this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2026
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THE POLICE PROBLEM

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    The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.

    99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.

    When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.

    When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."

    When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.

    Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.

    The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.

    All this is a path to a police state.

    In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.

    Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.

    That's the solution.

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Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.

♦ ♦ ♦

RULES

Real-life decorum is expected. Please don't say things only a child or a jackass would say in person.

If you're here to support the police, you're trolling. Please exercise your right to remain silent.

Saying ~~cops~~ ANYONE should be killed lowers the IQ in any conversation. They're about killing people; we're not.

Please don't dox or post calls for harassment, vigilantism, tar & feather attacks, etc.

Please also abide by the instance rules.

It you've been banned but don't know why, check the moderator's log. If you feel you didn't deserve it, hey, I'm new at this and maybe you're right. Send a cordial PM, for a second chance.

♦ ♦ ♦

ALLIES

!abolition@slrpnk.net

!acab@lemmygrad.ml

r/ACAB

r/BadCopNoDonut/

Randy Balko

The Civil Rights Lawyer

The Honest Courtesan

Identity Project

MirandaWarning.org

♦ ♦ ♦

INFO

A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions

Adultification

Cops aren't supposed to be smart

Don't talk to the police.

Killings by law enforcement in Canada

Killings by law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Killings by law enforcement in the United States

Know your rights: Filming the police

Three words. 70 cases. The tragic history of 'I can’t breathe' (as of 2020)

Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.

Police lie under oath, a lot

Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak

Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street

Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States

So you wanna be a cop?

When the police knock on your door

♦ ♦ ♦

ORGANIZATIONS

Black Lives Matter

Campaign Zero

Innocence Project

The Marshall Project

Movement Law Lab

NAACP

National Police Accountability Project

Say Their Names

Vera: Ending Mass Incarceration

 

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

An Arkansas state trooper who slammed an 18-year-old woman to the ground and punched her in the face during a traffic stop is now facing public outcry and calls for an investigation over his use of force.

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[–] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

“I don’t give a f—k. Turn around,” Arellano told Hackett, who was now on her back. Then a few seconds later he punched her in the right jaw.

“You can’t punch me in my face!” Hackett complained.

“Said who?” Arellano replied, adding that he was allowed to punch her for resisting, and warning he would do it again if she didn’t turn around.

“I literally did everything you told me to do,” Hackett said, crying.

Arellano’s report said that after giving Hackett multiple commands to roll over without compliance, he “delivered one closed-fist strike to the left side of her face to gain compliance.”

He also said he drew his taser and pointed the laser at her belt line but didn’t fire it. When Hackett saw the laser, she rolled over and placed her hands behind her back, the report said.

[–] TheGoldenV@lemmy.world 74 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Firing. Out of a cannon. Into the Sun.

[–] ZC3rr0r@piefed.ca 20 points 3 days ago (3 children)

It's a spectacular waste of resources in any other circumstance, but I wholeheartedly support this initiative to set an example.

Future offenders will however be aimed significantly lower, towards a 3 meter thick concrete wall instead.

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

It’s a spectacular waste of resources

I'm sure you could fire many at once. Just have to concentrate them first. Fortunately the USA already have places for that.

[–] Linktank@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

Hear me out. It takes a lot of Delta-V to fire things into the sun, however, it takes significantly less to fire things into the black emptiness of space!

[–] AzuranAurora@piefed.ca 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Why not off a cliff? Let them come to terms with their own mortality as they plummet to their doom. Bonus points if it's into the ocean with jagged rocks.

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Giant slingshot would be more fun

[–] caboose2006@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

And prison time? I'll never understand the sick fucks who try to gaslight me into believing that cops are held to a higher standard than the average everyday person.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago

facing calls for an investigation?

lucky he's not facing calls for his head

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 26 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is racism, pure and simple.

I'm just glad we have video evidence of it these days. Sometimes.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is why I have mixed feelings on the "pervert glasses".

On one hand, perverts.

On the other hand, more filming of police brutality that often goes uncaptured.

[–] Rothe@piefed.social 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It is pretty easy to record without those glasses.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 7 points 2 days ago

If you're lucky enough to have bystanders.

In situations where you're alone with a cop, reaching for your phone can be seen as threatening and suddenly you have a few bullet holes.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Bragging about beating up a 90 pound, 18 year old girl. What a tough guy.

[–] Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

A real alpha male there.

I wonder what his wife has to say

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 3 points 2 days ago

Or his daughter.

[–] GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 days ago

She probably "knows better" to say anything she's thinking.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm teaching my kids that the biggest threat they will face in this hell hole is police. I'm coaching them on what to say and to make it a priority to avoid cops at all costs. Never call them either.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 15 points 3 days ago

Who would have thought giving a bunch of unqualified people guns and the authority to use it, no punishment for those caught, along with a culture that protects bad behavior, would be so problematic?

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 38 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Yeah I don't see how anyone could say he doesn't deserve life in prison without parole. His family should be fleeing town and changing their last name out of just shame.

There is no shame to be found in much of America anymore. It's disgusting.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

I hate all this hyperbole. Should he get years behind bars for doing horrible things while in a position of authority? Yes, absolutely.

Life without parole? This isn't even a murder.

Pretty much all sentences should be lower in America.

[–] Bad_Engineering@fedia.io 41 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Personally I think the people tasked with upholding and enforcing the law should be held to a higher standard and face much strickter penalties when they break those laws.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I agree. That's still not life in prison.

[–] baines@lemmy.cafe 2 points 2 days ago

nope totally ok with police abusing powers being charged with life in prison

they can have parole with the victim oking it

[–] trebach@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

Plus lifetime disqualification from working in law enforcement. Many states do have registries of who is and is not qualified to work in law enforcement but they're each for their own state since the rules vary between states. A registry of those banned for misconduct needs to be federal and enforced so someone banned in one state can't be hired in another state or by the federal government.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

He abused his powers in such a way to abduct a young woman, create a situation she can't fight back, slammed her on the ground, talked shit while punching her in the face.

Life in prison isnt hyperbole. The family should sue for everything he has and if his state has the death penalty I'd be perfectly happy with the firing squad, hanging, lethal injection, etc.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I would rather my taxes not be used to feed and house this piece of shit for the rest of his life.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

At the same time, I don't want the state to make decisions about executing citizens. The world is better with fewer shitheads in it, but I don't trust this justice system to accurately determine who should be put to death.

[–] Linktank@lemmy.today 3 points 2 days ago

Mob justice it is.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is the footage that was caught.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

We shouldn't punish people for hypothetical crimes either though.

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Hell just get a law enforcement job in the next county over. Won't even have to move.

[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 7 points 2 days ago

I'm an ALPHA MALE because I BEAT UP High School GIRLS!

-Republicans!

[–] almost_genocide@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

And jail.

We also call for him to be put in jail.

[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

"improper use of hazard lights" What a joke here in Arkansas. Weekly I see dozens of fools driving down the road with their hazard lights on. The only legal use of them is when you are stopped or if you represent a hazard. You can't convince them its not legal to run down the highway with them on. They read all about it on facebook.

https://tzdarkansas.org/learn-the-law-19/

So I wonder if the lady had them on driving or this guy cited her because she used them legally but he didn't think it applied in that case.

Not that any of this justifies him punching her.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago

For real. I Uber in central AR and I run across at least 2 a day driving around with their hazards on. I also witness people run red lights in front of cops and see them do jack shit.

[–] ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's wild how many drivers put their hazards on while driving through a school zone with the school zone sign lit. Unnecessary and illegal. Even more wild is how often school bus drivers do it and then continue driving the normal speed, way above the 15 mph of the school zone limit. It's such a problem that during my school bus driver classroom training I got yelled at for it, even though I've never done it and wasn't even driving a school bus yet.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Shit, I use my hazards all the time... Traffic up ahead is stopped I'm hitting my hazards so the person behind me knows something is up. Another car stuck on the side of the road and I can't get over; slowdown + hazards. Geese crossing the road, believe it or not, hazards.

My ass is going to jail I guess, being a hardened criminal and all.

No, it's appropriate and legal to use your hazards when you're going at least 10-15 mph slower than the posted speed limit. The problem with school zones is that 15 mph is the posted speed limit when the sign is lit, so there's no reason to have your hazards on there unless you're going 2 mph.

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip 6 points 3 days ago

It's racial profiling pure and simple.

The picture makes me think he felt his loins stirring and was sure he could get away with stopping her for no reason, and then some, because ... she's black.

[–] BillCheddar@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

And that's why I throw myself a little party every time I read about a cop dying in the line of duty.

[–] PineRune@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

At what point are people going to stop asking the police to investigate themselves and start administering vigilante justice? Police are basically free to rape and murder in the streets at this point.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

I know entirely too many racist bigoted religious pieces of shit that aren't cops who care an entirely too much about completely made up bullshit to condone vigilante justice

[–] green_link@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

i call for not just firing, also 20 years in jail. i'm sure there are a few people in the slammer that would love to teach a cop a few lessons, especially child abuser cops.

This is awful. These vicious monsters prowling our streets can only be kept from invading our communities with violence.