By Mike the Cop
Myths and stereotypes about cops have always made the rounds. We even hear a few new ones every once in a while. So, let’s talk about them shall we?
In order to establish the top 5 myths for cops to debunk, I took to my Facebook fan page to conduct my quite unscientific survey. So here you are. The top 5 myths revealed, with a side of sarcasm at no additional charge.
Myth #1: Cops can do all the things you see in the movies and on television.
Yes, of course we can! We can also ride on unicorns through fields of floating lollipops too.
According to the movies and television, we have virtually unlimited ammo, can get fingerprints off just about any surface, and we can get the results back from a DNA sample after just a few moments of scanning through a universal database that’s conveniently located in our evidence room. Oh, and we can also just shoot someone in the hand to disarm them. If we get really good during training we can even bend the bullets through space like Angelina Jolie.
I actually get pretty frustrated watching most any show that depicts law enforcement, as it always makes me wonder why a big budget show or film can’t afford to actually hire a consultant who gives them accurate information for their portrayals. Or, perhaps they just don’t like the real world facts because they would be more boring to watch, thereby decreasing ticket sales. Either way, you simply cannot trust most of what you see depicted on screen; it’s about as real as tag team wrestling.
Myth #2: Cops are racist.
Myth #3: Cops love writing traffic tickets.
There are really two myths at work here: that cops have ticket quotas, and that tickets are just a way to generate revenue. The thing about quotas is interesting. First, because most states have outlawed them. Second, where they do exist, it’s something being forced upon officers by lawmakers and not by choice. Either way, it debunks the myth that cops love writing tickets because of a quota.
Now, if you think it’s about money, just know that cops are making the same wages no matter what. I don’t get a bonus because I write a ticket or don’t write a ticket to someone who has violated a traffic law.
So, maybe you know where this magical money is going, but it’s not going into a cop’s pocket.
Also, even if a city was really interested in simply generating revenue – so what? A fine is the violation deterrent put in place for our society. If you don’t want to contribute your dollars to the city, stop committing the violation.
The truth of the matter is that there are demonstrable correlations between traffic violations and accidents. Speeding isn’t a big deal until someone you love is hit by a speeding car. Driving buzzed isn’t a big deal until someone you love is killed or permanently disabled by a drunk driver. Running a stop sign? I mean why bother eating up that driver’s day? That is until he hits your child in the process.
Maybe you haven’t seen these things. I have.
Myth #4: Cops have to “read you your rights.”
If I had $5 for each time someone told me they were going to sue me, get me fired, or that my arrest was false because I “didn’t read them their rights,” I wouldn’t need to be in the pension system at work. Even better would be to add a bonus $1 for the inevitable statement to follow. That being, “Where’s my phone call?”
Myth #5: Cops don’t prevent crime, they only respond to it.
Or perhaps, sir or ma’am, you did not have to report a crime because it was prevented by a cop long before it ever happened. Now don’t misunderstand me; I don’t think that families should be unprepared and just sit idly by, hoping that crime doesn’t hit their doorstep. The reality is that the police may not be near or able to respond at the exact moment you or I are falling victim to a crime. So yes, many times cops are only responding to a crime after it’s been reported. Outside of predicting the future, I’m not sure how that can be avoided.
However, what about when your house wasn’t broken into because the cop driving through your neighborhood stopped and identified that suspicious person jaywalking down the street or loitering near that business you frequent?
What about the drug addicts who would have tried breaking into your car last week, but were arrested on a traffic stop that you never heard about? What about the fact your business didn’t have as much theft loss because the follow-up investigations by that officer two months ago led to several arrests in a theft ring when your store was next on their list?
So, before making too many generalizations about the police – when such generalizations wouldn’t be appreciated by the public we serve – take a few minutes to check and see if any of the myths you’ve been fed can actually be debunked.
