What do you feel civilians most misunderstand about your jobs?

[kcpronto]

What don't we get?

[greg72982]

That you, the civilians, expect us to fix in 15 minutes what has taken you years if not a lifetime to screw up. Then when we dont we are lazy.

[Samuel]

Too much to list.

[kcpronto]

That you, the civilians, expect us to fix in 15 minutes what has taken you years if not a lifetime to screw up. Then when we dont we are lazy.

Are you alluding to not disciplining a loved one before then wanting you to arrest them and set them straight?

I'm curious because I can't imagine a druggie or thief wanting you to fix anything... not sure what you're getting at... (Isn't that sad how I ask a question about what we civilians don't get and I ask you to clarify? *ashamed*)

[tcop733]

That we're not all, as one guy stated to me "Power Trippers" looking to flaunt our authority and arrest all we can.....because we can. We're generally normal, good people who really do want to make the communities we serve a better place to live for all. I can honestly say most arrest I've made over the years were ones that fell smack dab in my lap, with little to no incredible police work done. They weren't made because I was looking to arrest someone.
Most of my arrest came from simple traffic stops, on a guy or gal who blatantly broke a traffic law in front of me. Red light, stop sign, speeding more than fifteen over. Simple license check showed outstanding warrants or that their drivers licenses were suspended.
Others were calls to domestics that had turned violent, which is pretty much a mandatory arrest in most states.

[ChevySSP]

Most civilians (and politicians, dont get me started) don't ever credit police with being professionals, just like any other office job.

Oh, and +1 to what greggles said.

[Cat_Doc]

They can't grasp that these men and women are professionals, they are compassionate, they just want to hear the truth, and they are Street Warriors who voluntarily march into the Face of Chaos each shift only to be scorned by those they are protecting.

[kcpronto]

It makes me mad when I think of people who are down on you. Without you all out there every day we would be sooooo screwed. I certainly appreciate what you do. Cops are definitely my favorite people ever.

I get so excited when I see a cop car or you follow me around for a bit... makes me feel safe, you know?
I've been trying to think of a way to thank my local station. Usually I bake cakes and cookies to go along with my thank you notes, but I wasn't sure if you'd have to toss any food brought you. (Who knows what could be in it? I certainly would not eat it!)

Besides a thank you note what's a good way to say thanks?

[mcsap]

That I have given MANY , MANY more warnings and breaks ( to total strangers ) than I will ever be able to count but am the bad guy beacuse I decided to give you a ticket or make an arrest.

That I can't pull your driving record up in my car in 20 seconds. I actually CAN do this but it is a hassle to log into the program that does it and when doing so , it kicks me off my dispatch link. So I rarely do so unless you have no ID and I cant determine who you are. I can get license pics too.

That while I am a public servant , I am not a public doormat.

That even though your taxes ( mine too) go towards my salary , you dont't directly pay me nor tell me what to do.

That your feeble threat to " have my badge" has been said to me many times. Get a number and take a seat. That and threats to sue me have been echoing in my ears for over 24 years and it hasn't happened yet.

That you know the Chief, mayor , congressman , etc. if you are such good and close friends....call them right NOW on your cell. But no matter , it isn't going to change my mind.

That you or anyone can do my job. Fine , the next hiring test is in a few months , see you there ??

The list can just go on. and on.

[DeltaV]

Are you alluding to not disciplining a loved one before then wanting you to arrest them and set them straight?

I'm curious because I can't imagine a druggie or thief wanting you to fix anything... not sure what you're getting at... (Isn't that sad how I ask a question about what we civilians don't get and I ask you to clarify? *ashamed*)

Most of the time this type of thing occurs during domestic disputes, but it happens a lot too in other types of disputes. People want us to solve their problems for them--and do it quickly. A marriage or relationship has deteriorated over time, and one of the parties calls us and legitimately thinks that we will put an end to their problems in a few minutes. 99% of the time it doesn't work that way, and then whoever the complainant is gets mad and accuses us of not doing anything. Heaven forbid I suggest to someone that THEY have to go down to the courthouse and fill out some sort of PAPERWORK to get something--they want it all done for them.

Similar things happen in the housing projects all the time. People who live in these places are constantly calling the police for things like disputes with creditors, minor neighborhood issues, child disciplinary issues, and other things that we generally can do nothing about. They call us because they're used to the government providing everything for them and are incapable of solving their own problems. Then they get mad when we tell them it's not a police matter. That's by no means something unique only to public housing areas, but over the years I've worked many different parts of town and get more of these calls from those who live in subsidized housing. Certain people are just used to relying on the government for EVERYTHING.

.....but when someone gets shot and killed right next to their apartment, they definitely won't tell you who did it.

[greg72982]

Are you alluding to not disciplining a loved one before then wanting you to arrest them and set them straight?

I'm curious because I can't imagine a druggie or thief wanting you to fix anything... not sure what you're getting at... (Isn't that sad how I ask a question about what we civilians don't get and I ask you to clarify? *ashamed*)

Yes that is one example. I guess in a sense it's flattering that people think we can work miracles, but the reality is that our hands are more tied than you think, especially in this day and age. Which reminds of yet another misunderstanding.

My job is not to be a parent to your children because you can't be. I do not have children and did not receive parent training in the academy. If you want little Johnny arrested because he comitted some sort of crime, which is rarely the case, I'll be glad to do it. I wish I could just throw little Johnny in jail and solve the problem, but it just doesnt work that way.

The great state of PA has determined that the police are not qualified to be parents, which is why there is CYS and the ability to file incorrigibility on a child you cannot control.

[QldCop]

Many civies here think we're punching bags... & when we "council" them that this is not the case, they seemed surprised...
We have an issue with Juvenile Crime here where i work, parents have said to me "I've tried, now it's your turn!"
like what has been written b4, it's hard to fix something in a few minutes that has been 11-16yrs in the making.

[1depd]

Most of us are not out to get anybody. Typically we didn't know you existed five minutes before we were talking to you and normally ten minutes after we leave we don't care that you exist (there are exceptions like the 14 year old rape victim, the shaken baby, etc. we remember them for a long time). It isn't personal, but why would most of us throw away a job we have worked so hard to get falsifying evidence, lying, or committing any one of a myriad of other crimes to hurt someone we don't even know?

[Curt581]

What don't we get?

You don't get that we're not just walking, talking uniforms. We're human, too.

You don't get that the law applies equally to all. When the neighborhood watch group complains about speeders racing past the playground, who is likely to be driving the first car stopped for speeding? The loudest complainer.

You don't get that we can't just walk up to the drug dealer's house and throw everyone inside in jail. We need evidence. We need witnesses willing to testify.

You don't get that we can't be in all places, all the time. Very often, we can't even be close by. Ever witness a crime and think to yourself, "There's never a cop around when you need one"? That's because we're handling another person's call halfway across town, and he was thinking the same thing before we got there. Our entire existence is a perpetual game of 'catch-up'.

You don't get that we don't know your kid personally. We don't know that he would never, ever (insert crime). Maybe it's YOU who doesn't know your kid as well as you thought you did.

You don't get that no matter how fine and upstanding a citizen you are, you don't get to (insert crime) and get away with just a warning. A single bad choice can wipe out a long history of good deeds... and if it's bad enough, you'll be known only for that one bad choice for the rest of your life.

You don't get that the side of the road is NOT the place to argue your guilt or innocence. That's why they have courtrooms and lawyers and stuff.

You don't get that we know you're lying when you say "I only had two beers". Nobody, but nobody, out and about at 1:30 in the morning has only had 'two beers'.

[kels]

So, did you get enough answers for your homework?