Anti-police attitudes . . . ?

Question

With all the silence and secrecy in the community surrounding Rhys Jone's murder (and others like damilola taylor) have you ever wondered where the anti-police attitudes come from?

In my job, I see families daily who encourage their children to hate the police and if the police have occasion to knock on the door they are abused by parents and kids alike.

Is it any wonder that young people get into trouble when their parents let them believe they are above the law?

(I am not saying all parents and young people are like this)

Don't get me wrong, I have seen police with appalling attitudes (I have had to directly challenge blatant racism by two officers towards 2 young people I was working with - they had no idea they were being overheard!) too but we should still teach our kids to respect the law - including those who uphold it!

Answer 1

I agree with so many of the posts. Yes some parents do teach their kids to be disrespectful to those of authority. You should hear how some parents talk about their childs school teacher right in front of them. It makes the child disrespect the teacher and have bad behavior in school just like police officers and others of authority.
I do also agree that there are officers out there that abuse their authority and think because they wear a gun they have all the power and control.
I also agree that it doesnt help when kids see their "role models" like Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and other famous people get a slap for breaking the law so how will they have respect when they see their role models are not being punished. Michael Vick will likely get off with a light penalty if any at all and he will be peoples hero again sadly.
Lastly I do agree that it is so hard these days as a parent to discipline our children. Taking the video games away is just not affective enough. Definatly has to start when they are toddlers to teach them right from wrong and hope it sticks and we wont get into a position where we wish spanking or washing out mouths with soap were legal. I have a teenager and boy oh boy he really does get away with much more then myself because if I argued or talked back I got a smack on the mouth or my mouth washed out with soap and I didnt like it.

Answer 2

If a policeman had ever had reason to visit for anything to do with me, my life would not have been worth living, no matter how petty the matter.

Some communities have an awful problem. How can Liverpool be afraid to turn in a teenage monster? Why would they fear any consequences? The one who should have fears is the killer, not the public. There is a mentality prevailing which says it is not the criminal who is in the wrong, but those who report it, those who catch them. The police alone cannot catch criminals, it needs witnesses to inform the police, to go to court, testify and get the conviction. Without the public few would ever be caught.

The problem of respect comes where people see the other side, they need police assistance and find they don't get it.

Answer 3

Yes I'm afraid there is a lot of hostility to the police on estates all over the country i was brought up on some in the south. Some families have parents or parent which have criminal tendencies and lapse morals some barely adult themselves.The problem stems from the social and moral breakdown of society in the last 40 years with the removing of discipline in schools and the home and the media promoting selfishness and glamorizing violence and being fixated on youth. Also the police was changed for the worse they should of not have removed proper beat patrols in the community before 1968 there was local policing with a local cop who knew the streets and its residents and was a deterrent. Know we just have the police turning up after the event .I have said it many times before we need a cultural revolution to restore a moral culture for are children's sake the left have to face the truth there so called liberation is a moral failure which we are all suffering for especially the most vulnerable in society enough is enough it has got to change.

Answer 4

I agree with you Barbie. How times have changed eh? Years ago, if you were a caught in the street arseing about then you got a clip round the ear from the local bobby and he would take you home and you would get another belting from your parents. This I believe, taught kids that they were NOT above the law and should have respect.

It really maddens me the attitude that people have nowadays against the police. My partner is a police officer and he sees it all the time. They get abuse shouted at them, will call you out because they are being beaten up by their boyfriend then tell you to bugger off cos "they love em", not many people seem to have respect for the police anymore. They get such a bad press because they try and stand in the way of violence and bad behaviour. I know many officers who feel like giving the job up because they do not get appreciated and just get abuse when trying to do their job and help people. Okay so there are bound to be "bad eggs" like there is in every profession, but on the whole, the Police are an emergency service who are trying to help people who need it and to arrest scumbags who need to be irradicated from the streets.

Answer 5

Law enforcement officers everywhere are subject to intense scrutiny by the public that they serve. Unfortunately, not all police are honest and good. The same is true for everyone! Not all doctors or teachers or fast food workers are good, either. But, police are the first to be judged as a whole for the few that are dishonest. This is one of the difficult things that officers deal with daily, is to put up with negative attitudes that they do not all deserve.
Parents sometimes pass on these attitudes without intending to. For instance, how many times have you heard it said to a child in a store "be good or that bad policeman will talke you to jail." All that does is breed fear and distrust into that child.

Answer 6

At long last a person who thinks as i do, I'm glad to see I'm not alone in thinking that many parents are the instigators in their children's hatred of the police. Perhaps if there more police out there on the beat, and involved in communities, like they used to there might be less of hate and more of co-operation. Until then we have stonewall silence following the killing of these young children, why won't people see that it's not the police who are the enemy, they are the ones having to pick up the pieces when things go wrong.

Answer 7

We have created a society of entitlement and disrespect of authority. I have many friends that are police officers and the stories I've heard. Also Many immigrants come from countries where police of any kind were to be feared and that adds to the confusion. I work with a number of police departments and help teach the womans safety courses. And have been made an Honorary member of the Chiefs of Police Assn. We need to learn respect for others again and until parents teach that to their children you will have the problems that exist now.

Answer 8

The police have lost the connection with the community. They are no longer the friendly face whop could help you when you were in trouble, but are now the sneering bullies who race around in squad cars and talk to people like crap.

I'm a white, middle class, middle aged, respectable pillar of the community but every time I have cause to speak to a policeman (socially or otherwise) I am left feeling even less respect for them.

They need to take a long hard look at themselves and spend some training time and budget learning how to speak to people with respect and authority, then get out of the speed trap vans and motorway patrol cars and start solving crimes.

Answer 9

I totally agree with you! Its not just the police though is it that are targetted, families enourage thair children to be homophobic, racist etc. In this day and age you can not do anything to reprimand a child for fear of retribution which also does not help, you so much as look at a teenage in the wrong way and there can be repercussions.

A teenage where we live thought it would be funny to pour lighter fuel through and 80 year olds letter box and light it in the early hours of one morning, if it hadnt been for her neighbours she would have died, if they ever catch the person whats going to happen? A slap on the wrist I expect.

Then of course you have role models like Pete Docherty and Amy Winehouse who are so drugged up all the time that kids think its cool thing, and well we know how the police have reprimanded Pete Docherty for being caught with drugs!

Answer 10

This question cannot really be answered simply. In many respects people may be right to distrust the police. In some respects, the police do a good job, especially for the middle classes! The police force is an extremely expensive organization, whose work could be done infinitely better, for a tiny fraction of the cost, by other groups in society. There really is evidence that racial persecution by the police force does exist. It didn't take long for working people to realize, after the introduction of the police force, that it wasn't there for the good of all.

There are films 'out there' showing what really happens at demonstrations where there is violence; I would suggest you see one of those and then reconsider your question. What we are led to believe about the police force is not accurate. Even members of the force don't know that.