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.