Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 21:09     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:So said my teenage son to his five-year-old brother. For the first time in my life, I stayed silent on this topic.



I really don't agree. Most police try to be good police. But structural racism is a real issue and it does have horrible outcomes. And that of course impacts police departments and individual police. We all collectively need to on that.

And if you are in Maryland, you could start lobbying your state representatives to get rid of the State Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights statutes that provide extra protections to police that normal people do not have. Trust me, the good cops want it gone so they can hold bad cops accountable. Not even the most liberal legislators seem to have any appetite to end it.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 21:08     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/11/13/police-chicago-security-guard-jemel-roberson-shooting-death-robbins-midlothian/1990496002/

Police chief called him a hero. He is still dead now.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 21:05     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So said my teenage son to his five-year-old brother. For the first time in my life, I stayed silent on this topic.



But this is not inaccurate. Even when they are not "the enemy" they are certainly NOT your "friends."
Their job is the POLICE (verb) the community. So if you have contact with the police that is NOT initiated by you... for any reason, it is likely to be as a suspect --whether you are suspected of driving over the speed limit or suspected of matching a description of a burglar or suspected of lurking in an area that is off limits with intent to do harm, etc.

Likewise, if you are taken into police custody just because the police want to "chat" with you about a crime, you need to remember that they are NOT your friend in this scenario. There is a reason your miranda rights are worded "you have the right to remain silent...should you choose to give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law"---and it does NOT say "anything you say can and will be used to help exonerate you from responsibility or suspicion" b/c they are not there to help you build a case of innocence. They are there to use what you say AGAINST you. Period.

It is wise to not be naive.
But it is also okay to let children and teens know that, in a jam, the safest place to go for help is a woman with children or a store employee in uniform (preferably firefighter, EMT, mall security, etc.) And if police are called to a situation BY them, then they are likely going to be helpful rather than harmful.



Only if the person is white. Don't send your kids to a black person to call the police to help them or they could get them killed. It is not safe.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:54     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:So said my teenage son to his five-year-old brother. For the first time in my life, I stayed silent on this topic.



But this is not inaccurate. Even when they are not "the enemy" they are certainly NOT your "friends."
Their job is the POLICE (verb) the community. So if you have contact with the police that is NOT initiated by you... for any reason, it is likely to be as a suspect --whether you are suspected of driving over the speed limit or suspected of matching a description of a burglar or suspected of lurking in an area that is off limits with intent to do harm, etc.

Likewise, if you are taken into police custody just because the police want to "chat" with you about a crime, you need to remember that they are NOT your friend in this scenario. There is a reason your miranda rights are worded "you have the right to remain silent...should you choose to give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law"---and it does NOT say "anything you say can and will be used to help exonerate you from responsibility or suspicion" b/c they are not there to help you build a case of innocence. They are there to use what you say AGAINST you. Period.

It is wise to not be naive.
But it is also okay to let children and teens know that, in a jam, the safest place to go for help is a woman with children or a store employee in uniform (preferably firefighter, EMT, mall security, etc.) And if police are called to a situation BY them, then they are likely going to be helpful rather than harmful.

Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:46     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Minority living the model goody two shoes life here. Have been mistreated by police twice.

Once was a woman cop yelling at me and cutting me off when I tried to speak and explain myself which was something like “this is my property... I live here....just trying to get past you..” Never felt so mistreated in my life. One of those things I will remember forever. She yelled at me that she would arrest my ass among other things.

Second time I had to make a police report and the report included references to Asian cultural artifacts that were completely untrue and I corrected him multiple times to the point where I wondered if this Caucasian policeman understood the English words coming out of my mouth. He said he understood and went back and wrote up a police report that again included references to Asian artifacts. I refused to believe it for a while but years later I do believe he was acting up and mistreating me because I am Asian.


So no, cops are not our friends.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:30     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Police officers aren't your friends. They especially aren't your friend when you break the law.


Or even suspected of breaking the law and for a petty crime.


Teach your kids not to break the law and equally important don't associate/be friends with people who do either. Don't put yourself in situations where you are likely to have negative police interactions


You mean like sleeping in your own house in your own bed after working as an EMT?



Or playing video games with your nephew?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:28     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:It’s terrible to paint everyone with one brush. There are horrible officers and wonderful caring ones, too.


And dead is dead.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:28     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:African American here. We are told this in the womb. We are also told that white people are not our friends. Both are true.

Wow, lovely


Do you live under a rock?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 20:27     Subject: “Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Police officers aren't your friends. They especially aren't your friend when you break the law.


Or even suspected of breaking the law and for a petty crime.


Teach your kids not to break the law and equally important don't associate/be friends with people who do either. Don't put yourself in situations where you are likely to have negative police interactions


hello missing all the points

Our kids are white and my dh sat them down and told them the police are NOT their friend and to NEVER talk to them without an attorney or one of us there. He's an attorney and there are cases that have really disturbed him.

Op you should speak up. Police officers are murdering unarmed black people. It is a crisis.

And tell both of your kids not to talk to police without a lawyer present.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:55     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I agree with your son. Mr. Rogers and his advice to seek out the “helpers” no longer applies.


OK, so you won't be calling the police if someone breaks into your home? You won't be calling the police if you see or hear a neighbor beating his wife? You won't be calling the police if you drive by your elementary school, and the windows are smashed in?

I demand justice for George Floyd. But I'm also not such a hypocrite as to say that all police = bad when I know damn well who I would call if I were robbed at gunpoint again, as I was four years ago.


My neighbors were fighting in the street, he had shoved her and she fell down and hurt herself and was crying. It seemed pretty obvious they were both addicts. He wasn't being aggressive with me around. She didn't want police, she just wanted the guy to be nice to her. I asked her if she had someplace safe to go, she told her dad's address, I called her an uber and waited with her in the car. Was it a great solution, no. Would calling the cops have helped anything for either of them, I wish, but no.


Thank you for this anecdata. It really helps to know that this one time, you did this one thing.


Silly response.

Point is people jump to calling cops. This reminds people not everything is a cop solution.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:47     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:At a minimum, one would think the suburban snowflakes in this area would avail themselves of law enforcement if their private property is threatened, right? I mean, sharing only goes so far, no?



Snowflakes? Really? Come on, that is so tired.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:37     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
At a minimum, one would think the suburban snowflakes in this area would avail themselves of law enforcement if their private property is threatened, right? I mean, sharing only goes so far, no?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:34     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Officer Friendly?
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:32     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:African American here. We are told this in the womb. We are also told that white people are not our friends. Both are true.

Wow, lovely



It’s her/his perspective. Stop judging and try to understand.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2020 18:26     Subject: Re:“Police officers AREN’T our friends”
Anonymous wrote:African American here. We are told this in the womb. We are also told that white people are not our friends. Both are true.

Wow, lovely