I am from the UK and more so than ever I feel suspicious/guilty when I see a police officer, as opposed to safe/protected.
Post your country and your opinion in the comments.
Police in Germany are good as well in that respect. Mostly polite and to the point. Never needlessly aggressive.
I do feel uneasy about the police as a system though and what it's about to become. Home security (or whatever euphemistic term that's called nowadays), politicians and police representatives arguing for ever more surveillance and authoritarian measures. That's what's undermining police work in almost every Western country no matter how good and trustworthy the police in those countries actually might be.
If a police officer stops me, I would actually be very defensive, a police officer or a gangster stop me I would have the same kind of state of mind, nothing good can come out of it, the best outcome is nothing happens.
I was also in Cameroon for a month (still white) and boy every time I saw the police I knew I would be arrested and asked for money. Being white I knew I would be arrested every time they saw me but make no mistake, they arrests and steal everyone including their fellow citizens. Good stuff.
Well good to see as much as things change somethings stay the same.
The Independent has just published a story detailing the most trusted professions in the UK - the police rank 6th to last. http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/these-are-the-12-most-...
I'd like to pad out my opening comment on my experience with the police - Luckily I live in a society where corruption within the force is a lot less noticeable than some others listed, however one can easily identify when certain groups are intentionally targeted as a way to increase the statistics for policing in my country.
My experience as a young white male, living in a large city is that most police officers whom I have contact with come with an undeserved air of superiority about them. This has always led me to the assumption that this is potentially a character trait not caused by the police but one that's unusually high amongst the police - perhaps shedding some light on the kind of person that grows up wanting to police/control his neighbor.
The fairy tale job of being a policeman you're told as a kid has long since disintegrated amongst my circles, a police officer is no longer a hero figure with the same stature as a Paramedic/Firefighter but somebody to be avoided/approached with caution.
Side point but I've noticed the fire brigade attend local fetes and periodically setting up outside shopping centers with their truck to let people look about the trucks/gear and chat (mainly parents/kids). You never see this with cops. Maybe just my area. I feel it would be valuable for cops to introduce themselves to the community like this on a regular basis. Both for citizens to say hi in non-negative situations. Also so the police engage more with 'good society' while on duty and perhaps lose some of that arrogance and expecting the worst behavior.
Ive also lived in London and Norway and felt relaxed around cops there. They typically dont carry guns on them which I liked. In Norway they have firearms but leave them in the trunk of the car. I feel this is a really good compromise.
I was fined in my early twenties, because I just turned around my car where it was possible - it didn't happened on the street and police officer told me that I have violated the law. I have argued for long minutes only to give up and pay the fine.
When I checked the laws regarding this, there was no reason to fine me, but it was too late. The paragraph on my ticket was also completely bogus and the fine was already paid.
Not so many years back I was traversing the pedestrian crossing on completely calm Sunday (no car in sight). Of course there was red on the semaphore, but that would only mean spending senseless minute(s) to cross two and half meters. Officers were nearby, just waiting to fine me. What works here - you can always tell them that there's nothing to talk about, hand them your ID card and tell them that you'll be glad to visit their office once they're down with all the paperwork. Since the paperwork that needs to be done is quite obnoxious, whole thing is usually silently discarded (win).
To conclude - I don't expect anything from police. Most normal people around are reasonable and they will do whatever is needed to stop or alleviate the things that endanger someone.
Being fined because bandage from your compulsory first aid kit in the car expired week ago is just completely senseless. Why would a thinking human trust and feel safe around people who enforce such thing(s)?
This is Czech Republic, heart of Europe.
Federal police: They are generally considered to be highly educated individuals so they have a certain amount of respect among civilians, most people feel comfortable around them and will trust them in case of an emergency.
State police: They are kind of iffy, particularly in my state you generally don't get to see ordinary state officers patrolling the city, but the state police has a famed SWAT team that is staked out at the state border 24/7 and will sometimes be seen patrolling around the city at night. Even though it has been a couple of years, they still have this terrible reputation that where ever they go something (not nice) is probably going to go down. A few years back they were always early whenever large shootout broke out, so now people are wary of them.
Municipal police: They are generally viewed as lazy uneducated people, and have a certain fame of being rude, corrupt (although, they aren't particularly corrupt), and unhelpful which is certainly warranted. Most people don't feel comfortable calling them.
Transit police: They are known for preying on the most vulnerable in an attempt to make some quick bucks, some are quite cheeky, most are rather subtle.
Ministerial police: They have a reputation of rampant corruption, and depending on where you lie on the socio-economic ladder, you are either not scared at all of them or you are absolutely terrified about having to deal with them.
YMMV.
I used to be scared of police, but as I got to know a few cops and ex-cops and as I researched more statistics about police in America, I've grown to sympathize with them.
I think my attitude towards them is most similar to my attitude towards my immediate superiors at work: they could make my life hell if they wanted to, but they're generally good people.
I worry about non-LEOs that carry guns. Cops don't worry or bother me anymore. They're unpopular right now (thank you, sensationalist media), but they're generally doing a good job. I feel safe.
Reminds me of that old saw, Heaven is where: The French are the chefs The Italians are the lovers The British are the police The Germans are the mechanics And the Swiss make everything run on time.
I am white though; I suspect if I was Native I might have different opinions on the police.
I feel relaxed and safe when I encounter the police. Were I stopped an officer I would do my best to assist them, and to be courteous. I would be surprised if the courtesy were not returned. My interactions with the police have all been positive.
FWIW I'm white British and I live in a pretty 'typical' area, crime-wise. I accept there's a good chance I would feel differently were I a young black male living in London.
I can't stand being around them. They are arrogant, aggressive and petty. They frequently take liberties with the law to suit themselves. The NYPD has recently taken to posting dehumanizing pictures of the homeless on Twitter to shame the mayor.
"We know you didn't do it but we are arresting you anyway" - Police officer to me
First I wanted to say USA may be different from others in the fact that silence can't be hold against you. If police detain you, the advice I hear from lawyers is to zip it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGgKLgVNfAo is a great presentation featuring a former detective and a defense attorney)
In other countries, like UK - not giving an alibi in situ can be used against you.
In USA - I trust the integrity of the legal system, but the police are trained to use deception - ranging from gigantic pretexts, like posing as your telephone repair man, to simple bluffs and lies. (Funny spoof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfF8OSlGhKk)
This creates a chilling effect of distrust which discourages informants. No one worth his salt can take a cop at his or her word. And I think the cumulative result that has on communities is drowned in relation to what we see with cop violence in the public eye.
Not having a line between community and police means cases can go unsolved and serious crime can go unpunished.