Lerxst

I read the OP. The haircut remark was irrelevant to the arrest but I addressed it because the thread author was trying to bag on cops in general. You are hitting it on it now. You said short haircuts make cops look like convicts. So do Marines look like convicts? Army soldiers? Or just cops?

And explain how this ANYTHING to do with the arrest and mistreatment of this woman.

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aegyptos

If you can address it then it seems natural that anyone else can, too.

While recruits have shaved heads yes, they look like convicts. The purpose of that haircut is to dehumanize them, part of the process of turning them into killers. It dehumanizes cops, too, and makes them look vaguely threatening to civilians. I would like to see cops try to integrate into the society they serve not attempt to stand apart from it. The assertion about having hair short so some bad actor can't grab hold of it is an excuse and not a very credible one.

I'm not sure it does but I'm certain that it doesn't matter whether it does or not. You addressed it and now several others of us have as well.

new coup for you

My apartment is a tiny island of white middle class homosexuality in an endless sea of impoverished black homophobia (ironically called Nicetown). I think the cops are great. I love cops. I want more cops. Lots more cops.

With missle launchers.

Seriously, cops are awesome.

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And why does your tone suggest that you do not care about children?

UtahBill

The Sheriff's department in Maricopa County, the Phoenix area of AZ, has been sued several times and has paid out many millions of dollars to victims or victims families. You would think that the outrages would stop, but so far, they have not. Phoenix police are a bit better, but not a lot. And I know personally of a situation in one of the nearby towns where several cops are harassing a business that towed/repossessed one of their personal vehicles, something about not making the payments? Who would have thunked it, a cop has to pay for his car like anyone else?
It appears that many of the deputies have, in their minds, "dehumanized" the lesser citizens of the community. Yes, a small part of the population causes a large part of the problems in the community, but to automatically assume that all in a certain part of town are perps is just plain wrong. If they can't do the job with dignity and restraint, then yes, the book needs to be rewritten, and those on the force who have the attitudes should find other work, like prison guard. At least in the prisons, it can be assumed that the "clients" are there because of their crimes. Excepting,of course, the occasional innocent victim who was framed, falsely accused, etc. and then fell victim to overzealous prosecutors.
I have said it before, here it goes again. The profession has some similarities with teaching. You need so many cops, and you can't get enough really good ones, so you take what you can get and hope you can train them on the job a bit to make them better. Problem is, the ones who don't accept the training will cause you the most grief later on. No good cop wants to trust his life to a bad partner.
The area has had quite a few good cops killed, and that can add to the level of fear, but once it gets to the level of paranoia, the person needs to find other work, for his own sanity if nothing else...

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Lerxst

There is a difference in my explaining it from a cops standpoint and somebody just making it a platform to bash cops. Which is what Joe did.

Well then you have probably never had to defend yourself in a fight over a gun while a bad guy has a hand full of your hair then. If you are intimidated by a haircut then you have some other issues going on in your life that require attention. A short haircut in the military is not to dehumanize anyone. It's an issue of uniformity. You are stripped of your individualism and you are made into the image of the Army soldier (to use an example). Uniformity.

It has nothing to do with the arrest. It was however used as a pot shot against the cops. You followed suit, I was simply trying clarify whether or not the focus on this issue was legitimate or not.

Lightdemon

Who was taking the video? The cops? If so, what would be the reason to tape it?

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Lerxst

We have a policy of taping cell extractions and combative inmates so as to protect us from liability. These guys have a retarded policy for dealing with combatives apparently and it will cost them. As it should. There was no reason she should have been treated that way.

Lightdemon

Yea, I was assuming that. But obviously it would work better had they actually follow the guidelines. Now it's just going to bite them in the ***. Good thing it works both ways tho.

aegyptos

[quote=JeffMerriman;1057530052]Well then you have probably never had to defend yourself in a fight over a gun while a bad guy has a hand full of your hair then.[quote]

I wear my hair about an inch and half long. No one can get hold of my hair and I don't look like a thug. Your reason is merely a silly excuse. Cops didn't wear their hair like convicts twenty years ago or for the hundred years before that. The crooks back then had guns and hands to grab hair with too. Nope not buying it. The real reason is to create a look, an aura.

An ad hominem this early in an argument means that are unsure of your position and are feeling a disire to act out.

The uniformity goes without saying. The purpose of the shaved head look is to dehumanize the recruit. That haircut is only required in bootcamp, by the way. Once out in the general service, personel can wear their hair long enough to look nice and most lose the convict cut as soon as possible.

If you feel threatened by a few legitimate remarks about the bullet head, convict, thug persona that cops have adopted you may have some issues that would eliminate you from consideration for employment as a cop. (See how easy it is to attack the person and not the argument?)

Lerxst

Lol...if your hair is an inch and a half long I can get a hold of it. Mine is the same length and I can get a hold of it very easily. And yes cops did wear their hair like that twenty years ago...I have been one for 14 years and the look was instituted well before I got there. The whole look is called command presence...it's a combination of things (hair, sharp uniform, good condition) it's professional, it goes well with the uniformed appearance. I really don't care that you don't buy it. There is no reason to lie about it. There are criminal justice studies that have been done with convicts and one of the things they described about an officer that could increase or decrease risk of assault was a professional appearance. Officers that looked professional were less likely to be assaulted because they looked like they could take care of themselves, that they were not going to be easy to take. This is a fact and it's taught at academies all over the nation. It has been since I entered service.

You don't like the look, it intimidates you or something. Oh well.


No, you started in making disparaging comments about those in my profession who wear their hair short and looking like thugs and convicts. And you are getting all worked up because I called you on your insecurity. It's not my fault you have trouble dealing.


The purpose of the shaved head is not to dehumanize. It's to remove individuality...not human spirit. And your application here isn't even relevant because officers don't shave their head or wear short hair to dehumanize themselves. They do it for two reasons...command presence and officer safety. You don't agree, but so what? You have the right to your opinion and the freedom to be wrong. You are exercising both.


Don't try to project your own issues onto me. It's very transparent. As I noted, you have an issue with the haircut. So? That doesn't mean your personal opinion has any validity when it comes to the institution of law enforcement and why things are done.

You ain't buyin' it? Okay?