Why don't police officers show the compassion they did twenty years ago? Police Officers please respond.?

Question

When I was growing up the police were there to serve and protect. They gave you a warning on your first mistake provided your weren't rude or arrogant, which I can understand if your are a jerk you deserve what you get. Today they seem to show no compassion they just start writing you up. My mother was being released from the hospital with liver cancer and I was on my way to pick her up in an unfamiliar surrounding, I was in the wrong lane trying to get to the right and with aggression he signaled me to the left, I took a left turn which I found out later was not permitted, he jumped in his cuiser and pulled me over, I told him my situation and ask him if he could let me off with a warning that I was on commission and having the worst financial shape in my life and the last thing I need now was additional expense. He told me, lets see, he ran my drivers license and saw they were no warrants or previous tickets and then came by and gave me a ticket, I asked him again could he be a nice guy and help me out and killed him with respect using only yes sir and no sir and then he was outraged and told me he should write me up for other charges that had no relavance, I admit I was intimidated by him and I was in a succuded area with no witnesses and was afraid for my safety, so I shut my mouth took the ticket and thank god I was beat up and charged for resisting arrest. I am a 51 year old man, clean cut and well mannered and also my second job is a Drivers Education Teacher and found that he was intimidating and at times out of control. What happened to nice guys I looked up to as a kid, that were kind and considerate. When I was young I did make some mistakes but they gave me warnings and you couldn't buy the respect that these police officers earned, instead of threats and intimiation of today. WHAT HAPPENED! My theory is that due to the rought economic times they are forced to right tickets for income to the city or state to meet quotos and by pass compassion and respect.

Answer 1

I retired from law enforcement in 81, I suggest you go on the ride along program and get your eyes opened up.

Answer 2

I think that many cops nowadays become desensitized to the things around them. I am only in my twenties but my guess is the people they used to pull over back years ago used to have more respect towards them, but with my generation now I see little of that towards authority. It is a sad thing really, but the Police I think is adjusting to the behavior and maybe just forgetting that not all people are so disrespectful and rude and should be more lenient in some ways.  

Answer 3

Many years ago when I first hired on as a patrol officer, there were bar fights and resisting arrest type of fights almost every night. We would wrestle the suspect down and roll around on the floor in the beer and eventually get hand cuffs on him. He would spend the night in the drunk tank and the next morning we would have coffee together and give him a ride home or to work.

The most anyone ever got was a cut lip and black eye.

By the time I retired, society had changed to point where bar fights were rare, but when they occurred they involved a knife or gun and someone went to the hospital.

That's why cops aren't as compassionate as they used to be.

Answer 4

What happened to people taking responsibility for their actions and accepting the consequences when they do something wrong? You were in control of the vehicle, you made an illegal turn; you're lucky it was a police officer who stopped you and not some kid that you might have hit. Quit whining and show some respect. And, I know people don't like to hear this, but most departments don't have quotas, and most officers don't like writing tickets. But you won't accept that either, because it doesn't fit into your immature little conspiracy theory. Grow up.