You're probably not a hippy (not that this is a bad thing).  I've seen some disturbing stuff amongst our boys in blue.

1. High and tight mentality - I remember a time when cops looked like cops.  Peaked caps, shiny shoes, maybe a cheesy mustache.  Since then police look less like cops and more like some kind of urban paramilitary organization.  Combat boots, military hair cuts, baseball type caps, etc.  I know that some of this stuff reflects comfort and practicality, but some of it may be due to a change in attitude.

2. Aggressiveness - Even here in podunk Maine cops have gotten that big city attitude.  I've seen that whole cop throwing his weight around crap...and in one case, the cooler the civilian played it, the more aggressive the cop got.  I was, as you say, almost like they were trying to provoke an incident.

3. Media and entertainment - I forget the study, but back in the 90s, some research showed that the public perception of crimes committed was four times higher than what actually happened.  I believe the study went on to say that the cause was the 24 hour news cycle complete with helicopter chases plus the number and content of police dramas.  In that light, compare shows like Adam 12 to Law and Order or NYPD Blue.  We go from Officer Friendly to Bunker Mentality.  Cops are portrayed as the thin line between civilization and madness with madness taking the lead.  I can only guess at how these shows might affect the outlook of an actual cop on the street.

I don't see any quick solution other than to play by Chris Rock's rules...even though I'm white.  I still respect cops for the most part...but that respect is mixed in with a healthy dose of fear.

 

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine

I am currently embroiled in a dispute with law enforcement. Suffice it to say my family was a victim of a violent crime this past weekend, to the point where people have told me I am lucky I am not seriously injured or one of my family members dead. The cops initially refused to charge the people, even though they have a long history of this crap and the cop knew this.

The situation got unreal when I found a copy of the report on which the responding officer felt the need to indicate the perps in question had relatives in city hall. I'm waiting to hear what the guys supervisor is going to do, but I give it 50-50 odds I will end up enacting the Hammer Down Protocol within 48 hours.

There are good cops, who do what they can, but there are so many assholes, and it seems the good ones must cover for the bad ones. I believe the immortal Mr. Cube had it right. Fuck the Police!

Not a problem. :)

I just watched a show about false confessions and the way teenagers are coerced into saying they did something with the promise they can defend themselves later.  shakes head

:(

 I grow more cynical every day.

"It was an ancient rule of Hawaiians that no one should hurt another bodily, or through theft of goods or through injury to feelings.These were the only sins."

He couldn't confront his accusers or mount a defense because these guys were phantoms.   He lost his license for a year, spent a bundle, and luckily plea bargained a light sentence in the county jail and saved his job.

I know that you must have already considered the possibility that this story of Hawaiian shirts, undercover cops, and pickup trucks stopped in the fast lane was a lie told by your friend because he was embarrassed at what happened.  

Care to share why you believe him?  None of this sounds plausible to me.  I think he's lying to you.

If he had his wife in the car, she could have testified to what she saw at a trial and created reasonable doubt -- so why did he plea bargain?  (Have you asked her for her side of the story, BTW?  I gather that she didn't think her husband should have been driving).  Why didn't he use the pickup's license plate number to find out who owned it?  (Are you telling me he had a car accident and didn't write that down?)  If he passed the field sobriety tests, what was the probable cause to arrest him?  If there was none, why the hell is he plea bargaining?

What is the motive of the Hawaiian shirt guys?  Why would two undercover cops in Hawaiian shirts intentionally park a vehicle in the left lane of a highway to see who hits it, particularly if they are then going to disappear and not even take credit for the arrest statistic?  What was in it for them?  If they were out to get a black guy, how did they know in advance that the driver who was going to hit the pickup parked in the left lane was black?  Also, when the guy finally hit the pickup, what possible reason would they have to identify themselves as undercover cops, and then disappear?  Why not identify themselves as ordinary injured citizens, and then disappear?

Profwhat,

His wife was there to witness the whole thing, we drove by the glass/oil/leftovers on the highway on our way to pick her up when she called and described where it happened, 1 1/2 miles from our house.  We read the documents from his attorney.

The whole thing was hinky.

When it was written up in the paper, of course, officers were 'following a suspected drunk driver who became belligerent and assaulted an officer.'

How did he hit them from behind if they were following him?

The whole situation was just bizarre and doesn't make any sense.  We don't think they were necessarily setting him up, but we do feel like they were sitting there waiting for someone to hit the truck, for whatever reason.  Why, we don't know.  In that area, DWB would IMO make it more likely you would be pulled over in the first place, which is why we discouraged him from driving.  This particular setup, however, could have happened to anyone driving on that highway that night.

"It was an ancient rule of Hawaiians that no one should hurt another bodily, or through theft of goods or through injury to feelings.These were the only sins."

Sorry, I didn't answer all your questions.

The police department said they did not have to identify them because it would hinder investigations and put their lives in danger.  Their names were not on any police reports.  The truck and license plate were not on any reports.

We did go view the wrecked car, and it obviously hit something from behind, the whole front end was crumpled.  Of course, the truck evaporated.  He couldn't write down the license plate, he wasn't able to see it and wasn't given an opportunity when the cars were pulled apart, by then he was in custody.

They didn't have to testify because they didn't have to show their faces.

Because an officer's word on a report, even if he doesn't give his name, is supposed to carry more weight than a suspect's, he was screwed.
 

"It was an ancient rule of Hawaiians that no one should hurt another bodily, or through theft of goods or through injury to feelings.These were the only sins."