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[DJ]

Protecting the public is *the* point of police, and danger is an integral part of the job, so anyone who'd put his own safety before that of citizens has no business being on the force. I mean, you wouldn't hire a pyrophobic to be a fireman, would you?

[Orange Wizard]

Protecting the public is *the* point of police

Supreme court ruled that police have no obligation to protect civilians IIRC

[DJ]

So what exactly is all that tax money buying?

[Rolan7]

Maintaining law and order which is their job, not playing Russian Roulette. That often involves protecting civilians though, usually from other civilians.

[Egan_BW]

So what exactly is all that tax money buying?

Lots of ammo.

[DJ]

If law and order means getting randomly executed, I think it's high time for a revolution. Even in most dictatorships the death squads had an actual reason to kill you.

And like I said, if you can't take the heat stay the hell out of the kitchen. If you feel like giving civilians the benefit of the doubt is playing Russian Roulette, maybe policework is just not the right career for you.

[Playergamer]

randomly executed

cute.

[Loud Whispers]

So what exactly is all that tax money buying?

Removing OWS from the premises

[Zangi]

randomly executed

cute.

Lethal force is arbitrarily applied with much smaller repercussions then would normally be applied.

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

randomly executed

cute.

Lethal force is arbitrarily applied with much smaller repercussions then would normally be applied.

It isn't random at all. I think that is what Playergamer meant.

[Truean]

Please do not quote:

Despite last time not working out so well....

The watchdogs checking and balancing police practice and procedure are underfunded, unpopular, and undermined: defense attorneys.
I almost linked the John Oliver segment on Public Defenders....

About 92% of crim. cases in the US are plea bargained. Trials aren't really funded. Forgetting money, there's not enough courtrooms, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiffs, investigators, or infrastructure. Insufficient (unfunded) courtroom hours. Imagine "just" doubling the number of trials (down to 84% plea rate), nevermind x10. Impossible without funding and infrastructure.

Public Defender / Appointed Counsel is a dangerous, degraded, demanding, and not least of all defunded job with often impossible and opposing goals. System wants more cases done, with implicitly less individual attention, at no cost. Client wants more individual attention on his / her case, implicitly excluding other cases, at no cost. Impossible, unfunded, fundamentally opposed goals.... Something's gotta give. Uncountable threats of bodily harm and death from dangerous people are just "expected" as part of these jobs. Society thinks you're scum for defending these people, at all. Debt is astronomical. Pay is microscopic. No one will respect you, at all. Do not become a lawyer kids....

Even Police and Prosecution often lack support and training, and some say "why bother with a 90% + plea rate?" Budget cuts.... Police Officer should be, but often isn't, a full time, living wage job (though requiring a crim justice degree and dangerous conditions). We're basically throwing almost all of society's many messes at this and somehow wondering why screw ups happen. I'm honestly surprised there aren't more screw ups given the circumstances. How is anyone surprised at an under-resourced, stressed, overburdened system having problems? As opposed to what, resourcing it properly for better results?

Unfed watchdogs guarding justice.... What could go wrong?

P.S. I know some damn good Police Officers out there, who don't need criticism, but rather a hand. If people actually want these problems solved, then we need to focus on enabling the system to properly operate under the immense stress out there. Solutions focus.... Address how to properly handle Police interactions (yes that certainly includes how the public should interact with Police too). No, it isn't simple. We should want improvement, not blood. One would help, the other won't.

Please do not quote:

[Strife26]

Constitutional mandate to provide indigent defense? Who cares about a silly thing like that, the voters demand that everyone be tough on crime, especially the crime of the moment.

Besides, what innocent person would *possibly* take a plea bargain? We all know that a speedy trial and reasonable bond is just as protected as an able public defender.

   https://blog.simplejustice.us/2016/05/23/the-tennessee-waltz-around-gideon/   

_{Able here being properly resourced, in addition to being competent}

[SalmonGod]

Guy responsible for the Alton Sterling video has allegedly been the subject of retaliation by police.

[nenjin]

$1,200 in traffic fines? That's like 3 20+ MPH speeding tickets in my town. Damn.

Doesn't warrant what they did, but the dollar amount got my attention. I can see a cop sitting around looking at this guy's sheet after he made the news and going "Oh we gotta do something about that." Doesn't mater that it's pretty much the worst PR move you can make, and a chilling dose of arbitrary arrest ($1,200 wasn't worth coming after him for until now?), but I guess in the mind of a cop it makes perfect sense.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Cops have no charitibility. If they can do something to hurt "the enemy", they will without hesitation. Even the "good ones" hide behind a callous certitude and adherence to the letter of the law even if they pretend to feel bad about it, while the bad ones are just plain highwaymen.