This is why cops have a bad name!

[aclark]

I would like to share a story that happened at the bar I work at last Sat. I don't know what the end result was overall, but I know what happened at the bar because it happened right in front of me.

Saturday night at Harry's, pretty busy, all of our tables are filled up, and I have plenty of people standing at the bar drinking. There is a table of younger guys sitting at a table just in front and to the left of me, and a group of "older" (read late 20's early 30's) people directly in front of me.

All of the sudden a doorman comes up the the younger table and tells them they need to leave. They were all friends with another bartender, and when the doorman said that they had been cut off by the bartender and the server they started to ask questions. None of us bartenders had cut them off, and neither did the server, so we pull the doorman aside and ask what's going on.

Come to find out, one of the guys at the "older" table walked up to him, flashed a badge, untucked his shirt and placed his hand on his gun. He told the doorman that the younger guys had to leave because he was a police officer and he said so. He also threatened to call the police/excise and have them come into the bar and cause a big scene if the doorman didn't comply.

We learned this and decided that the younger table of people could stay, but the "older" table would have to leave. After we asked them to leave the officer continued to threaten to have other police officers come and arrest the younger table, and also arrest both our doorman, for what I don't know.

In the end the reason that he wanted them kicked out is because they work at another bar, and kicked him out one night when he was apparently being an ass to other customers. He thought this was his turn for revenge.

Side note: And after all that the "older" table (they had 1 tab) stiffed me on a $30 tab, damn pricks...

So yea, this is why cops have a bad name in my opinion, a good majority of them are power hungry, egotistical, pricks, that think everyone owes them something, and that they should be praised in every situation. Again I'm not trying to knock all cops, some of them can be cool and level headed, but this isn't a "one bad apple ruins the bunch", this is a "there are tons of bad apples, and finding a good cop is like finding a needle in a haystack". I just wish officers were held more accountable for their actions, and that there were only a few bad cops for every 100 good ones, unfortunately that's not the case...

[/rant]

 

[jennybird]

First of all, do you have proof that this guy was a police officer? And if so, why didn't you take down his name and badge number? If he really was a cop, he should be reported. He wasn't acting on behalf of all LEO's after all.

 

[esrice]

I guess it all depends on your particular perspective.

I see the exact opposite. I see more good, hard-working cops out there trying to make a living, and a small % that cause trouble and make it tough on the rest.

Keep in mind that TV and the Media likes a dirty cop just as much as a good cop.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I am going to have to agree with jennybird here.... if he was a real leo you should take down name and badge number... or YOU be the one to call the cops and report HIM for causing a scene....

I think 90 percent of LEO's are the good type at least my my experience... the other ten percent being 1% bad road cops and 9% being anyone working in ADMIN

 

[leftsock]

Brings to mind part of a presentation by John Harris, "It's an illusion." We aren't British, but the idea is applicable.

I recommend watching all five parts, but can't blame you if you skip ahead to 2:22 in this particular video to get to the gist of it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4b0n3W0B6E"]YouTube - John Harris - It's an illusion Part 2/5[/ame]

 

[Denny347]

a good majority of them are power hungry, egotistical, pricks, that think everyone owes them something, and that they should be praised in every situation.
[/rant]

 

[jennybird]

Here we go again

 

[shooter521]

Again I'm not trying to knock all cops

Just "a good majority" of them?

I have a police officer in my extended family, count a couple more among my close friends, and am acquainted with a fair number of others. To a one, they are all decent, honest, hardworking people.

OTOH, I've also known some folks who worked in bars, both during and after college. They were pretty much all dicks.

 

[4sarge]

Originally Posted by aclark
a good majority of them are power hungry, egotistical, pricks, that think everyone owes them something, and that they should be praised in every situation.
[/rant]

Damn, I've been found out

 

[esrice]

and that they should be praised in every situation.

Denny, you sure did an EXCELLENT job today!

 

[jeremy]

Shooter you and I know that aclark was not starting a bash all cops thread. He was just trying to relay/rant about an experience that happened recently in his personnel experience.

I also have friends and family who are LEO's for various state and federal agencies. I will honestly say some of them are really big f*cking pr*cks. That being said the majority are not that way. You have this in the military, in law enforcement, fire departments, factories, anyplace people are. It only takes 1, just 1, a$$hat to soil the 99 outstanding people he works with.

Most people will not report the bad cop for two reasons I think. 1, bacause a lot of people are afriad of retrubution. And 2, probally the biggest reason, most people do not know how to go about reporting a cop.

My .02cents, YMMV.

 

[aclark]

I would have gotten his badge number and reported him, but the other bartender went around to handle it with the doormen. I guess when they asked him to leave they did ask for a name, and maybe some other information, but this guy refused to give it to them. I guess I don't know for sure if he was a cop, but that's how he ID'd himself, but wouldn't give anyone any information, he could have just been a prick with a LTCH badge (I know you love those IGW).

And yes, to those that think I am knock the majority of cops, that's because I am. I have a few run in's with cops doing their job, and I've also know plenty of cops through social means, and just about all of them are egotistical, and think they are above the law. I've personally have heard them sit around a brag about how they screwed people that day, trying to one up each other. I have plenty of respect for the few that do it for the right reasons, but in my experience its mostly the kids that got picked on in HS trying to get revenge.

 

[J D]

I just wish officers were held more accountable for their actions, and that there were only a few bad cops for every 100 good ones, unfortunately that's not the case...

[/rant][/quote]

So maybe next time you call for an on-duty supervisor to deal with your complaint and those with poor behavior instead of ranting on the internet.

 

[aclark]

So maybe next time you call for an on-duty supervisor to deal with your complaint and those with poor behavior instead of ranting on the internet.

I would have if I could have. I was just trying to show to others (and any LEOs here) that these are the kind of things that happen that give them a bad name. A lot of officers know who the bad ones are, and know when they are unbecoming of the force. But I would beg to argue that there is no internal, peer pressure going on for those bad cops to change. If there were more of the "good cops" stepping up, calling out and correcting the "bad cops" it would be a-whole-nother story, but I would be willing to bet that's not the case. No one wants to be "that guy", or be the "nark" or whatever you want to call it.

 

[cce1302]

With my 20/20 hindsight, I would have called the police and said that there was a guy impersonating an officer intimidating and threatening the employees. Then sit back and watch what happens.

 

[jennybird]

With my 20/20 hindsight, I would have called the police and said that there was a guy impersonating an officer intimidating and threatening the employees. Then sit back and watch what happens.

Now THAT would have been a partay!!!

 

[El Cazador]

I would have if I could have. I was just trying to show to others (and any LEOs here) that these are the kind of things that happen that give them a bad name. A lot of officers know who the bad ones are, and know when they are unbecoming of the force. But I would beg to argue that there is no internal, peer pressure going on for those bad cops to change. If there were more of the "good cops" stepping up, calling out and correcting the "bad cops" it would be a-whole-nother story, but I would be willing to bet that's not the case. No one wants to be "that guy", or be the "nark" or whatever you want to call it.

This is an interesting point. I've wondered that myself. Any LEO's care to respond?

 

[hardtrailz400]

With my 20/20 hindsight, I would have called the police and said that there was a guy impersonating an officer intimidating and threatening the employees. Then sit back and watch what happens.

That would have been good.

But the only real thought since starting to read this thread is DAMN I need a Long Island. I spent years enjoying life with them and no one makes like Harry's. Road trip is in order.

 

[Annie Oakley]

Ok, I can't just let this go by. Sounds to me, aclark, like you have had a lot of contact with LEO's. Was all of it social and if not do you care to share the details?

My husband, two brothers-in-law, my nephew, son and several really close friends are LEO. I was LEO. None of us have ever hesitated to call out any behavior by each other or by other officers that looks bad. Your assertion that "the majority" of LEO's are evil is just silly since you don't know, really know, the majority of officers. There is a lot of peer pressure and departmental pressure on officers from all the different departments that they represent so saying that there isn't as a blanket statement is as silly as the whole "majority" thing. Bad apples can be found in any line of work that doesn't mean that everyone who does a specific job is like that.

If this guy was LEO, he was a jerk and it should have been handled with a 911 call.

 

[aclark]

No it hasnt been all social, while quite a bit of it was, my brother in law was the head of the parks dept, and really good friends with the mayor and quite a few officers, thats where most the social comes into play. As far as officers in the line of duty, I have had my fair share of traffic stops, etc I am normally very complient, yes sir/no sir (or ma'am), but I have yet to have an officer respect me as a citizen. Ok I was speeding, but you dont have to have a power trip on me, and be a jerk. Now I'm not asking for a break, if I was speeding and you think I need a ticket ok, but you can still be nice and polite about it.

Also we have run ins with them at the bar. We try to keep good relations with them, as bar staff because often we do need help controling someone that out of control drunk, and yes those people can be a handful, but I have seen plenty of the cops we call totally disrespect intoxicated people that try to comply after the officer arrives on scene.

I have also had another experience with a (drunk) cop assulting a server, and the server fought back a bit. When we called the cops (we didnt know that he was a cop) the responding officer laughed about it with the drunk officer, let him go, and then the SERVER was suspended from work after the officers supervisor complained to our boss.

These are just a few of the instances that stand out in my mind, if you really want specific stories I'm sure I could write a short book with all the times I've seen BS like this happen.