Have you noticed how the South African media....?

Question

now refers to all police officers as "cops" on radio, television, internet news and in newspapers?
Is this appropriate as I have always considered the word "cops" to be slang and disrespectful?

Answer 1

Many people share your view on "cop'' being slang or somewhat disrespectful when describing a police officer, but it actually is derived from the verb 'cop' that literally means 'to take' or 'to seize'. It was later given another meaning: 'to arrest'. The word then eventually moved from being solely a verb to also encompassing a noun referring to the person doing the arrest. It is therefore not slang, not disrespectful and not an acronym (constable on patrol) as many may think.

I think that South Africans are these days much more bombarded with other ways of speaking than in the past. We start using the words we hear (on tv) or read (on the net) more than the words we know to be truly the Queen's English. Or South African English for that matter.

Answer 2

The original Police Force was founded by Robert Peel in the UK so as regards the current South African "Police Force" I think it would be more appropriate to refer to them as "Pielers."

Answer 3

As I have it, it is a very old British expression referring to 'catch."
To catch or to 'cop' someone. The police doing the catching were, and are still today, called 'coppers.'
They became cops in America (where else) and some people believe it stands for: 'constable on patrol.' They don't have constables in America, though.

Answer 4

Bull, I never thought so......I always thought that it's another name for a police officer....I've just checked the dictionary.....and I couldn't find your explanation.....but you have given me a task....I'll have to make some research regarding its origins etc.....thanks for a seemingly simple but challenging question!!!!!

Answer 5

It could be worse, they could call the 'Fuzz'.