Street sign warning that police ‘startle easily’ appears at St. Paul intersections

Pioneer Press ^ | July 24, 2017 | KRISTI BELCAMINO

[Blue Jays]

Agreed. Statists who think they are "conservative" are still statists. We extend great power to police, so they should expect oversight.
One can be very pro-police while simultaneously insisting they conduct themselves with courtesy, professionalism, decency, and respect.

[Bonemaker]

I was a cop for 5 years in a Chicago suburb. Did a lot of “ride alongs”.

[Pining_4_TX]

The cops I know still treat people well.

[redgolum]

I know many that do.

I also know some cops, in my family, who I have know all my life, tell me if they were ordered to seize all our firearms and load us into cattle cars they would. Because their job is to follow orders not make policy.

The point isn’t that all cops are bad, but that today you have treat them like you do a strange dog. Avoid if possible. Approach cautiously if you have to. Know that they may decide to attack you for any reason if they feel threatened.

We MUST start talking about that to people. This woman tried to do the right thing, and got shot for it. This isn’t a unique case in the Twin Cities. Now they are trying like mad to paint her as a drug addled confused white woman who “asked for it”. Again, not a unique tactic. It seems the blue wall would rather protect their own than fix the issues. A very human trait. But that means that non cops no longer see the police as on their side, or in many cases beneficial. This isn’t just in “bad” neighborhoods, but even in small towns. Petty crimes, thefts, and assaults don’t get reported anymore.

It isn’t every cop, or even most cops. But if you are calling the police, or have to interact with them, the risk for sudden death is there. The days of Officer Friendly are gone. The days of calling in something to the police to have them check out are also gone.

[Blue Jays]

Brilliant post, redgolum.
I concur with everything you wrote.

The struggle is some of us are old enough to recall relationships with Officer Friendly from the time of our youth.
The new brand of shaved-head, bloused-BDU, steroided, and tattooed LEO is absolutely *not* the same person we recall from decades ago.
Heck, even an engaging "Hello" in a local coffee shop or while walking around Smalltown, USA is met with a disbelieving scowl.

I continue to be very pro-police yet they have a very significant public relations issue they need to tackle.
The episode I described in Post# 36 is what convinced me to adopt the behavior you outlined above. Yours is a great post Freepers would be wise too heed.

[Blue Jays]

"...too..."

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Oops, should be "to" above.

[Mr.Unique]

Do you know how often people ambush cops?

Not near as often as they accidently shoot each other.