Police or Storm Troopers? Most of us here have probably had some experience with our local police departments, either personnaly or in some other type of direct or indirect contact. In relationship to drugs, how do you think the police react? Do they take the "Cheap Shots" at the user or do you think they really are after the suppliers/dealers? Do your local cops go overboard when they make drug busts? Do they deal with drug users/addicts different then they say a drunk driver? Do they act as though they are better than those they are supposed to be serving? Are they "Punks" or are they "Police"?

Thanks for your input on this!

God Bless you all

JR

Personally I feel that the ones who arent rookies see so much of it that they become numb to it. They see probably the worst of it and probably even worse than the loved ones see in many cases. The 'Narcotics Squads' will take anything down relating to drugs whether is an addict or a dealer. Just getting as many as they can in my opinion. Then there are some neighbourhoods like in inner city Detroit where every second house is a crack house and not a cop in sight, A year later they are all still there. Something isnt right with that as far as Im concerned. Is it lack of resources ? Perhaps if they stop wasting their time on addicts and go for the drug dens, cutting off the sources and getting neighbourhoods involved in cleaning up there could be at least a small difference. Im not convinced that the money is spent wisely in police departments as far as dealing with drug related crimes.

It is ironic, that I put this post in yesterday. Today, while I was out doing my need to stuff, I ran into a guy I have known since high school. He is still a local police officer. He knew a bit about the situation with my Wife, and we talked just a bit about Her and what all happened. I mentioned to him about my concern for the way the street cops handle these things. He kind of shook his head and rolled his eyes. The first thing he told me made me laugh, he said: "ya know, these young guys are a bit over the line on this, they just like racking up their arrest scores." He also said, "It wouldn't be so bad if they treated people like people, but they don't, because these are the guys who were treated like crap in school and bullied around and pushed aside for being wimps, but now they are cops they got a badge a gun and the power of arrest, and that makes um big men or women in some cases." What he said does make a lot of sense, because I know a good number of cops who fit that discription to a T. They have watched to many episodes of "Cops" and the song "Bad Boys" just keeps going through their brainless little heads. (Wooooops, I slipped didn't mean to get personal:rolleyes: . Forgive me boys, I'm sorry you were wimps in school!

I had better stop, I'm getting out of line here.

God Bless you and may he forgive brainless, thoughtless, brutal and uncaring public servants.

JR

I was involved in the drug interdiction business for a long time while I was in the military. Did several patrols at sea, boarding suspected drug runners, and did a tour or two chasing them thru the jungle.

I am afraid that I have much disdain for the locals on the streets here in the states, but that is a general opinion of the type of cop that we had to deal with here. Two incidents I can think of I have been personally involved in one after I retired (that is the one that I got arrested for) and the other I was still on active duty and in service with the TACLET. We had recently moved to this house when my daughter and I pulled into the driveway just in time to see a car go flying by with a cruiser in pursuit.

The car that was being chased hit a curb, probably broke the front axle, but either way it stopped rather quickly, out flies the driver running to beat the devil, cop right behind who tackles him, roles him over and commences to cuff him. Now this is where the problem started the cop started whaling on the perp with his fists, just beating the you know what out of a cuffed man! I sent my daughter inside and another neighbor (active duty Navy, in uniform) watched for a second. Then I yelled over that I was military LEO and if he hit that man one more time that I would testify against him at his trial! The cop stopped, a bit later his sgt. pulled up and my neighbor and I made a complaint to the sgt. Of course, nothing came of it.

Now I did not have jurisdictition, and I could not have made an arrest under color of authority, so I left it at that. Whatever happened to the perp, cop, etc., I don't know.

I do believe that their badges do go to their heads, especially the young ones, and I would be all for civilian boards to oversee not only the actions of the street cops, I also think there should be something similar in the prisons, where authority for displinary matters are taken completely out of Internal Affairs hands. There are some good internal affairs division, however, I believe that in most cases it is the wolf not only watching the sheep, but fellow wolves judging other wolves.

Not good.

Patti

My daughter was caught this weekend with drugs. She was with several other people. She doesn't deny that she had drugs, but the problem was, she had a small amount, and the arresting cops were disappointed in that, so they added some other charges. They seemed to see this arrest as some kind of fun for them, or some game.

Well, at 2:00AM when I was at the jail to pick up her "property" there was a jail guard making jokes about her arrest,heckling me. I had had it at that time and put him in his place. The room got quiet as I stared everyone in the face and waited for some retort.

I'm not saying drugs are right, but this has become a very "sick" battle. People who are in trouble for drugs are usually addicted,they are not the enemy. We need more state facilities to treat the addictions, and teach better coping skills instead of overcrowding the jails and prisons.

Im so very sorry to hear about your daughter. You must be very worried. Good for you for putting him in his place. I honestly think some of them forget that these drug people are infact people with real heart felt familes.
I hope she gets the help she needs and doesnt end up getting a jail sentence. My prayers are with you and your family.

Thank you, and yes, I am very worried, and sad. Her sons are 12 and 10, and it effects them too. It is touching our family in a very deep way. This is just the start. Now, I will be with her through every step, and also provide emotional support for she and the kids. This all makes me very sad. She is addicted to meth, which is a problem in every state.

Kim48,

I am also sorry to hear about your daughter. I will be praying for her. Good for you for standing up! We all must do just that. We must be there for our loved one's and see to their support. As well as work with them to seek the help they need to fight the addiction.

I know what you mean about the cops, guards or what ever they want to call themselves, they think it is all a joke, they could care in the least about our loved one's. But the only thing I can say is... God will deal with them later! They will pay the price, if they don't change their lives and their view's.

Stay with us here, you will find help and support. Don't give up, and never give in!

God Bless

JR

Thanks again. I still feel shocked, sad, scared about all this. All I can do is be there and try to help her through the system. What bothers me is that this seems to be some kind of fun game for the police. Maybe they do have to do their job and arrest them, but why make it a joke? Or a reason to celebrate? It's a sad thing, and one that needs to be dealt with in a different way than it is now.

drugs give the cops something to do, they don't want to quash the supply. that is my opinion. and the legislators remember CHIPS, Miami Vice, and Magnum PI... they keep feeding the COPS generation with more fat laws to arrest.

vicisious circle and the most anyone can do is stay aaway from the drugs and pray they don't get caught up in someone else's case.