this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I've been told that my only job is to go home at night.

And yet simply withdrawing from a benign situation rather than escalating it to the point of violence seems to be beyond their grasp.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Or maybe deescalate, like police forces in other countries do.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 12 points 23 hours ago

Apparently, when women first started as police officers, in the UK, they were paired up with male officers. The logic being that the man can provide muscle, if needed.

It's now been found that 2 women officers are far more effective, particularly with drunk men. A male officer can restrain them. A female officer can talk them into coming quietly.

Oh, and the UK police were the first to "raise concerns" when the government suggested arming beat officers with guns. They did NOT want to be armed.

Basically, it's perfectly possible to police primarily by consent, and get the job done.

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago

Oh that’s exactly what they do, it’s just that their training is to de-escalate by shooting first and sorting it all out later.

Going home at night is paramount to being a peace officer after all.

Remember that's police sued to be able to discriminate against people with high iqs

https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836

And sued to not be required protect people.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/politics/justices-rule-police-do-not-have-a-constitutional-duty-to-protect.html

ACAB.

[–] ifeelsick@lemm.ee 22 points 1 day ago

pretty sure i read somewhere that if you excel in the academic portion of the academy youre disqualified for being too smart under the guise of some other excuse. critical thinking isnt something they want in the force.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Another example of why there are no good cops.

because good ones never get the chance to be good.

[–] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And the bad ones do a uh oh on the good ones who don't play along.

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 17 points 1 day ago
[–] catsarebadpeople@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Bad tree with a few good apples

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[–] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 61 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I can’t recall if it was in the Behind the Police miniseries or a more regular Behind the Bastards episode, but there was a breakdown of how even once you’ve completed the police academy, you have to train for a year (IIRC) under a training officer, and if the TO thinks you’re not cut out for the force, you are not permanently hired, and other forces will probably not give you a chance. TOs, by the bye, are typically drawn from officers who have been taken off normal duty due to numerous complaints, like the ones made by people who have been harassed or assaulted by cops.

It’s not just the academy, the whole system selects for bastards.

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[–] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 133 points 2 days ago (28 children)

I'm not an anarchist looking for the abolition of police as a concept.

But the institution of policing in America needs a Truth and Reconciliation commission. Complete top to bottom scrapping and rework. And a lot of pigs need to go to prison for a long time.

[–] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 112 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Start by removing Qualified Immunity.

[–] Shyanide@lemmy.world 50 points 2 days ago (18 children)

While this is definitely needed, I don't think it's a starting point.

IMO, a good place to start is instituting policies requiring LEOs/PDs carry liability insurance. Similar to doctors and other medical practices (in the US). An officer is found guilty or misconduct or violating a citizen's right? Penalties are taken out of their insurance and their premium increases. Can't afford the premium? Guess who's looking for a new job?

The way I see, the pigs can keep their criminal immunity, but civil matters will have a more direct financial incentive for them to behave like they have morals.

[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Police have unions (They function as professional organizations, but legally they are labor unions) largely to block legal changes like this. To defeat them, you'd need to somehow pass legislation on the state and federal level that mortally undermines the power of all labor unions in the USA. This would have knock-on effects for all US workers, as unions fight for and uphold labor protections that benefit those outside their ranks. For instance, two day weekends and 40 hour work weeks.

It seems clear to me that ending QE - Which is merely a judicial policy, it's not even law - Is by far the more potent, simple, and safe avenue of attack. But I'm interested in your thoughts on the above proverbial gun that police unions hold to the head of every US laborer.

[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, you can have selective limits, tied to how much risk the job imposes on the surroundings (like universal regulation on any job requiring being armed). Unions are supposed to be about worker power against the employer, not against society.

[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 day ago

Well unfortunately in the case of US police unions, it's an anti-labor force using a labor organization as a disingenuous hedge against accountability. And also at the end of the day a police union resisting insurance requirements for it's members actually is a case of workers (Class traitors, but workers all the same) organizing against their employer.

To defeat them, you’d need to somehow pass legislation on the state and federal level that mortally undermines the power of all labor unions in the USA.

I think you could narrow it from "all labor unions" to "all public-sector unions." Unfortunately this still end up affecting teachers, firefighters, and various city workers.

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[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Nothing surprising here. Violent enforcers of capital descended from slave patrols.

This is why, in addition to ACAB, I also like to use "Cops Enforce Evil".

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 48 points 1 day ago (3 children)

I had a friend who went through a whole arc of wanting to be a cop. She had pretty much an identical experience I had to squint at the name and photo to be sure this wasn't a post she had made.

Being a woman was a huge setback from the get-go anyway, casual police brutality training notwithstanding.

She never quite got my criticism of wanting to be a cop (She wanted to fix policing by example) nor my lack of surprise when she spent a year wasting her time being tested and strung along by cops who were never going to hire her. (You have a master's degree FFS! You're not what they're looking for!)

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 39 points 1 day ago (4 children)
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