Poll Do You Feel Safe Around Law-enforcement Officers?

[joeylittle]

A conversation in another thread and current events in the US have combined to make me want to ask this question. I have never felt safe around the police, even though I don't have many big and obvious reasons for it. There have always been stories of mistreatment at the hands of law-enforcement, but the recent grand jury decisions in the Brown and Garner cases have given me real reason to think my fears are founded.

I would say, though, that I had so much fear of police discovery drilled into me connected with my trauma, that I wonder if my feelings stem originally from that.

Others?

 

[Fadeaway]

As I was physically assaulted by police due to being in a flashback recently, and am worse than ever because of it, no. I never had issues with them before.

 

[CrazyHorse]

No, I do not feel safe around them at all. As it turned out, the library in the area I have recently moved to, is right beside the police station where I reported the rape. I got so triggered when I saw the station.

 

[Blue Survivor]

I think it is ridiculous to fear the police. If someone gets a speeding ticket, they hate cops. If a cop tells a stalking ex boyfriend to stop then he hates the cops. Don't commit crimes and you won't have to worry about the cops. And if you do commit a crime and do get caught by the cops - cooperate with them! I have noticed that the only people who hate or feel, unsafe or untrusting around cops are those with criminal histories, even from minor traffic things like blowing stop signs. Basically they have been caught and won't take responsibility for their own mistakes. Or they know that they have done wrong and are afraid of getting caught.

@CrazyHorse did the police not help you? It sounds like you went to them for help after a rape. I wonder how the station itself makes you fearful of the police? Maybe I am misreading it?

 

[shimmerz]

@Blue Survivor , I did not commit a crime. I have never mistrusted the police prior to my issues with domestic violence. The police were happy to turn a blind eye repeatedly to what was going on right in front of them, accused me of being the problem, and did not provide to me the services that I needed. Protection. I think that is many times why victims may feel intimidated or have bad feelings about police.

Don't commit crimes and you won't have to worry about the cops.

This was my belief system. I now know better.

 

[Friday]

Depends on which country I'm in. In most of the English speaking world, as well as most of the EU, Japan, parts of the Middle East. and a few other places, I absolutely feel safe around police. In other parts of the Middle East, most of MesoAmerica, and a few other places? Nope. Not at all. Not that there are not assholes in the first group, and stellar human beings in the second. But as a generality of "the police" as an institution.

I know people look down on comparing "our" police with any other police. But, a) it really is the definition of apples to apples... And b) I have that ingrained. In an emergency? Do you call for police or not? That's my dividing line. If someone is trying to rape/murder you or someone you love; Do you call the police? In this country? Damn straight. In other countries? Many, the answer is hell no. Because a bad situation would be made worse. Period. Not, "not handled how I wanted it handled", or "I got an asshole or bad apple" but made worse as the norm. Shot for being raped is pretty common. So are gang rapes, robbery, assault, even having your damn house torched to burn to death after being assaulted, robbed, and raped. All for having called the police. As. The. Norm. As what is expected. So I look at that, and then I look at our police? Damn straight I make the comparison. Our police may not be able to do anything, and there are a thousand cracks to fall through (from bad apples, to underfunded departments, to less than ideal training, to stupid laws) but at the very least I can count on them to try to help. If there is an emergency? 911 or 999 is a relief. Or "should" be. And it's that "should" be, that people get all up in arms when it isn't... That makes me smile. And trust our system as generally being trustworthy and capable. Because what is expected, is that one is able to trust and feel safe. That's our normal.

ETA...

I have a bit of a quirky relationship with LEOs here in the States...

- I was raped by 3 cops back east (USA). Single event. Pretty violently. Screwdriver through my thigh to pin me to a crate level of violence (Ahhhh. Cop-humor :p Yeah, yeah, they screwed me. But apparently their own tools just weren't good enough.) First time up to bat, with sexual trauma, but I already had combat inspired PTSD. Whee. No idea if that made things better or worse. The having PTSD already, that is. Still makes me a little wary. Especially in small towns. But that's just sense. Once bitten, twice shy. lol & PTSD adds it's own level of polish to that! (Once bitten, bite back harder & first). Not that there aren't assholes in the city, but there tends to be more oversight/ avenues of recourse in cities. If one runs into a single bad officer or dept., there's a whole chain of command lateral to them a few blocks away. And a few more beyond that. Not "We're it" for the next 300 miles radius.

- I've worked with or alongside a lot of LEOs in various aspects of some of my jobs. Overwhelmingly solid, fantastic people. Far less than the usual ratio of pricks per capita, actually.

- I've had personal relationships with many individual LEOs (friends, dated, & extended family). Some of the people I've loved most in my life have been sworn officers. This stemmed originally from being afraid of cops. In this country. Where I don't need to be (according to the way I see & divide the world), and it pissed me off. So I made an effort to get to know some people, as people first, then as their job. To my great benefit.

So I've had both good & bad experiences. Still feel safe. Safer around them than around most other people. And 911/999 are my go to #s if I need assistance.

 

[CrazyHorse]

@Blue Survivor : What? I am just left speechless by your comment!

I wonder how the station itself makes you fearful of the police?

You just keep wonder about that one! I do not feel comfortable explaining any of it to you.

Edited to add: On a second thought, why not! : Yes, it did sound like I went to the police for help, did it not? And did it sound like they helped me?

Quite frankly, where the hell do you get off telling others on a PTSD forum that their traumas and triggers are ridiculous? My trauma history happens to involve the police, because of the fact that a crime was committed AGAINST me!

Your statements would be equivalent to me telling someone who has PTSD from a car accident that not only is their fear of driving ridiculous, but the only reason they would have that fear is because they are bad drivers and must be at fault.

And of course it is not 'the station itself that makes me fearful of the police' It is what happened there. A real EXPERIENCE with the police. Ever heard of flashbacks and triggers?

 

[DharmaGirl]

Don't commit crimes and you won't have to worry about the cops.

I was engaged to a cop. He beat me so badly I tried to jump out of a closed 2nd story window to get away from him. This was in the 80s, so I didn't report it since he was a cop and nothing would have happened. And yes, I left.

 

[KwanYingirl]

My son was suicidal and the policemen that took him into custody beat him up. Took all the skin off his face. The dispatcher knew me and called me to get me there and it was just horrible to listen to. My son was hysterical and combative. They were going to throw him in jail but I reminded them that he was suicidal and a minor and they needed to get him to the ER. Ironically those two died when they drove home drunk after a police convention. The driver hit a tollbooth going about 80 MPH.

 

[shimmerz]

Nurses are a problem for me as well. I was horribly abused by them. Doctors dismiss me. My experience can be different than others and I agree that it seems very patronizing and condescending to put across such a judgement as detailed above. We each have very real experiences that have not been helpful by those who are meant to help. This is a type of betrayal.

 

[therisa]

I have been targeted, twice, by local police (in Canada), because I'm trans. The first time, the officer verbal assaulted me, for taking transit, when I have a driver's license, I want to say something, but scared, he find would find a reason, to charge me, with something, so I kept my mouth shut, letting it roll off, of me.

 

[scout86]

Can I throw out "It depends." as an answer?

Once upon a time, I worked for a major highway contractor in a large city. We had a large (largest ever) paving job on a major highway. They made us do it at night to minimize the disruption. They gave us 2 off duty state troopers each night to deal with the drunk drivers. Those guys were AWESOME. Most of them anyway. (There was one that was flat out nuts.) I was in charge of traffic for our company, so I was responsible for getting the lane closures set up & taken down and worked with the troopers a lot.

Here's what I learned. 1) They have a fairly scary job. For example, they are told that it's not a question of IF their car will get hit, it's a question of WHEN. This is for real. When they walk up to the car of someone they've stopped, they have NO IDEA what they're going to encounter. Could be someone waiting with a gun. Where the person's hands are and what they are doing with them is life & death and so is taking an extra second to assess the situation. 2) They really and truly CARE. They HATE seeing people speeding with small children in their vehicle. Why? Because most of them have had to remove the mangled body of a small child from what's left of a car. They all talk about "good accidents". They do NOT mean "good" in the same sense that most people do..... 3) They have heard every dumb excuse in the books and are tired of it. (So your best bet is to stick with the truth.)

Beyond that, I know that all law enforcement folks don't have the same level of training. I know, for example, that the highway patrol in this state under goes psychological testing during the hiring process to try to weed out people who aren't suited for the job, but that most agencies don't do that, Some agencies train people in deescalating conflict, some don't. Some people go into law enforcement because they really get the whole "serve and protect" thing and it means something to them. Some like to push people around and think this is a good excuse. (I actually know one retired law enforcement person who was abused as a child and probably went in to law enforcement out of a desire to "get the bad guys".)

Bottom line, they're people, just like anyone else. I try to access each situation as it comes up. In a traffic stop, by the time the officer gets to my vehicle, the vehicle is shut off, I have my license out and my hands in plain sight. If I have to reach for something that's NOT in plain sight, I explain what I'm going to do before I do it. Pretend you're dealing with someone who has PTSD (and maybe you ARE). Do I think things always go the way they "should"? Heck no! Sometimes things go horribly wrong, both ways. I try to have my ducks in a row and read the situation. I try to imagine how things look from their point of view. My own experiences have usually been good. I know full well that doesn't always happen.