Police and citizens

[Sunflogun]

Police officers and citizens coexist all their lives. Citizens (where I am included) see the police officers as the authority, responsible to maintain the law and order. What about the police officers, how do they see the citizens? What instructions do they receive when being trained?

 

[Rainman]

I suppose the cops view the civilians as those who need their protection. At least that's how it's meant to be. "Serve and protect," isn't that their job?

Most cops however forget the "serve" part and focus more on protecting. I wish though they'd all learn to balance it up. People wouldn't fear the cops unless they'd done something wrong.

 

[dyanmarie25]

Same with Rainman. I think police officers see citizens as the ones for them to protect and serve. But somehow, sadly, other cops don't think the same way.

 

[lushlala]

The problem with some cops, I suspect, is that they become disgruntled in their job and take it out on the very people they are meant to protect and serve. I think you also have some who absolutely love the authority being a police officer affords them, which results in them throwing their weight about and making people's lives a misery, totally losing track of what their role actually entails

 

[Gabe]

I don't think you can generalize. Some cops wish to serve and protect and some will like the power it gives them. It also depends on the area, whether it's a city or a small town. In a small town, cops are generally part of the community and in the cities there is more of a divide.

I once lived in a small town of 350 people and everyone knew one another and made it work in the community.

 

[JoanMcWench]

There's an issue of two worlds here: Police officers who understand who they're working for & the one's who do not. It seems to be that simple. There's a mentality with some police officers that they're above a lot & everyone else is beneath them. Sometimes this way of thinking comes with becoming callous over time & losing your way.

 

[DancingLady]

Cops who lose their focus and get caught up in power tend to get a lot of complaints against them. That's one reason why small town cops tend to be nicer and more a part of the community. The fewer people there are, the more likely it seems complaints get taken seriously and issues addressed. There used to be a cop in my town that was known to have an attitude when he pulled people over. I think he got canned due to complaints about his repeated impolite behavior.