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I have the same authority as a regular joe with the difference being I am not doing it the name of the state as you would... I GET to do it the name of myself or any one I choose to...
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Good point !
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I am glad to see many of the views expressed in this thread. Many, if not most, of my peers have thought me paranoid when i commented on my dislike of the militarization of law enforcement agencies.
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Welcome
orangello You will find lots of stimulating discussions here.
You are not so much paranoid as wisely cautious. I think everyone recognizes that there is a problem from both sides of the line, there likely is no easy solution but, discussion brings about education and knowledge is a strong tool.
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I would like to comment on the earlier comment regarding the lack of criminal prosecution as a penalty for LEO's on duty who make a mistake or violate a law. There was a murder in Atlanta, GA a year or two ago that involved a few narcotics officers who exercised a warrant of VERY questionable validity on a ghetto house belonging to a 90+ year old woman. The woman was murdered by the officers when they served a "no knock" warrant at her home; the woman did fire at the officers when they entered the home (she wounded one i believe). There were some criminal convictions/pleas in that case, i believe. I don't recall anyone being sentenced to "life" or "death" penalties, but some of the officers did go to jail.
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We did discuss this unfortunate incident at some length...If I (or someone else ) can find a link to the thread I will post it, made for a good discussion. In this particular case the media spotlight was the factor that finally brought about the arrests and convictions of the responsible parties.
As someone pointed out earlier, Police functioned basically in stealth mode for so many years that folks got used to the "Adam-12" stereotype and did not recognize what was really happening until technology advancements both privately, and in the media, began to illuminate such incidents and make them harder to just disappear or be obscured so easily.
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When i was a child, i was always told that the police officers were there to help, and that if i was in trouble or lost, i should ask them for help. I don't see my friends with kids teaching their kids to do that anymore. I'm not sure i blame them; i do not associate with LEO's in any way. I don't do this to be unkind, but to err on the side of my own personal safety & problem/hassle avoidance.
Today 01:17 PM
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I think most officers are good, decent, honorable individuals that have a difficult job to do and, just want to do their best and go home at night. It's not so much the individual officer that has issues so much as the system in general.