Why has American police culture changed so much?

[PosPosPos]

More important than their fashion sense, the US police culture has shifted drastically from "protect and serve" to "pillage and murder".

[Themius]

I have had nothing but good run ins not just one, and that is true for the vast majority of people. Then again I didn't say that no bad ones exist but you knew that. I just don't buy Endus traveling to the US and just happens to have a gun pulled on him by the police. And even if he had one bad run in doesn't make this statement "the officer usually approaches weapon drawn, and is in many cases ordering the civilian to step out or show their hands or the like" true. So take your nonsense argument somewhere else because it is just as much a load of crap as Endus's more than likely exaggerated/fabricated story.

Perhaps it is the area you're in?

I've never really had a "run-in" with cops.

I have seen scary shit though. I was at the mall one day and these kids got into a fight and the cop grabs one and the kid wasn't moving i was watching, he was literally next to me I stepped back and I was on the side with the cops gun next thing the cop starts screaming "don't you reach for my gun, don't you ever reach for my gun I will shoot you" and the kid had not moved... his hands were literally being held by the officer he wasn't reaching for anything he couldn't.

Do officers usually approach with weapons drawn? That depends certain departments do train this way which is why your statement is bullshit because... if you concede we have tens of thousands of departments that all train differently some do train that you should approach with a drawn gun so anyone who drives through that one area and gets pulled over will likely face that.

There is a great variability in how officers are trained and the modus operandi changes radically.

[Bodakane]

The more public the missteps become, the bigger the outrage by the public, the more attacked and insular the police feel, which amps up their hostility towards the public causing more missteps that become more public and so on. Vicious cycle.

But frankly it is one where the trained professionals should do the heavy lifting of fixing the relations between them and the public. They need our trust to do their jobs.

[Sky High]

Wow, OP seriously calling back to the civil rights era to make an argument that cops should act more like they did back then? Cringe, so much god damned cringe this OP cooks up.

[Altrec]

Perhaps it is the area you're in?

I've never really had a "run-in" with cops.

I have seen scary shit though. I was at the mall one day and these kids got into a fight and the cop grabs one and the kid wasn't moving i was watching, he was literally next to me I stepped back and I was on the side with the cops gun next thing the cop starts screaming "don't you reach for my gun, don't you ever reach for my gun I will shoot you" and the kid had not moved... his hands were literally being held by the officer he wasn't reaching for anything he couldn't.

Do officers usually approach with weapons drawn? That depends certain departments do train this way which is why your statement is bullshit because... if you concede we have tens of thousands of departments that all train differently some do train that you should approach with a drawn gun so anyone who drives through that one area and gets pulled over will likely face that.

There is a great variability in how officers are trained and the modus operandi changes radically.

Can you find me a department that has training that the officers are supposed to approach any vehicle they pull over with weapon drawn? You are calling me out for saying it doesn't happen regularly like Endus was saying because "some do train to do that out of tens of thousands of departments" yet I'm sure you were nodding in agreement with the blanket statement from Endus that it happens commonly when it really doesn't.

[Powerogue]

We have the right for peaceful protests. And in a lot of cases, permits are needed to do such in some places. Blocking access for other citizens to a public building or road, is not legal unless you get a permit which allows for such. If one is denied a permit, there are legal ways to challenge it. Otherwise, you can create violence by acting unlawful. Dogs are still used by the police and have been found to be very effective tools for them.

So likely as simple as:

local government: lol of course we won't give you a permit to protest, we're racist.
protesters: But this is important! We'll protest anyway!

[cuafpr]

i think the anti cop propaganda is working as intended. the vast majority of cops are fine and sensible folks...but the constant reminder that a small % of them are not has ended up with everyone thinking those few are the norm.

No doubt esp when the story is blasted all over for days..... but in some cases i can see a cop pulling someone over and drawing their side arm.

[Machismo]

I think there's more transparency than in previous years, and a lot of cops don't know how to handle it. One of the big issues was body cameras. It turns out that most cops love them, and helps them do their jobs. Still, there are many who are fighting it tooth and nail. When everyone has access to a camera, then police officers need to be on their best behavior, and many "old school" officers find that very restrictive. Being under more scrutiny will teach them to be better officers, or will reveal them for the ad officers that they are.

[Themius]

Can you find me a department that has training that the officers are supposed to approach any vehicle they pull over with weapon drawn? You are calling me out for saying it doesn't happen regularly like Endus was saying because "some do train to do that out of tens of thousands of departments" yet I'm sure you were nodding in agreement with the blanket statement from Endus that it happens commonly when it really doesn't.

Then you would lose the bet.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Hair style is synonymous with culture now? Holy shit, I better shave my Nazi 'stash before people start judging me!

[Ghostpanther]

So likely as simple as:

local government: lol of course we won't give you a permit to protest, we're racist.
protesters: But this is important! We'll protest anyway!

Then they can try repeal the decision and if needed, can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of the US. Odds are, you will get the permit. But it may not let you close down a public highway access. Other people's needs are just as important as yours. I am sure you would not have anarchy?

[petej0]

Should American police work harder to attract a more classy recruit?

How are you going to attract a "more classy recruit" to do a dangerous, thankless job where if you do something bad you are vilified in the media and good deeds go unpublished?

How are you going to attract a "more classy recruit" to work ridiculous hours, get disrespected by the public for doing your job for mediocre pay.

Frankly I am surprised they can find anyone to do that line of work.

Should we enforce more hair in the police dress code?

What does that do?
Hair, makeup etc is part of the dress code. It is part of the "uniform". Uniform being the key word here, all officers present a neat professional appearance. All officers look uniform. You dont have one officer with face tattoos and piercings, another with green hair, another with clown makeup etc..

[Kellhound]

1950s



Should American police work harder to attract a more classy recruit?

Should we enforce more hair in the police dress code?

1: The top photo is of Canadian police, not American.
2: The people the police deal with now don't generally look like that kid either.

[melodramocracy]

I'm not sure how you determined that 2 1950's cops posing with a kid is indicative of the 'good old days'. A good portion of cops have always been completely power abusing scumbags.

Let's rewind the clock a bit further to see how really great cops were prior to the 1900's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lattimer_massacre

[Drusin]

It is a issue when most people cannot buy one. Also, link the last time a person used a machine gun ( as defined by the FBI as being a machine gun ) to commit a crime.

I was never arguing that point so I don't have have that knowledge. All I'm saying is you can own what you want in certain states.

- - - Updated - - -

And it's not possible. Your original claim was that a person can go into a department store and walk out with a machine gun. You cannot do that. The only way to get an automatic weapon is 1) from a vendor allowed to sell such items and 2) after a strenuous background check and legal loopholes, and 3) only for a limited set of weapons manufactured before the act came into effect.

I presumed "department store" was code for "those stores that sell clothes and machine guns" lol.