Do you trust law eforcement officials?

About as much as I would trust a politician... which isn't much

about as much as i would trust a rabid dog with my kids .

Generally, I mistrust anyone in authority until they give me a reason to trust them.

A number of my friends are in law enforcement so my attitude my be different than some people. I trust them even though there are a few bad apples that take advantage of their position and give other honorable officers a bad name. It's a difficult job and it takes a dedicated person to do it, I give them all credit for doing something that not too many people are willing to do.

I know that there are many good people in law enforcement, but what i can't abide by is the silence from those good people in regards to those 'bad apples'. The cops know who they are, but rather than 'tarnish the badge' by speaking out they keep their mouths shut and let the misbehavior, often amounting to outright criminal behavior, go on. They turn a blind eye in many cases where they should be making an arrest!

Exactly, that's a huge issue with me. Like it's been bastardized into some elite club of bullies. I know of a time when a cop pulled another cop over for drunk driving. He arrested the other officer and everything. A week later the one that got pulled over, back on the streets. The other cop, the good one, transfered to the neighboring town amd is still a cop today. The drunk cop? Suspended for racial slurs, beat the man who filed against him, and was finally fired, tried, and is serving time in the big house.

Currently, here in British Columbia we have a class action lawsuit underway by dozens of female officers over institutionalized sexual harassment. Another story in the news right now is of another officer, who for drinking in his office (had a beer fridge stocked in there), repeatedly offering unwanted sexual advances to female recruits and multiple instances where he would be having sex with them in his office has been fined 10 days pay and transferred to another detachment. So many instances of police misconduct, it seems there is a new scandal every day. Far too many for the 'few bad apples' story to have much credibility, yet rarely is it ever a cop who brings these things into the light of day. When a cop is found to be behaving inappropriately the response is to deny, deflect and make excuses. And while this goes on, the offender is 'sentenced' to "suspension... with pay" until the RCMP investigation clears the RCMP officer of any wrongdoing

I've been racially profiled many times.

Ones I have met, police, immigration & customs officials are very honourable people. I absolutely trust them.

Only to the extent that I need to. I really don't trust any gov't official.

I have been harassed by law enforcement for things that I've never done.

I'm sorry there are a lot of good cops out there, but they have some brothers that are really messing things up.

The city government is ruled by corruption here. The PD is not immune

I have run across suspicious cops in the past. One started a loader in a rock pit and gave his 10 year old son permission to run it. I kicked him out and he showed me his badge. He said never to come through his area. I reported him to the Broward Sheriff's Department. I never heard from him again. It is nice to have friends in high places!

That's pretty irresponsible. Quite a dangerous piece of equipment for an amateur to be playing with.

I have the greatest respect for police officers. I have two in my own family. But...when you're in trouble and need help, the police are your friends. They'll be the first ones there to help you. However, if you are being accused of something and the police are questioning you, keep your mouth shut and get a lawyer, especially if you're innocent. In that scenario they are out to pin the crime on someone. Don't give them any more information than your name and address. Get a lawyer and they will advise you how or if you should respond to their questions. Trust me. My son was nearly railroaded by the police and a vengeful town employee. Say NOTHING.

My father is a cop and echoed that same thing. I personally do not like my father. Where I live, the police are in a constant suspension reinstatement cycle. It's really bad here.

ok, i dont know if you guys heard of whats going on in Quebec, Canada, but there's a student mouvement (we're on strike) because we believe education should be a free right and no one should have a job that depends on your parents incomes... So basicaly, we do demonstrations in the streets (10 000-100 000 people) and now, its getting tense between our gouvernement and the population: its been 11 weeks since we're on strike.

the gouv. isn't hearing us, and is just blocking every possible way of nogociations, so, naturally, a few of the protesters turn wild, and start breaking things... a few!

But, that doesn't stop the police from bagging all of us as one gonne-wrong-demonstration...

acording to our law, the police is supposed to declar the demonstration illegal, then give us 15 minutes to break... unfortunatly, the mouse trap us, bomb us with peper spray and other chemicals, then ask us to leave, because the demo is illegal...

my point is, i trust the police to protect me as an individual, but the moment i'm sharing an opinion, i feel opressed by the police.

Yeah the police quickly cause a demo to get out of hand, it's like if that one guy or girl who gets carried away is there, and the cops show, BAM!!!! It gets outta hand super fast. It's ok for cops to get handsy as a warning, but we can't what kind of double standard is that? These guys here (idk about Canada) have only a high school diploma, so I don't think they should be allowed to have the power to maime or kill based on a less than proper education. Why has that never been brought up? A doctor also has to make calls that MAY result in death, that is why we demand they be schooled to avoid that from happening, but then we give the equivalent to a gas station clerk a gun and a badge, basic bootcamp style training, and minimal accuracy training with a sidearm. It is a friggin' joke how little is required to give someone license to ill and kill.

Maybe one or two but the majority, no.

Not really...I haven't seen any compelling evidence that I should trust them -- but have seen plenty to indicate that I shouldn't. I'm sure there must be some trustworthy soul out there trying to do the job as it should be done...somewhere...I'd like to believe that...

I love the Mounties...

I trust local and county officials. The state Police, I do not.

They can be just as corrupt and evil as the so called "criminals" are, even worse sometimes!

Only ones I know personally.

I'm an American. We naturally distrust authority.

Umm....been there wore the badge....and I have to say...some of the guys I knew yeah I would trust em... But many I've seen and I can tell you....no i do not trust them all.... They have a complete different way of thinking....and some times the power becomes abused....not all cops and other agencies are bad....but there is a problem out there.....i say...be careful and watch ur back....

What do you suppose would happen if those power abusers were put in charge of this country?

Thought they already were for the most part ? Ya know...

Correction, would you ever see what's happening in Syria to occur here as well?

Well with obama.....what's happening in other countries is very possible to happen here..... It's almost a promise its gonna eventually happen....

I actually thought the same thing under Bush Jr. It seems who ever we vote in is worse than who they're replacing.

Yeah truth is the government needs a major reset...its all backwards now a days.

When I was 23 I was arrested on New Year's eve for a DUI. The cop handcuffed me and put me in the back of the squad car, then drove me to some underground parking garage, opened the back door and pulled me out by my legs and got my pants down to my ankles and unzipped his pants and pulled out his erect penis. I had high heels on and I managed to pull my legs back and then thrust my heels as hard as I could right toward
his crotch. I must have hit the target because he squealed like a girl and backed off and started cursing me. He shoved me back inside with my pants still down and drove me to the police station. I tried to tell the police at the station what he did and why my pants were down, there was even a long cut down my thigh where his watch had scraped me, but nobody would listen to me. I tried filing all kinds of complaints later but got nowhere.
Currently the landlady in the apartment complex next door to me is a police officer who works at the county women's jail. She is both a meth and marijuana abuser and also drinks heavily.
My brother-in-law is a police officer in Georgia who is also a dope user who has bragged about all the drugs and money he has taken in bribes to let people go.
Do you think I trust law enforcement officials? Hell no!

Wear the badge and one can get away with just about anything...these days, camera phones have helped to bring some abuses to light -- but they (law enforcement, judges, prosecutors) still back each other up regardless of the evidence to the contrary.

It is easy to see why. I am sorry that pig tried to rape you.

I'm neutral.