Originally posted on 04/27/2010:

Don't be fooled by the mantra of protect & serve. Police are there to protect & serve their own asses.

The philosophical understanding of the police force has been twisted into a perverse understanding. What was once an agency that stood between social stability and chaos has degenerated into an entity with its own political agenda and motivations. Its all about statistics, the number of serious crimes prosecuted, the amount of revenue generated for a municipality. The latter point is manifested almost everywhere, when patrol cops (usually motorcycle cops) have a particular quota to meet each month in traffic tickets.

Everyone knows cops are those big shots in high school (sports star or bully) who think they were the shit. Then they graduated and realized the real world doesn't give a damn about their HS reputation. So how can they gain a respectable position in society?

Be a cop.

Police forces urge cooperation from the public, but the divide between civilians and their local force has grown considerably. Cops harbor a mentality of "us vs. them", a sentiment that has bred mistrust between both groups.

I have been witness to officers consolidating a story, talking to one another to "get a story straight" just as defendants would.

Fact is, police forces have evolved beyond their original intentions, and have their own agendas to fulfill. It's sad they have reached such a point.