Sad Cop Story

Re: High School Level Spelling?

This thread reminds me of an experience I once had which caused me to realize cops are harder on each other than anyone else.

Joe (pseudonym), a good friend, bright guy, and committed officer spent his first few years as one of Philadelphia’s finest in one of the toughest districts in the City. During this period Joe earned an Ivy League degree from Penn and he was promoted to a job inside the Police Administration Building (AKA the ‘roundhouse’ in Philly).

One fine Saturday afternoon two friends, Joe and Dave, took a walk from South Philly into Center City through some gentrified neighborhoods. While ambling through Society Hill they were stopped by an officer who noticed something suspicious beneath Joe’s jacket. A “gun pinch” as Joe later revealed was worth an informal but automatic day off. But, Dave thinks, “No sweat, I’m with one of the good guys” when the following scenario transpired:

Officer: “What’s that in your back?”
Joe: “A 357.”
Officer: “Why are you carrying a concealed weapon?”
Joe: “I don’t know, I guess it makes me feel good.”

Repartee ensues and what Dave doesn’t realize while his anxiety mounts, is Joe thinks this guy is a twinkie because he works in a yuppie haven district. Finally, when Dave is about to have a full-fledged panic attack, Joe says, “Its OK, I’m on the job.” Dave, a bit too quickly, breathes a sigh of relief.

Officer: “OK, let me see your tin” (Which Dave learns is cop-speak for the metal badge.)
Joe: “I left it at home but I can show you my ID.” (ID in this case is a plastic, picture ID)
Officer: “OK but take it out real slow.” (Which makes Dave realize this game is played for keeps.)

What happened next made Dave reflect that Murphy lives … frequently in his neighborhood. A denizen of the PAB, Joe is privy to the latest adminstrivia and the City has just started issuing updated police ID cards. The officer takes one look at Joe’s ID, the likes of which he’s never seen, and he adopts a look that screams he thinks this is major bogus. The officer announces his attention to call dispatch and instructs Joe and Dave to remain on the curb while he backs warily toward the cruiser to pick up the microphone. Joe, for reasons Dave has yet to understand after 20+ years, steps off the curb toward the cruiser and the next thing Dave knows the officer hollers “Officer needs assist (or some such) at [location], ” into the radio and he unholsters his weapon. Next, Dave for the first and hopefully last and only time in his life finds himself assuming the position leaning against the cruiser.

In less time than it takes to blow your nose multiple police vehicles, marked and unmarked, screamed up to the scene. Then, in one of those moments that confirm there is indeed a God, one of the newly arrived officers ambles over and asks the cop on the scene if he’s arresting Joe whom he knows to be a brother officer.

My take? Cops, everybody, have really tough jobs and we need to cut me again some slack. After all, posting here isn’t submitting an article to a referred journal. This is, granted, a couple of JNDs above usenet but it still is the net which is a pretty wild and wooly place. My advice to Bruce and ‘me’? You guys have way more similarities than differences, embrace the first and let the other stuff slide.

 

Please, let's do just that.

I'm sorry that my choice of vocabulary required you to break out the Collegiate Webster's. Let me know when you're monitoring a thread, and I'll tone-down my "fancy words" accordingly, so you can follow along.

Of course, if you knew anything about me at all, or at the very least read this entire thread, you'd know that I've been a cop for 14+ years. I only make "cop jokes" when the target richly deserves it.


Bruce

 

Re: ?

Yes. It's a piece of poorly-written fiction that doesn't even approach any sort of reality. Therefore, it's crap, bullshit, etc. in my world.

Wonderful. We can compare qualifications until the cows come home, and while I'm fairly certain that you'd lose, it doesn't really matter in the end. You questioned my experience, and you should know by now that I'm neither a starry-eyed rookie or Deputy Fife in Podunk, USA.

No, I just called it as I saw it. It's a poorly-written piece of fiction that was designed to either make the public feel sorry for cops, or to make cops feel sorry for themselves. I don't think that either option is worthwhile or especially healthy.


Bruce

 

Re: High School Level Spelling?

I think it's coming, whether we like it or not. I predict that an Associate's degree will be a requirement for most LE jobs in the US within the next 10 years. I won't argue with that, as long as a minimum of 3 years in the US Armed Forces can be substituted for the education requirement.


Bruce

 

Bruce, who says that the joke part was about you? I read that you are a cop. I appreciate your offer to tone down the complicated vocabulary on my behalf. You people seem too smart for me. I better go back to my website where people write in plain English; where I can self-aggrandize all I want.

 

Education

I think that cops should have degrees. More importantly, supervisors should have degrees. Military service should also receive more credit than it does.

This issue can't really be addressed until we can get the corruption and nepotism out of the police departments. In my department you need 60 credits or military service to be hired. Yet there are no requirements for sergeant or above! A number one score on the sergeant test, military service, and an accounting degree from Rutgers didn't help me to get promoted. Go figure. So this cop started an Internet business and a hobby cop website where I can self-aggrandize, complain, and rule, hahaha.

I have to correct a mistake above. There are requirements for sergeant and above. 1. Register as a Democrat. 2. Visit the local party HQ, sign up for the mailer, and pay for all local Dem events and fundraisers. 3. If you have a side trade, offer free unlimited services to captains and above. 4. Disregard 1-3 if you have a relative in the local Dem party or of the rank of captain or higher.

 

Oh, it was a joke? I missed the smilies, I guess.

Of course, you're free to do whatever you want. I admit that this forum can sometimes be a tough crowd, but that's necessary considering the B.S. that we have to deal with (I'm not referring to you).

At the very least, you learned a new word (aggrandize).


Bruce

 

The thin blue line is getting even thinner...

Bruce, I…. I… I just want to say that I love you.

Hey, I appreciate that. This is the only forum where I've received flack from posting that anonymous article. I got an "F" for someone else's work.

Bullshit in your world? LOL

Hey, I was just about to say the exact same thing! Wow, we really do have more similarities than differences.

And I've enjoyed your website very much. It's user friendly!