Policophobia: A Fear of Police

[damnedifIknow]

Case in point: myself. I know I must break about 20 laws a day. Not sure what they are, but I am sure that if a police officer wanted to stop me in my car, they could find something wrong. In today’s society of 1,000,000 + laws, we all must be breaking a law someway, somehow. But the point here is that I am afraid of police officers. Not to the extent that it is a phobia, but it may well be damn near close. But truth be told, I am afraid of police officers. They can be minding their business in their car behind me, bopping their heads to Stevie Wonder, Sting, or Lady Antebellum, it doesn’t matter, I fear them. They could be at the Donut Shop hanging out, not even eating a donut, to their credit.

*Policophobia, a fear of police officers is something that police officers have a knowledge of. So, wouldn’t it be helpful if police officers and citizens could have a way of identifying the traits that indicate if an average citizen may be afraid of the police? Shouldn’t there be a sign between citizens and officers, that protects the police officer and the citizen, so that, in the (un)likely event an officer observes a citizen acting out in their presence, it has less to do with a criminal act, or resisting arrest, but out of a fear of the presence of the Police Officer? Shouldn’t an officer, with all of their training, be able to recognize signs other than the possibility that someone is going for a weapon, but instead maybe going for their heart, or experiencing anxiety, that absence the presence of the officer, they would probably still be alive?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141205184449-78248874-policophobia-a-fear-of-police-c-2014-wayne-d-lewis-sr

[KG]

1. since I was a kid, even this lower middle class white guy knew the police were not my friends

[damnedifIknow]

2. I didn't fully grasp that until I was older

Now I fully understand that. Even when I see a patrol car just driving around I get an uneasy feeling even though I'm doing nothing wrong.

[hobbit709]

3. Because in many cases the police induce thanatophobia.

[TheSarcastinator]

4. what an interesting attempt to pathologize a perfectly reasonable response

You are more likely to be killed by a cop in the US than by a terrorist, and this article thinks it is a form of mental illness to fear and flee this brutality when confronted by it directly? It's a neat trick: seem sympathetic but use that softer approach to vilify and demonize what is a perfectly logical reaction. As they used to say in the 60s: beware smiling faces - they often hide lies.