The Mock Turtle

Almost every police officer that I have known personally is an arrogant, cocky tosser who likes throwing their power around. And, disappointingly, that includes women.

Yep, 100%. I’ve never felt safe around anybody in the police, and I’ve always crossed the road to avoid them. The only way we had any “power” over them growing up was because they were all military police where we lived, and our dads outranked them. Harassing little motherfuckers.

My sister has interaction with police in her job and is similarly absolutely convinced they're all incredibly arrogant (at best).

It’s a boys’ club.

The thing I said earlier about the headteacher, I meant that we shouldn’t bring up our kids to instinctively respect “authority” and status. We should expect interpersonal respect from those in positions of power, and we should all trust our instincts if someone seems creepy despite their status in society, whether that’s from their job role or being being a man.

I’m probably not articulating myself that well, but I’m just so angry.

Edith Bacon wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 8:50 pm Almost every police officer that I have known personally is an arrogant, cocky tosser who likes throwing their power around. And, disappointingly, that includes women.

I could not agree more. I am sure there are good eggs but they are mostly either outnumbered or they change and go over to the dark side. As a law abiding citizen I've had so many bad experiences with the police.

I was more aware than ever this evening, on my 30 second walk from the station to my house, thinking about what my last thoughts would be and what hers must have been. I generally commute on foot but I was out for dinner so it's late, and the park I walk past (past, not through, and it's in a well lit busy, sought after hipster area) has the signs up for the annual remembrance of the woman who was walking past some years back and dragged in and murdered. It could be any of us.

I've never had a good experience with police. Including the one who nearly ran me off a motorway flashing his lights at me and I still don't know why.

The police entirely ignored my complaints when I got groped by a gang of men on NYE. I pointed the group out to them. They actually shrugged. I was 17!

I’m still absolutely one of those who would have done what she was told. I can’t engage with it anymore than that. I’m just so angry. And it feels like there is nothing that will make it better.

https://twitter.com/marybchr/status/144 ... 29184?s=21

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/ ... cers-tell/

The article is paywalled but it’s reproduced on the Twitter thread.

Edith Bacon wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 8:50 pm Almost every police officer that I have known personally is an arrogant, cocky tosser who likes throwing their power around. And, disappointingly, that includes women.

Ha! A friend of a friend is an armed police officer (female) and as I read these words her arrogant smug face popped into my head.

My step-BIL was in the Met and and he’s one of the only ILs I genuinely really like. He left the police due to the toxic culture, under resourcing and impossible demands of the job, which makes me wonder what that says about the typical type of people who leave vs stay.

Good God, that article. I could hardly bear to read it.

I don't by any stretch think everyone who wants to work in the police have got something wrong with them. There are plenty of decent police folk and I've been fortunate enough to come across some of them. A good friend of mine is serving but struggles with what he's dealing with and the lack of support.

But I think it's also a place where like minds gain congratulation and encouragement, much like the internet, and it is frightening.

Ella77 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:25 pm

Marth wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:09 pm Anyone posting about this on Facebook had all their male friends liking or commenting?

No? Thought not.

Every fucking time, isn’t it?

Just my dad, yet again. It's a sad state of affairs when the best male ally I have is an outdated, old, white man.

The police are the biggest gang in the world, I've had nothing but bad experiences with any I've met in their working role and pretty much every one I've ever known in person.

Another one has been arrested for rape today.

From the same unit Couzens worked in.

The only decent copper I know is my neighbour. I’m wondering what he is thinking about all of this.

I know what you mean, but I don't really care what all the decent male coppers think. I care what the female officers think as it sounds like they are systematically treated in sexist ways within the force.

Men in general won't be thinking about this with the same intensity as women at all, and decent men not connecting "men" to the violent sex class of "man" are part of the problem.

Absolutely.

My best friend from uni is in the police. I must ask her what she thinks. I've noticed in the past that she has a high tolerance for sexist bullshit which makes me wonder what she puts up with on a daily basis.

Turtle Bean wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 3:11 pm My best friend from uni is in the police. I must ask her what she thinks. I've noticed in the past that she has a high tolerance for sexist bullshit which makes me wonder what she puts up with on a daily basis.

One of my good work friends used to be a DI in the Met. I honestly think some of the horrific things she had to deal with in that job desensitised her so much to normal dynamics that her perceptions were a bit skewed. “Did anyone die? If not, it’s okay” was kind of her mantra, but sometimes behaviour that is nowhere near meeting that criteria is definitely not okay, and shouldn’t be tolerated.

I wonder if Couzens is giving up his mates.

I don't think he would have needed to. They are there in plain sight. They always were.