The_rising_sea t1_jdc9yq0 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 11:24 AM

Can we all start demanding that, when a police officer commits a crime, that it is not reported as “former” police? The fact is that these crimes were committed when the officer was on active duty. It is reported this way constantly. The officer who shot her neighbor because she walked into the wrong apartment was immediately characterized as “former,” even though she shot the victim as an active duty officer. The 4 who murdered George Floyd were right away called “former.” By characterizing these criminals as “former,” it takes away the gravitas that these are not only criminals, but they are also breaching the trust that society places on them. Saying “former” gives a false impression that the crimes were committed at some point after their law enforcement career.

warlocc_ t1_jdcaq9f wrote on March 23, 2023 at 11:32 AM

I'm convinced that all the carve outs and protections from laws that cops get either goes right to their head or straight up attracts the kind of people that want to break laws.

It's insane to me that not only are they not held to a higher standard, they're actually often exempt.

foonsirhc t1_jddrjp1 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 5:46 PM

100%. Courts have ruled in favor of police departments turning down applicants for placing too high on intelligence tests. They aren't looking for Columbo, they're looking for moronic psychos who will do whatever they're told. Add to that the direction of policing towards more military style units, strong turn from "here to help" to "here to fuck up your life"... what kind of asshole would want to be a cop now anyways?

They're all bad.

9Z7EErh9Et0y0Yjt98A4 t1_jdcc83j wrote on March 23, 2023 at 11:47 AM

The reporting on police is riddled with euphemisms and other evasions of responsibility like this. It drives me insane.

A journalist writing the phrase "officer involved shooting" is a disgrace, yet this pro-cop PR speak seems to be entirely normalized in our press.

According to our press cops never commit crimes, only former cops do.

manual_tranny t1_jdckqj4 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 1:02 PM

The punishment for crimes these active police officers commit, especially those that are not accidental and a direct result of trying to enforce the law, must be DOUBLE that of a civilian.

Breaking public trust should be a separate crime with mandatory charges.

mini4x t1_jddos1c wrote on March 23, 2023 at 5:29 PM

He isn't even "former" he was on paid leave.

SomeSortofDisaster t1_jdd2pw7 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 3:09 PM

Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. Our overlords have apparently forgotten this.