What percentage of your interactions with police, over your lifetime, have been negative?

[milestogo]

32 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	None of my interactions with police have been negative.
	11 (34%)
	0-15%
	8 (25%)
	16-30%
	2 (6%)
	31-45%
	1 (3%)
	46-60%
	4 (13%)
	61-75%
	1 (3%)
	76-90%
	2 (6%)
	91-99%
	2 (6%)
	All of my interactions with police have been negative.
	1 (3%)
	OTHER
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[SoonerPride]

1. I was the victim of a near fatal beating because I am gay. The police didn't do jack shit about it.

Fuck the police.

[Johnny2X2X]

16. I'm very sorry you had to go through that

I have a very close friend who is gay and was beaten because of it and the police were completely dismissive at the hospital. This was in the 1990s, but it was completely ridiculous. When I spoke up the cop accused me of being his boyfriend who had probably been the one to beat him up and maybe they should arrest me. Nothing ever came of it, but today we would have filed a complaint, back then we were just two teens who didn't know any better and didn't want our parents to find out we were out that late in the city.

[SoonerPride]

18. My attack was in 1986, and in Oklahoma City, so of course they were unsympathetic creeps

Maybe they are more woke now.

But I doubt it.

[Johnny2X2X]

22. So awful

I was a child of the 80s, graduated high school in 1990. I had some really close gay friends in my mid-western very religious city. I don't think some younger people (or even older) understand what it meant to be gay (or even just have gay friends like me as a straight kid) back then in a lot of places. We were under constant threat of assault wherever we went. Too many instances to count of having full grown men pull over to try to start something with us just for walking down the road or going to the 7-11.

As a straight man with gay friends who he wasn't the least bit ashamed of, I endured constant questions about my "manhood", constant threats of physical assault, and constant fear of getting caught alone in the wrong place. Gay kids and adults were constantly getting jumped and beaten badly and no one seemed to care much to stop it. I'm glad this is more rare now, but it still happens far too frequently.

And the police weren't inclined to take "gay bashing" seriously until well into the 90s.

[wryter2000]

2. 1 bad one

Because I’m white

[exboyfil]

3. I know I got white middle class privilege at a DUI check

point in rural Arkansas (a state highway). I had left my driver's license in my swimming trunks at home. I was in a rental minivan with my wife and two kids. I showed him my company photo ID, and he waved me on. It was late and night, and it would have been really bad whatever process they would have used.

I got somebody else's ticket on a rural road in Iowa. I was driving in fog very carefully. Someone passed me and soon after I came across the cop on the side of the road. I immediately braked (thus looking suspicious to him). I made the mistake of questioning his speed reading. That is my only negative experience with the police.

[MaryMagdaline]

4. I tell all of my clients and all younger people I know that a conversation with a police officer is

never a good conversation. Do NOT get the law involved in any dispute that can be handled in any other conceivable way.

[redstatebluegirl]

5. Only 2 when I was in College and protesting with some friends.

I got a broken nose and a concussion during a demonstration against the war. The cops and the national guard were less than civil. We were not resisting, they just didn't like our message.

[hlthe2b]

6. Never even approaching what POC experience, but reports of police abuse of women appears increasing

Not merely (and far far beyond) condescending and patronizing but "abusive partner-like." Several years ago episodes of police stopping/targeting women driving alone, sexually assaulting them and/or performing illegal invasive searches were reported across the country and serial episodes in some locales. I've fortunately never experienced more than unwarranted verbal abuse, simply for questioning the reason for the stop, but such reported incidents have left me wary.

I may never have had to give a child (of color) of mine "the talk," but I have had quite a few talks with younger women about being cautious when driving alone, especially at night, video or tape recording any encounter and demanding a call to the police dispatch to confirm the validity of an officer's identity before opening car door or window during a traffic stop. My sister (an ER nurse wearing scrubs) has been stopped at 3AM in Atlanta driving home after a shift for absolutely no reason other than she was driving alone in the wee hours. She has taken this course of advice for all encounters involving male "officers." All have been compliant, but if they get aggressive she lets them know that she has already connected with 911 and is recording for that purpose. They back off and become appropriately professional at that point.

[bluedigger]

7. I have no idea how to quantify such a thing.

If I make it through a speed trap, is that a positive or negative interaction? Or none at all?

[milestogo]

21. For me if a cop behaves appropriately, that's not a negative.

If you make it thru a speed trap, that's none at all.

[tonedevil]

26. You really do have a lot of privilege in your backpack /nt

[bluedigger]

27. Ever since mom married that black man back in '66.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

8. Pretty much all of them.

I can't think of a positive interaction at this time.

Called them when my drunk wife wouldn't let me leave, laying on the ground behind my car and such. (I could have easily overpowered her, but obviously that's not allowed.) They showed up at our door and she began wailing on me for calling them, and they stood there with their arms folded just WAITING for me to strike back at her. After about a minute of me pleading for them to just HOLD her so I could get out, they finally did it. (She was never arrested. That was in the 90's.)

Called them over extremely loud and drunk neighbors having a party around 3 am, when I had to be at work in the morning. They indeed got them quiet, but then pointed at my apartment and told them I was the complainant. (It wasn't my first bad experience with those neighbors, and I did ask them to be more quiet previously with no success.)

That sort of stuff.

Edit: I'm referring to personal encounters, which have been fairly few. I've READ stories of cops doing good things.

[LeftInTX]

33. Calls about noisy neighbors often don't have good outcomes

Unfortunately, whenever you call, I think it is their legal right to know who the complainant is. (I wouldn't be surprised if there was a supreme court case at one time) Hubby has always said, "Don't call the police on neighbors, because the neighbor will ask and the police will tell them".

[Buckeye_Democrat]

37. I didn't know what to do...

... after realizing they were friends of the landlord's daughter.

Looked them up online after accidentally getting their mail a couple times (which I put back in their mailbox after seeing the names), and they had previously been indicted at another party where someone was stabbed to death over an argument about a beer keg! (Read those particular details from a local newspaper archive.) The charges were later dropped for them, which was that they hid the knife. (The killer was sent to prison.)

It was such a nightmare living next to those young (white) guys. I was ready to finally move out, but then "poof" they had left. The landlord later found all kinds of damage, like numerous fist-holes in the drywall. (No sympathy from me.)

Edit:
I remember praying to God one time they would just die, and I'm an atheist!
The drunken arguments among their many guests would spill outside too, with girls shrieking, "Stop it! He's going to hurt you!" and the one young renter coming out one night to yell, "You're in MY house, mother f---er!" (As if the whole apartment complex belonged to him, I guess.)

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. White woman, no problems, even when I was a person of interest.

Editing to add, there was a time when the cops didn't come to our trailer park for trouble in the middle of the night. Someone tried to break into our home.

So no trouble face to face, middle class white woman, but trouble based on location of home.

[Ferrets are Cool]

10. Well since I am a white male

this poll has no meaning for me or this situation we FIND OURSELVES in 'MERICA

[mokawanis]

11. When I was in high-school a cop caught me trying to sneak into a school dance

he shoved me up against the wall and hit me in the stomach with his flashlight, knocking the wind out of me. The same cop was later fired for getting a high-school girl pregnant.

[Texaswitchy]

12. Two bad ones.

Almost killed.

[nsd]

13. I was pulled over for speeding once.

This was about 20 years ago. It was very late at night (2 am), the road was empty but for the two of us, and I had been going at least 15 mph over the speed limit. But the cop was professional. He checked my license and registration, lectured me about driving safely -- and then let me go without writing me a ticket.

He was white, I am brown.

Let's not get too carried away with bashing all cops.

[Ex Lurker]

14. Got pulled over one time for allegedly running a stop sign late at night

there was no stop sign at the intersection I went through. The police officer radioed "get ready to roll the K9 unit," From that I assumed he wanted to do a drug search (I had no drugs on me or in the vehicle.) He proceeded to try to goad me into saying or doing something to give him a reason to cuff me and search my vehicle. I stayed very calm and low key and he eventually said "have a nice night" and let me go.

OTOH We had a medical emergency with a family member a while back and the police officer who responded was more knowledgeable and helpful than the EMTs.

[Tink41]

15. As a tourist

All have been positive. As a resident, none of them have. I'm over 50, 1 ticket in my life 30 yrs ago. I avoid them at all times. They are trained to find trouble during any interaction. And yes I'm fair Irish ancestry.

[EmeraldCoaster]

17. Arrested, small amount of marijuana.

Door kicked in robbed by (Stole about $700.00) and later threatened by arresting officer in jail cell not to tell anyone. Charged with possession with intent to sell 1/4 lb of pot. 1979 Almost destroyed my life.

[lkinwi]

19. My mother, who is white, worked with a civil rights organization during the 60's.

I was elementary age, so I don’t have all the details, but as I remember it, she and a friend went to Mississippi to meet up with a community organizer and bring food/clothing to an African American community. The sheriff drove by as they were outside and shot over their heads. They were planning on staying overnight with the community organizer and his family, but he encouraged them to leave for home and stay in a hotel on the road.

[pnwest]

20. Nearly all, because nearly all of my encounters

with cops have been for traffic tickets.

[hunter]

23. I always think long and hard before I call the police about anything.

Mostly I don't call them.

I've seen them shoot people.

My personal worst experience with the police wasn't too bad, probably because I'm a white guy.

I'd been camping about a week in the desert with some geologists when I decided to stop by my girlfriend's house on the way home so we could have coffee in the morning before she went to work. I arrived earlier than I expected but we weren't at the point in the relationship where I could knock on her door at four in the morning. So I parked my car on the street near her apartment and took a nap.

I woke up as the cops were pulling me out of my car and throwing me on the ground. (I'm shaking as I write this, all these years later...)

When they determined I wasn't some random homeless guy they could harass they let me get up and drove away without an apology or explanation.

[milestogo]

24. I know what you mean.

This example is not nearly as bad, but it does illustrate that cops like to push people around.

One night I'm lying in bed listening to someone's dog bark for hours and hours. I live in an apartment building. I had a rough idea where it was coming from but I really didn't know. I called the police, expecting they would take a walk around the building to figure it out - since there was nonstop barking.

When they got there an hour later, they went straight to the door of my neighbor across the hall. He's been reported in the past for a barking dog, but on this night the dog was fast asleep in his bed.

Since the police woke him up, and he was not at fault, the interaction was pretty rough. The police would not listen to him at all. I was frankly afraid to open my door, although I heard the whole thing. Lots of shouting, a little scary. The police finally left saying that if they got any more calls he would be ticketed.

I went back to bed, and listened to this dog barking until dawn, when the owner came home.

I apologized to the neighbor across the hall. The dog barked for 5 more nights, all night, and other people heard it too. Finally I narrowed it down to 2 apartments and told the building manager. She said she did not know of any dogs in either of those apartments, but she would talk to both.

So the culprit was an unauthorized pet with severe separation anxiety who barked when his owner left for work at 9:45 pm and did not stop till he came home in the morning.

The police were totally useless. So I'll think twice before I call them again for something like that.

[obamanut2012]

25. Just imagine breaking up with a cop and still living in the same town

And guess how many times you keep getting followed around town by a cruiser for literally no reason, and the Police Chief ignoring your calls and emails (this is before phone cameras). Imagine how you are terrified and planning to move because of this, until your parents' neighbor finds out and calls the Chief and it stops. Because the neighbor is the Chief's frat brother.

[milestogo]

29. I met a woman who was raped by a cop at a party in a small town where they both lived.

He taunted her with "who you gonna call"? She tried reporting it in another jurisdiction and it got her nowhere.

Yeah, its bad.

[ARPad95]

28. Mine have been 50-50. Here's one of my earliest good interactions...

Circa 1982. My good friend (she was also my college-mate, co-worker and future maid-of-honor) and I were coming back from a Friday or Saturday night out in the university area of Syracuse. It was about 2:00 am and we were within a couple of blocks of my friend's apartment house. I was driving and stopped at a traffic light that was taking forever to turn green. Since there were no other cars anywhere in sight and after discussing it with my friend, I decided to go ahead and make a left turn through the red light. Almost instantly, a city police car turned its emergency lights on and pulled me over. I can't remember what standard questions he asked, but I will never forget he deadpanned, "Ya know, traffic lights don't stop working after midnight." And he let me go without even a warning. My friend and I couldn't believe our good fortune running into a policeman like him.

By the way, I'm as white as can be and, at the time, was a pretty cute 22-year-old. My friend, another pretty cute 22-year-old, was and is black. Bravo to that police officer who used humor and followed the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

[milestogo]

30. Yeah when you're young, cute, and female the cops like you.

As you get older, not so much.

[ARPad95]

32. Yup, the not so good interactions have increased with age. I try not to have any interactions. /nt

[LeftInTX]

36. I wonder if that happens, maybe turn on emergency flashers?

I almost did that fairly recently........

The light is less than a mile from my home and I drive through the intersection, every time I go to and from my home. Late one night, I thought it was malfunctioning and was just about to turn left, but then saw the cop at the other side of the intersection.

I think another time, I might have gone through the intersection when I thought the light was malfunctioning...

[shockey80]

31. I am white, because of that the cops have let me get away with a lot of shit during my lifetime.

All white people know that is true if they are honest.

[melman]

34. 100%

Fuck the police.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

35. Spouses of cops

Never with officers themselves. But if you think getting an officer fired for misconduct is hard, it’s damn near impossible with the spouse of one.

She was the abusive queen bee of her own little fiefdom, doling our rewards to her coterie and sabotaging job evaluations of any of the civilian workers who wouldn’t bow to her. She’s been doing this for a decade, and she’s nowhere ready to retire.

[DeminPennswoods]

38. Was always very careful not to run

afoul of the Philadelphia police, even as a white person.