Believe it or not, it's possible to act on a shoot last, ask questions first policy even here in gun crazy Florida. Literally everyone other than police officers do it every day.

[–] auzy@lemmy.world -2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

Well. You could become a cop and change the culture

There are shootings constantly in the US though.

Here in Australia, I wanted to join the police but ultimately chose not to due to the bad working hours. In the US, I feel like I wouldn't feel safe doing so though personally unless gun laws were refined with better gun control like in other countries

Here in Australia they barely even need to carry a gun

[–] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can not just become a cop, and change the culture. This shows a lack of understanding of the situation. When cops come in, and do things that would change things, they get pushed out. The DA decides they aren't gonna put up with corrupt cop bullshit? Cops simply won't work with them on any cases. Throw them in jail for contempt over it? A superior court will have that over-turned. External forces will need to change it at a systemic level. The law needs to change, the structure of that system needs to be changed, and society needs to apply that by force.

[+] auzy@lemmy.world -6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Well. You can start by becoming a cop. .

That's always the problem. There's people with strong convictions about being a good cop which is great. But none of them want to actually do the job... So the jobs get taken by shitty people.

You need to start by getting good people to become cops for starters. But yes, better laws. You guys need to start with gun control. Here in Australia, cops know they'll be going home after they do their job

Are you part of the legal system at all? If not, that's part of the problem. Real change needs serious people. Are you doing anything to help the community and improve mental health to at least make it safer?

It's easy to write long complaints about the police, but ultimately, it won't change anything.

[–] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

I was a data analyst for the corrections/justice industry. I have an intimate knowledge of how it works. I worked with, and trained, thousands of police, from a significant portion of the country. I have spent time corresponding with DAs, Judges, State officials, Local officials, police union reps, wardens, sheriffs, COs, etc. The whole deal. The entire system is designed to be what it is, and part of that design is to identify, and reject, anyone not in compliance. As soon as a cop begins discussing holding cops/officials accountable, or a chief begins instituting policies that reign in this behavior, they get pushed out. If they fight getting pushed out, then end up in jail, or they end up dead.

You are ignorant of what is happening. I don't blame you, most people don't want to believe things are this way, and you aren't even from here. However you truly misjudge just how, absolutely, fucked the current system is. In 1967 the USSC made a ruling that gave government officials immunity to actions in the line of duty. In 1982 they came up with a set of parameters that made this immunity so solid it is almost impossible to lose. This has been a shield for the vast majority of all rights abuse/deprivation in the US. It is why the USSC has recently been shown to be outright doing illegal things and there is, likely, nothing going to happen about it. I mean fuck, numerous police departments have been busted running, CIA-esque, black sites. You know what happened about it? The lowest man on the totem pole got a slap on the wrist, and the rest had to retire, or quit and get that job in another municipality. In the Baton Rouge case, it's starting look like it might end up being deemed a "civil" infraction, rather than a criminal one...

On top of this, there are many, many, profit motives to arrest, fine, jail, and prosecute, as many people as possible. The immunity allows them to do it in direct violation of the law, and in the case that you have the resources to sue the government, no one will suffer personal consequences, so they do not care. Most people do not have these resources, so that is already a great filter for them. I could go on about the problems with the US legal industry, because it is a profit driven industry, not a justice system, for hours, if not days.

[–] constantokra@lemmy.one 3 points 3 months ago

That's exactly the problem we have over here. You can't become a cop and change the culture. The culture is mandatory. They seek it out and train it it, and the ones who won't at least turn a blind eye to it aren't allowed to stay.

It's important to also point out that a huge portion of the population carries guns. There's no reason to assume that someone armed is a threat at all, and statistics bear that out. In the south of the US even most liberals don't think twice about the number of guns they encounter every day. The reason why police are a unique situation is , obviously, partially because they deal with criminals, and partially because of their confrontational and aggressive approach to most situations. It's not so much that you got to deal with a good or bad cop. It's more that you got to deal with a cop in a good or bad mood. They way they choose to interact with you has very little to do with things you can control.