The Police Are Cracking

This was on Twitter and since removed:

Stacey who has been a cop for 15 yrs went to @McDonalds She paid for it in advance and this is how she gets treated for being a cop😢😡 Come on America. We are better than this

I am a big supporter of knowing the power structures around you.

I wrote this back in 2009:

Sometime ago I was showing a buddy of mine the ropes and pointed out to him that the key guys to know in clubs are the bouncers. I mean we take care of bouncers. It's good to know the owner or manager, but in clubs most situations are at the bouncer level. In one very hot club my buddy actually put the head bouncer at the club on his payroll for some other type work the bouncer was interested in.

Anyway, one night we are in this hot club and it is the birthday of my buddy's girlfriend. She's kind of a wild nut job, not exactly my style, but he has to deal with her not me. For her birthday party, the girlfriend invites about 10 other nut jobs. Not officially to any party, just to the club.

I am sort of aware of the situation and hang in another section of the club, not really participating with the "birthday celebration."

Comes closing time, my buddy's girlfriend's friends all head for the door, only a few paid their tabs. The remaining tab is thousands. My buddy is refusing to pay. The waitress is there, and a female manager is there. They bring up the "table" concept, even though most of those that skipped were at another table (though clearly all part of the same group). Finally the manager calls for the head of security (Unbeknownst to the manager, this is the guy my buddy has on his payroll).

The security guy comes and starts taking the side of my buddy to the total bewilderment of the manager. The security guard finally tells the manager that he knows one of the guys that skipped out and he will hunt him down and get the bill paid.

Forget trying to "explain basic contract liability". You have to understand power centers, especially when government is creating more and more of them.

With this general perspective, I am generally on good terms with the coppers that patrol my neighborhood, as I am with any street operators. I once attended court on behalf of a street operator who was suspected of carrying a gun (it was on the ground next to him) without a permit and he had $11,000 cash in his pocket. I talked to the prosecuting attorney and he got probation for lesser charges.

The other morning, I had stopped in a diner to grab a to-go breakfast of bacon and eggs. A copper that I have seen in the past was there with his partner. They were also grabbing breakfast.

I said to the one I recognized, "Well, you have been having a couple of interesting weeks."

His response was, "The hate is everywhere. I have never seen anything like it, everyone hates us and they show it."

The other copper shook his head and said, "It's visceral."

I asked them if the protesters yelling at them when they are on the line gets to them.

He said, "Yeah but you try not to listen and they rotate us often from the front so we get a break from the abuse, especially if they see the crowd ganging up on one officer."

But there was a confused look on their face as if they were living in a surreal world. Neither of these two struck me as political, attempting to climb the political ranks, or bad cops looking to crack heads.  One was about 40, the other 50.

They probably joined the police force hoping to do good in their community, now they are considered the enemy. This must do serious tunes on the heads of many of them.

-RW