OT. Disrespect for coppers

Yes Kim ...

A total lack respect to them is exhibited.

A drop in social standards and the fact that everyone has "rights" has made their job even harder.

Their hands are tied with conflicting legislation, & not to mention the waste of time processing criminals that get let off with minimal or no justice in sentencing.

Even the literature distributed in schools in regard to what NOT to say to police possibly has something to do with it.

Its no wonder they concentrate on the fall back job ....... administering the traffic code ...

School teachers are in the same boat. I was well behaved but still copped the cane a number of times. I believe it was good for me and I appreciate it in hindsite. It's a shame the kids today are being denied it.
As for coppers, my dad told me about when he was a teenager in Gunnedah and out on a Saturday night. The local head copper came up to him in the street an kicked him in the bum. Dad said what was that for and the copper said " just in case you are thinking of doing something wrong".
Dad also told me that you should give kids what they are asking for. If they are asking for a cuddle then give a cuddle, if they are asking for a smack on the bum then give them one. A pity the kids today are missing out on things they are asking for but not getting due to well intentioned but I believe misguided political correctness.
Mike

You are spot on !!

I also was bounced off a few walls one night at Eastwood after doing doughnuts in the main drag. No charges, just the helpful offering that if I was cought again I'd get a kick up the @rse. As a result, no doughnuts after that. And a healthy respect for for the Sgt.

In NSW we have had the Wood Royal Commission and a useless Commissioner (Peter Ryan) totally knobble our Police Force. There have been aided and abetted by such luminaries as the Council for Civil Liberties, who immediatelhy spring to the defence of notorious paedophiles, child molesters and murderers, rapists and any other low life that gets their heads on television, every fringe group with a grudge, and over-protective mothers.

But, I found a recent '60 Minutes' story on the NSW Riot Squad ... well .. uplifting ... when the Officer in Charge said " .. if they want to cause trouble, we are more than happy to accommodate them'. A step in the right direction.

Jack

The one thing I did have as a kid was a healthy respect for the Coppers. I never back chattered, Swore or gave cheek to a copper, always called them Sir.
I guess it was because my father knew each and every one of them in the area and if he got wind that I was disrespectful to them, I was assured of getting a good flogging when he got hold of me.
Looking back on it now, it seems funny, that when leaving the Cop Shop the next morning, I would actually thank them. Hmmm
Watching the news most nights, I find it unbelievable the way some kids talk to the coppers these days and there isn't a thing they can do about it.

I reckon, bring back 21 Division, then these kids will respect coppers.

G'day Kim

It's not just Police mate - I wear a uniform protecting fish resources in NSW and I can tell you that there is an element in our society who see us as a threat to their "I can do what I bloody well like when I like" attitude - despite there being signage to the contrary. Get called some very interesting names, get threatened regularly and told to do the anatomically impossible but thankfully after nearly 32 years have yet to have to pull my baton to protect myself.

Mind you - if the brown stuff hits the spinning thing - we get Police assistance but even then the "bad" guys sure little respect to either uniform.

Had a Magistrate in North Sydney many years ago - after he'd found the "Bad" guy guilty - remind me "Always remember - it's only a fish"

Cheers

Hi Kim

I agree but think that this situation has come about through a range of social pressures in which society reacts to overspun news events which in turn seems to causes an overreaction of new tougher laws on everything such that they have gone well beyond reason and often become a joke like the 2km speed tolerances, and hence this attitude passes on to those who enforce them.

Recently Vic government cited that there hoons laws and impounded 10,000 cars so must be sucessful.

Its more likely that there are 10,000 more people holding a grudge - with their eyes open for an opportunity to hit back.

Found out one thing when I was young is: When a big old crown sargent asks you what is that saddle doing in the boot of your car, don't tell him you are a 90 kilo jockey.

Those size 12 boots kept kicking my shins and asking, what was that you said.

You are right Kim but society has been breaking down for years and discipline has gone out the window.It starts with both parents working and the kids can run around doing what they want and they have lost control,the teachers also struggle to discipline the kids and it flows through to the police who have to enforce the law after these kids have had little discipline for most of their lives.My parents were strict and if i got into trouble there would be hell to pay but the kids today have too many rights and no fear.
Mark

While I agree that the current total disrespect is not a good situation. It always seems that 'the youth of today are out of control". As a young guy (30) I have heard my parents generation utter it, and I am sure your parents generation uttered it, and their parents generation as well.

While a moderate kick up the ass would probably set a lot of people straight, how do you stop this turning in to abuse and brutality? So much faith was placed in the state and church, the welfare of children, and it is now coming to light today that some of the worst child abuse (psychlogical, physical and sexual) was committed in these very institutions, perhaps the good old days weren't so good after all.

Most people look back fondly on their golden years (not all though). Look at the youth of today with thoughts that 'these hooligans are out of control', forgetting that they were once young, and 'out of control' in the eyes of their parents generation.

Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

Snowy

No matter how much the pay is for being a copper it isn't worth it..nor is there much self satisfaction when internally the police force don't support officers.

How many coppers wake up in the morning and look forward to the day with a smile on there face ?

Hi All

I totally agree with all of the above replies, however in the Dinosaur Days when we were Teenagers, if we got into strife with the local Coppers, every one expected a kick up the bum for your trouble and your parents would give you the same when you got home, and thats how we raised our two sons, we never had any serious problems with them, and the same goes for their kids,
I remember a time several year back when I was working for the Government Water Supply Authority, when I caught some Teenagers swimming in a Water Reservoir, they had broken the lock and climbed up the ladder and were swimming in the Treated Water, I told them to get out and took their names and addresses and warned them not to do it again, anyway a few weeks later the same Teenagers were in the reservoir again, so I put their Push Bikes in the back of the 4x4 tray body, gathered up their clothes, (they were swimming in their undies) and told them they could pick up their gear at our Depot/ Office, they turned up a couple of days later with one of the parents, and he started to give me a mouthfull, and when I had told him about the previous warning, and mentioned that a young kid was found drowned in the same reservoir several years earlier, he soon calmed down, and offered to pay for the damage they had caused, after that we made things more Vandal Proof at all the sites.

Cheers

Education and respect starts at home, at the earliest possible age, and one of them ost important ealry lessons is the word 'no' and what it means.

We've never had an occasion to raise a 'hand' to our son, but he knows the meaning of the word 'no' and has a great deal of respect for it....

I cannot recall ever having a dealing with police as a kid, not saying I was not worthy of a kick up the butt if caught playing up.

On the other hand I can say I have been on the wrong end of the cane on many occasions as a kid sometimes just, other times not just.

One of my teachers in primary school his theory was if a person was playing up then the person on either side of that person must be involved so all three would get the cane (bastard). I will say you minded where you sat. I had NO respect for this person, mind you I was not game to look at him sideways. Thinking back now I really think he was simply a bully and we were easy game as kids.

He got his own when he hit a kid with the old big wooden compass (some people would remember this thing) across the back the scream from the kid I can still hear it. The kid shot out of the class screaming and some hours later his father came back and all hell broke loose and the father gave the teacher a serious touch up. Teachers came from everywhere and the father was screaming at what this bloke had done to his son.

I don't know what the outcome was the kid never returned and the teacher never return to the school.

Respect is a two way street, I deal with police all the time with work and I agree the respect shown to them on many occasions is cra%. Respect starts at home and I feel removal of the cane was a mistake, as is the lack of sport in schools.

I do feel it is a minority that show disrespect to coppers and others but it becomes a boarder community issue as it effect the majority.

This may open a can of worms and a lot "OT" but I feel if people leave school and if they cannot (or don't want) to get a permanent temporary / permanent job within 12mth of leaving school then you get to do a couple of years in the forces. We are paying to some degree anyway so I feel this way many would learn respect, other skills, team work etc you never know some may like the services and stay and help solve our declining numbers in the services. I know its not as simple as that but just my 2cents worth.

Brian

Its the courts that are letting us down.
A few years back an unlicenced driver ( youth) high on drugs driving an unregisered vehicle hit a child on a bike and killed him.
He did a runner, cops caught him hiding in a roof of a house because citizens followed him and told police where he was.
he got the best legal aid taxpayer money can buy.
The judge dismissed the case as he said the kid on the bike was at fault.
The judge is now on a human rights panel

I have respect for coppers but none whatsoever for the courts.

Honky

The word that comes to mind is RESPECT , 20-30-40+ yrs ago there was respect given to the uniform because in most cases the respect was earned , in QLD at least that respect was lost when the graft and corruption that existed from top to bottom was outed by the Fitzgerald enquiry , the kids / youth of today no longer feel the need to give respect to any uniform bar the one they themselves are wearing.

It starts at home ...... parents need to learn how to say NO!

Judging from the number of negative posts on this forum about the police, what happened to that respect, that you all say you had, when you were younger? Did it just fade with age? And would it return if you got a slap across the face instead of a ticket for speeing?

This topic might present an interesting conundrum for some.

We have seen a number of threads recently that touch on the over-zealous enforcement of road rules by police. And permeating in some of those discussions has been a theme of how unreasonable some of them can be. I won’t argue that point here; but aren’t they simply enforcing the law – doing their job?

Doesn’t it show disrespect each time we question the right of the police to enforce the law of the land no matter how much we might disagree with it, or its application? What example are we showing this younger generation on those occasions – that the law should only be respected when it suits?

Cheers

I have respect for the coppers yes.. they have a really crappy job these days.
But unlike the two the other day...
Don't follow me for ten minutes on the road, then follow me into the Bunnings car park, then jump on me for 'random license check' when I am about to get out of my car!
Totally rude! there was no reason why he had to follow me, there was plenty of road space to pull me over. He certainly knows I was far from impressed and he knows I didn't do anything wrong!!
the biggie was they were actually travelling on the other side of the road. We were both sitting at traffic lights across from each other and he drives when they turn green, then turns around and follows me. He knew damn well that I did not do anything wrong but decided to pick me out.
I have never been randomly pulled over in the 4wd..
This latest was twice in 3 months in the commodore.. and no it doesn't look like cop bait.. tinted windows and tastful mags is the only thing added to it. Grrr

Ohhh Dear!!!

This post has been read by the moderation team and has been moderated due to a breach of The Trolling Rule .

Forum Moderation Team

I've got to say this , I have probably been in more trouble with the Police, especially in my younger years (in the 60's), than anyone on this forum.
If I was caught misbehaving the local policeman would call in home usually around meal time and inform my mother, in fact he was there most meal times - (Yep, my father was the policeman).

Kim, I agree with your comments , it is a difficult job and is getting more so as the years go by.

What the answer is I don't know but I believe the drug problem is now the major contributing factor and there has to be more of an effort to curtail its effect on society.

Regards

Alanc