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BlaineTog t1_j1dlvqc wrote

Reply to comment by detective_bigfoot in Former State Police Captain indicted on CP charges by [deleted]

ACAB doesn't mean that literally everyone with a badge right now is a bastard. There are good cops... temporarily. What ACAB means is that every good cop will eventually either become a bad cop or they'll get drummed out of the force.

Notably, a cop who doesn't personally abuse their power but does allow other cops to abuse theirs is still a bad cop. I can easily imagine a new recruit joining up to try to change the system from inside, only to get relentlessly bullied and screwed over because they don't let it slide when their coworkers do evil shit. Nobody can maintain that position forever, both because it's difficult to have that much moral conviction and also because the other cops will eventually force them out.

ACAB throws a lot of people because they think the bar is literally, "shooting unarmed Black men for sport, or extorting sex from teenagers during traffic stops." They can't imagine their Uncle Fred doing either of those things, not when Uncle Fed is such a nice guy to them, plus Fred may be Black himself. But they don't think about that time Uncle Fred gave his cop buddy Sergeant Sam an alibi for that hassle he got into last year over an unfortunate traffic stop that escalated into a foot chase, or the other time Uncle Fred, "lost," some paperwork that would have implicated his other buddy Officer Jess in something that was totally just a misunderstanding, you see. They don't realize that those are the sorts of things that allow systemic abuse to rampage freely for decades, making Fred just as culpable as Sam and Jess and all the other bastards he helped continue their bastardry. Fred's a bastard too, even if he's never murdered or raped anyone himself.

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detective_bigfoot t1_j1dtdr5 wrote

Cops exist to violently enforce class relations. Even the cops that don’t “look the other way.” Will still brutalize civil rights protesters if they’re ordered to, or incarcerate women seeking medical care. ACAB, absolutely no exceptions.

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BlaineTog t1_j1dz22l wrote

Ultimately, any law will require state violence if it is to be enforceable. This means that some kind of police force will be required in any society that isn't pure anarchy. The system might have the cops brutalize civil rights protestors, but it also might employ them to protect protestors from terrorists or to arrest a CEO who has committed billions in wage theft. The specifics matter, even if our current specifics are so screwed up that it's hard to see how to untangle them.

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detective_bigfoot t1_j1dzxkz wrote

The concept of using violence to enforce laws is arguably inherently flawed in anarchist thought, but that’s beside the point, because the institution of policing was not made to enforce laws that actually help anyone, it was created to brutalize and persecute the underclasses. Don’t twist my words. It’s not the concept of law enforcement but rather the institution of the police which is inherently evil.

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BlaineTog t1_j1e3p0o wrote

> Don’t twist my words. It’s not the concept of law enforcement but rather the institution of the police which is inherently evil.

Friend, you're twisting your own words if you're trying to draw a distinction that fine. But we can call the people who show up when a civilian starts committing violence something other than, "police," if you want. We'll need state agents to act in that capacity regardless of what their department is named.

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warlocc_ t1_j1eh6mh wrote

The problem is twofold, I think. Besides the issues with police, another issue is our laws. Having police show up to enforce laws with violence is fine... Until the laws are stupid and not even preventing harm.

If you fly a toy plane in your own back yard without filling out the right paperwork, the same people that are expected to deal with violent criminals come to deal with you. Seems kind of broken.

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BlaineTog t1_j1ej21r wrote

Absolutely. Right now, we throw the police at basically every problem facing society as our first line of defense, and that's simply ridiculous. Most police officers never fire their guns on duty, so why do sending armed individuals trained mostly in the use of force to places where guns clearly aren't needed? Surely some percentage of those situations would be better handed by agencies staffed with unarmed professionals trained in the particulars. If the threat of violence is enough to keep the peace, then isn't it enough to know that attacking one of those agents might then summon the police? That would at least prevent the state actors from making split-second mistakes.

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rufknkidingme t1_j1gk1qc wrote

That is a valiant attempt to be the adult/voice of reason in the room. Fully expect this to get down voted. One can not fix stupid.

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FoleyisGood t1_j1dyhxq wrote

> There are good cops

No, there aren't. Because if there were good cops they wouldn't be turning the other cheek and keeping their mouths closed

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BlaineTog t1_j1dz461 wrote

You really should have kept reading my comment because that's exactly what I said.

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1ei4xf wrote

Exactly. There is a reason the previous Amherst police chief moved to Belchertown, and then there was a reason he retired early. He was one of the very few good guys, and he couldn’t control all the officers in Amherst. Went to Belchertown bc they have a strong chief law that gave him more autonomy. And the Beaupre got arrested for secretly filming women he had sex with. A year after he was promoted. Pronovost was so heartbroken he just gave up.

Fuck cops. ACAB. And fuck the sexual predators, especially the ones that squeeze out the few decent cops

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mattf1979 t1_j1l52zl wrote

I know a couple of cops who are retiring a bit early because of the way the new generation conducts themselves as officers. They are pretty much out of control and making their own rules, especially when it comes to the harassing/stalking of otherwise innocent civilians.

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1n5pxp wrote

It makes me really sad because there are some decent people out there trying to protect us who want to be police officers, but the bastards force the good ones out. Or they just look the other way which makes them a bastard to

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Maronita2020 t1_j1dxbx5 wrote

I think the cop is more horrible if he belongs to the group of systemic abuse and allows things to get by that people who don't belong to the minority group does, because the minority officer is allowing systemic abuse of his own kind (and other minority groups) which is even more reprehensible imho.

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waffles2go2 t1_j1dqk2l wrote

>Notably, a cop who doesn't personally abuse their power but does allow other cops to abuse theirs is still a bad cop

I think this is a trope now - there is a real push for reform and while I believe the system needs an overhaul, I do believe that progress is being made and new recruits are not "constantly looking the other way"...

Said anther way, if you don't see change then you are not fucking paying attention. A lot of this change is forced (body cameras) but is it making a change? Yes...

While I don't mind people throwing around ACAB - if you really believe it is more than a slogan than you too are part of the problem...

EDIT: If you actually, literally think ACAB than you're a <28 year old male or carry some type of deep trauma that blinds you to the good side of people (and basic logic).

ACAB is just a slogan, if you take it seriously you're both damaged and part of the problem. Domestic violence, gang violence, missing and exploited children are all stuff they have to deal with and if think that cops that work those cases are "bastards" than you lack most of the skills you critique cops for...

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BlaineTog t1_j1dykef wrote

> I think this is a trope now - there is a real push for reform and while I believe the system needs an overhaul, I do believe that progress is being made and new recruits are not "constantly looking the other way"...

I would love to believe that, but there are just too many stories of police misconduct that keep coming out, even misconduct occurring post-George Floyd. Really makes it seem like the touted reforms are token at best (and outright distraction at worst -- gee, look at that, police funding is actually going up!).

> Said anther way, if you don't see change then you are not fucking paying attention.

There's been a patchwork attempt to slightly mitigate police misconduct in some states, but the broader systems and the incentives are the same, which means the same patterns will emerge over time. So long as the system is arranged in such a way that the police can routinely cover up their own misconduct, the police will continue to trends towards bastardry. Put differently, the police have very few checks and balances in place right now.

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detective_bigfoot t1_j1dt7vd wrote

Cops exist to enforce class relations by violence. There are no good cops.

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1rst63 wrote

If you “think” it’s a trope that’s not accurate, link to some evidence troll

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waffles2go2 t1_j1utr0m wrote

Ooof,

Y: "All Cops Are Bastards"!

M: "What about the cops that rescue children"?

Y: "ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS - they are part of a corrupt system"

M: "So cops shouldn't protect kids?"

Y: "No, they should but they're still bastards".

M: "Do you realize how immature and stupid your argument is?"

Y: ACAB!

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1v4udb wrote

You have an active imagination 😂😂😂

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waffles2go2 t1_j1v68wa wrote

Thanks! Deflection is the sincerest form of flattery.

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1v6g0c wrote

I am very sure that’s exactly how the saying goes…😂😂😂

Keep going… This other nonsense is making my morning hysterically funny. You’re not even making sense. Are you an AI?😂😂😂

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[deleted] OP t1_j1vckhk wrote

[removed]

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1vdxn9 wrote

Do you even know what you are talking about? 😂😂😂 You can’t make a coherent statement

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MOGicantbewitty t1_j1vduug wrote

Calling people dogs and slow… you have soooo much to back up your point of view. Lmao! Im convinced beyond a doubt of your correctness and my inferiority 😂😂😂😂

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