A - I know what a tank is. I simply questioned WHY a town like this (low crime) needs a vehicle like this.
So if you know what a tank is, then why are you lying about seeing one owned by a law enforcement agency? To sensationalize or drive home your agenda perhaps?
B - I didn't go over and listen in on uniformed officers. They were in civilian clothes AND talking so loud that the whole room heard since it was a small venue. Contrary to the assumptions you have made about me and my opinions, I am very supportive of law enforcement.
Right sure you are, that is reflected in your written word.
C - You are an officer which explains your attitude and quickness to judge my knowledge, intelligence or ability to make decisions based on observations I have made. Many officers over inflate their importance, for example. Tell me, how many crimes have you prevented or stopped before they happened? I would put my money on ZERO. That is why my wife and I both carry and my whole family have been to Front Sight. We have accepted that we are solely responsible for our own safety and protection. Does this belittle how I feel about officers or lessen their role in society? Not one bit. All I have said is I'm concerned about the direction policing is heading and the negative impact this is having on the community perception of officers, as well as, the negative impact on officers towards the communities in which they serve.
I've actually stopped countless crimes. Both ones that were about to be committed or ones that were already in progress. Whether you chose to accept the fact or not, but the mere presence of a marked car or a uniform on a foot post is deterrent. Now granted, we can't be everywhere at once but never in the space that I've occupied at any given moment has someone been robbed, raped or murdered. Despite what you may think or chose to accept, society is a better place because people strap on a gunbelt, put on a vest and go to work everyday. And, as far as making assumptions, let me refute one for you. I don't inflate my importance at all. Not sure how you came to the conclusion or what it has to do with the topic at hand but its simply not the case. Keep up with your training because I do agree that you and you alone are responsible for your family's safety and well being, there is no argument there.
D - Don't make assumptions about my knowledge. I have BA's in Criminal Justice & Political Science but, this probably doesn't qualify me to know whats going on, since I'm not an officer. In all of my posts on this topic I have not used media to justify MY observations or shape My opinions. Like I said above, these are observations I have made. The only media I have cited is the video of several officers shooting a man when they were in ZERO danger. Yes he had a knife, or two. They were already pointed in and it would be impossible for him to advance fast enough to attack them without them getting shots off. Furthermore, why the bean bags when he was shot multiple times with rifles and he was NOT moving. "Should we send the dog in?" Seriously. Fact 1: He is not moving. Fact 2: He was shot multiple times. Conclusion: Could he be incapacitated? Of course not, lets shoot him with bean bags and sic a dog on him. In my observation - they were too hyped up. Lets break it down - he was trespassing so the death penalty fits right?
You're absolutely right, regardless of your education, you have no idea what it's like to be an officer. A lot of people don't like to here this, but until you do the job, you don't know the job. Plain and simple. He wasn't killed for trespassing. He was killed because he confronted officers with multiple weapons and refused commands to put them down. IIRC, this was a standoff that lasted for hours. How hard is it to put down the knives? Oh wait, I forgot, he was also a known, violent EDP with a history of aggression. Who are you to say what danger those guys were or weren't in? What experience or qualifications do you have that makes you feel entitled to make those assumptions? You weren't there, you have no idea how fast someone can move. You probably think that once a bad guy is shot that he does the ole Hollywood chicken dance and drops on the spot. I've seen guys shot through the heart that have run for blocks before collapsing. This is real life, dude not the movies. Mr Trespasser has no one to blame but himself for what happened on the side of that mountain. Well you can also put blame on his family for not looking after him and letting him get to that point, his doctors no doubt, whatever mental health professionals were in charge of his care. How much blame do they carry for what happened in your eyes? How much responsibility do they bear? I guess it's just easier to blame the guys who are called to clean up everyone else's mess. Were those cops "hyped up"? Fuck yea they were. If you ever put in a position where you HAVE to confront an armed lunatic who's expressed that he has no issue taking your life, I would imagine you'd be hyped up as well.
E - In regards to my daughter. Isn't it interesting that you automatically take the officers side? Isn't funny how you have decided my daughter would lie? This is an honors student who has never been in trouble. Of course you have no way of knowing this so, I will let is slide. Answer this, as an officer, under what circumstances would you ask a 17 year old girl to exit a vehicle, put her hands up and then question her for 10 minutes, without giving some sort of violation? When she came home (visibly shaken up) and told us about it we contacted the Sheriffs office and all we could get was she had a tail light out. When I asked why she was treated this way, funny they didn't deny the treatment and they couldn't give me any answer except "for her safety." Really? As an officer, tell me why she was in danger inside the car?
You obviously have an issue comprehending what you read. Even with your BA in criminal justice. I never took the officers side. I just said that I would like to know the whole story, not just your side or her side of it. Parents never think that they're kids lie but I know otherwise. Not saying that this is the case where your daughter is concerned but it certainly isn't outside the realm of possibility. As far as why they pulled her out of the car, there could be a myriad of reasons as to why. Does it really matter though? It's not going to change the way you think, nor am I trying to change your outlook so why bother?
F - The bad guys are still the bad guys to me. The good guys are what I am worried about. Community based policing is being replaced with training portraying the citizen base you are supposed to be protecting AS the bad guys.
I've never been to nor have I ever heard of ANY such training and I've been doing this for quite a while.
E - If you are an officer (I have not doubt you are) then please understand this is not an attack on you and not an attack on any officers. I believe most officers have their hearts in the right place, including the guys I saw at the DU function.
Hard to believe that its NOT an attack given what you've posted but everyone is entitled to an opinion regardless of how flawed and uneducated (not an insult) it may be. But its fine, most of us don't take this job for thanks and accolades. That's not what it's about. Just sucks that so many are so misinformed and they base their opinions off a 30 second news clip. Not to say that the system is perfect because it's far from it, but its not nearly as bad as some would make people out to believe.