

That's not what he's saying, if you read the article. He's saying that people are susceptible to the culture of the department they're serving in. If an officer doesn't mesh well with their peers, then its going to problematic for that officer.

[Deleted]

I find this hard to believe

And I find it implausible that you read the linked article, reflected upon it, and thoughtfully responded on the matter in a one minute turnaround time.

Not a personal dig. A big part of this issue is people are entrenched in what they already think the underlying causes,both contributory and absolute, might be.

[Puupi]

That's not what he's saying, if you read the article. He's saying that people are susceptible to the culture of the department they're serving in. If an officer doesn't mesh well with their peers, then its going to problematic for that officer.

Exactly, that's just a long euphemistic way of saying they are shit people.

[dubious_doomhammer]

Exactly, that's just a long euphemistic way of saying they are shit people.

If that's how you want to frame it, then sure.

[Hana Song]

And I find it implausible that you read the linked article, reflected upon it, and thoughtfully responded on the matter in a one minute turnaround time.

I never read full articles, I read what people quote from them in their post

[Deleted]

all white cops have proven to be racist on some level at least in the past few years.

[Deleted]

Exactly, that's just a long euphemistic way of saying they are shit people.

Product of their environment. Staring into the abyss, etc.

Let's not pretend that any of us could do a better job.

[Puupi]

If that's how you want to frame it, then sure.

Well if 15% are shit by default and 70% prone to be shit because of the other 15%, that leads to up to 85% being shit people. How does that sound to you?

Consider the fact that in other western countries cops aren't killing people like flies - so there must be some kind of difference. Maybe this is it.

- - - Updated - - -

Product of their environment. Staring into the abyss, etc.

Even if that were true, so what? Does that give you a free card of being a shit person?

Let's not pretend that any of us could do a better job.

The Finnish cops are doing a better job for sure.

[Tempguy]

Let me guess. You are one of the 15% who always do the right thing?

[Keosen]

So TL;DR version would be something like: American cops are shit people, regardless of race?

Because that's what he really is saying.

It's not a secret you need a very specific psychological profile to take the decision to become a cop, it's not the old innocent times where kids wanted to become cops to serve and protect you know.
I read on a statistic report once that cops around the globe are voting mostly right/far right parties in elections, this is certainly true in my country for example.

[dubious_doomhammer]

Well if 15% are shit by default and 70% prone to be shit because of the other 15%, that leads to up to 85% being shit people. How does that sound to you?

Consider the fact that in other western countries cops aren't killing people like flies - so there must be some kind of difference. Maybe this is it.

The article also says that 15% will do the right thing all of the time.

[Puupi]

Let me guess. You are one of the 15% who always do the right thing?

If you asked me, I don't know. I probably would be. I'm not prone to crime and violence. Never stolen, never been violent etc.

Anyway, I'm not a cop.

The recruitment and education process of cops should sort out the bad apples - like they do here.

[dubious_doomhammer]

Let me guess. You are one of the 15% who always do the right thing?

I'm not a cop, and I don't think I've ever claimed to be some saintly person.

[Puupi]

The article also says that 15% will do the right thing all of the time.

So you are fine with police force consisting of 15% of non-corrupt, non-violent people and the rest being legal thugs with guns?