First off I know a lot of Police Officers are assholes but the majority are good honest people. I think some are overpaid while others are underpaid for the work they do.
I for one am sick and tired of seeing them criticised everytime they shoot someone or make a mistake. The vast majority of our fellow Americans take LEOs and the military for granted. I am tired of seeing the Reverend Sharptons of this world march down the street protesting against people who risk their lives on a daily basis in communities where thet aren't welcome.
I hope that one day the LEOs of America will creat a SHTF scenario by organizing a nation wide strike for a week. I want to see what all the freaking liberals say when their neighborhoods are burning down around them and we have a nation wide martial law declared. When this happens we will once again appreciate the law enforcement community.

There was a town in Texas in the mid seventies where the cops went on strike.  Crime rate dropped to near nothing.  Wanna guess why?

We are not allowed to strike.

Ya, no cops to respond and take reports of crime. Rate goes way down, imagine that.

Disclaimer- one of my good friends is a cop, and a good one, who I respect a lot.  It is hard to deal with dirtballs and scumbags everyday, and maintain a positive outlook on life.

But...  Deahn, you stated the main job cops do.  They take down what has already happened. They are reporters, historians. They don't protect or defend you.  They can't.
Sure they set up stings and bust druggies, but how many robberies and murders were STOPPED by the police.  A miniscule amount.

What happened in Texas is that criminals were scared to do anything because everyone was armed and ready to kill.  The criminals were scared.  Of course, if this happened in New York where most of the good people are dissarmed I think it would have turned out much different. [;)] That would be entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, I am pro LEO (though anti SWAT no knock warrant crap), just realistic. They serve many important functions, but I don't think that daily protection from getting robbed or killed is one of them. They just can't be everywhere, and if a criminal knew you were going to kill him, whereas a cop primarily will just arrest him, which is the greater deterrent?

??????? They can't? How can you say that cops don't protect and defend. That's assinine. They do. For your scenarios sake I'll expand. If a LEO gets to a robbery at a 7-11 after it happens, garners a description, intensifies patrol, finds a subject and arrest said subject who then proves to be the perp...Has he not [bold]protected[/bold] the public from the good chance that this robber will do it again?

If a newly opened night club lets out at 0400 and around that time there is a sharp increase in DWI related accidents, DWI patrols are implemented, arrests increase and the DWI accident related occurence drop off....Has not the people who don't drink and drive been [bold]defended[/bold] by those LEO's  

Of course they are "historians." You can learn from patterns of criminal behaviors and events. This is how people we call crime statisticians can figure out where to intensify patrols or beef up police visibilty. Arrests may deter someone from commiting a crime again. An incresed police presence in a crime ridden area will certainly drop crime, that has been proven over and over again.



Wrond again. Look at crime stats. The FBI report on Uniform crime stats shows a sharp decline in murder rates and most crime in general. If we compare those stats to those of 5 or ten years ago when the stats showed more murders per year then obviously new trends and styles of law enforcement(community policing, HUD/LEO incentive plans, DNA useage,) have saved(i.e. PROTECTED and DEFENDED) lives.

These are empirical results. You can't argue with the stats. In NYC less people were murdered in the year 2000 than in 1999. THat is lives saved.

If your only definition of "protect and defend" involves a cop showing up and preventing a rape or assault about to happen from happening it's a very shortsighted definition.

I think what Ratters was implying was that,  for example,  If I'm at home and at 3am  someone is breaking into my home, how are LEO's going to protect me?  I think those senario's are the ones that we mostly worry about.  That is why people say LEO's cannot protect them.  Police are reactionary and proactive I realize this.

I only have had a problem recently with the police.  I have been stationed here for a few years now, and the local PD seems to think the military are good targets for what I see as harassment.  I've been stopped numerous times for fabricated offenses.  My driving record has gone to sh|t since I have been here.  Out of 12 years of trouble free driving, all of a sudden, since I am here, I am a law breaking, psycho behind the wheel service member.  Go figure.

(at least I beat most of em in court!)