this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
979 points (84.6% liked)

Memes

45727 readers
780 users here now

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 
(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Knightfox@lemmy.one 14 points 10 months ago (10 children)

This may not apply everywhere in the US, but my understanding is that most cops aren't paid terribly well. Perhaps it's ok if compared to a standard job, but when you account for the danger, required over time, and work schedule it becomes very not worth it.

A buddy of mine is a true believer type, he signed up to be a cop, went through a year of training and another year paired with another cop. PreCovid starting pay was $40k, 12 hr work schedule and every 28 days it flipped (so 28 days day shift followed by 28 days of night shift). One day he gets a call and his boss had switched him to a different district with 3x the commute without any communication. Finally a buddy of his caught a bullet in the head (and lived) from some guy who was on drugs and stole a car. He said he thought about it and for the money it wasn't worth the emotional cost.

Strangely the problem with underfunding cops is who the fuck wants to be a cop? Yeah, after 25 years and multiple promotions you might make an ok or even good salary, but being a new cop is absolutely shit. In a system where the pay isn't good, the hours are shit, and the risk to your life is high, who wants to be a cop?

The answer is either self sacrificing good guys or people who get a power trip on carrying a gun and using it. Add to it that this system is perpetuated by the type of people who pursue the job you end up with a whole department full of the type who hire these types.

So while you can defund the police, you can send them through training, you can institute new policy, but if you don't attract a better quality of person then you're gonna have the same problem over and over again.

Theoretically you could make the hours better (but that will require hiring more police to cover the same amount), you could reduce the danger (similar to London banning guns so beat cops don't carry them either), or you can pay them more.

[–] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There is no danger!!!

They aren't even in the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the US. Pizza delivery is more dangerous.

Please stop with the copaganda talking point about danger.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] HRDS_654@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It doesn't help that cops are expected to do so much. Don't get me wrong, it's not an excuse to do fucked up things to people, but it is probably a contributing factor. Like mental health for being a police officer can't be good. This is part of the reason so many people want to defund the police; it isn't about giving them less money, it's about moving funding to programs that are more focused so police can focus on their job and not try to be a mental health counselor as well.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] scottywh@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Pay is definitely not the problem and there's plenty of places in the US where I'd argue they're overpaid, in fact.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] nexguy@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

The U.S. was created mainly by Europeans so... you made the thing

[–] Aux@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It was created by Europeans who were booted out of Europe. We didn't want them here, so you have US now.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ZILtoid1991@kbin.social 11 points 10 months ago (14 children)

ACAB means the police is upholding unjust systems and laws, isn't that cops as individuals are bad. Of course a large percent of them are domestic abusers and racist, but that's an entirely different issue.

load more comments (14 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›