Why I Don't Trust Police and Neither Should You

This writing only applies to cops in the United States. In other countries, the police culture may be better (or worse).

Why You Shouldn’t Trust Police

Here’s a non-comprehensive list of 20 reasons you shouldn’t trust police either (in no particular order):

• Police defend each others’ bad behavior, almost without exception. The ones who don’t end up getting fired or worse.
• Police plant evidence.
• Police union contracts arbitrarily restrict investigating officer misconduct.
• 72% of police agree poorly performing officers are not held accountable for their actions.
• More than half of police say their job has made them more callous.
• Police steal more from the innocent than do thieves.
• Police mistake everyday objects for guns.
• Police can search your home without your knowledge or consent if they suspect terrorism. You can be put on a terror watch list for almost anything and it’s nearly impossible to clear your name.
• Instead of listening to protesters calling for police reform, police instead promote the myth that there’s a “war on police”.
• Local police departments use powerful surveillance technology to invade your privacy without a warrant.
• Police lying on the witness stand is so rampant it has a name: “testilying”
• Police training is severely inadequate. They receive less hours of training than barbers.
• Police can and will lie to you, especially if you’re ignorant of the law. But if you lie to them, you’ll be arrested.
• Police have spent 40 years blowing trillions of dollars ruining people’s lives over drugs and causing the prison population to explode. All the while drug use rates have remained constant.
• Police have been lying to children about drugs since the early 80’s. The D.A.R.E. program even encourages children to snitch on their parents.
• Police infringe upon citizens’ freedom to explore their own consciousness through psychedelics.
• Two 1990’s studies showed police commit domestic violence at significantly higher rates than the national average. The stats may have changed since, but it’s still cause for concern.
• Police officers launder evidence through illegal government surveillance to fight the failed war on drugs.
• Police departments partner with scAmazon’s corporate mass surveillance network to circumvent your 4th amendment rights.
• America has a long history of racist policing.

Rethinking the Role of Policing in Society

I do believe in the institution of policing. But in practice, perverse incentives lead to a toxic police culture and a society where people (rightfully) do not trust the police. We need major police reform here in America. Perhaps I’ll explore possible solutions in a future journal entry.