[excon]

Hello:

The cajoler asked how many convicted felons there are in these good ol United States. Got me to wondering...

How many cops are there? While we're at it, how many different federal police departments are there? Which ones? I'll bet you can't name 'em all.

excon

[startover22]

I am not sure why it matters. Enlighten me...
Aren't there more criminals than cops?

[excon]

I am not sure why it matters. Enlighten me....
Aren't there more criminals than cops?

Hello start:

I don't know. Are there? If there's more cops, it matters a whole lot. That's why I'm asking.

excon

[J_9]

Heck, for that matter aren't there cops that are criminals too?

[startover22]

There are lots a cops, that doesn't mean every "bad-doer" is going to get caught!
Sheesh, where was a cop when I needed one, or didn't need one.:)
J, you have a very good point there.

[startover22]

663,535, I just looked it up and that is how many police officers are around us...
I can't find out how many criminals are here... I just know that some are criminals, some are done being criminals, and some are yet to be...

What exactly is a criminal... my nieces new husband just got kicked out of the military for paintballing more than a few houses, out of that many, one of them decided to press charges against the young men. I wonder if I will ever be able to really call him a criminal... nope, I won't!
But down the road somewhere there is someone stealing boats and causing havock... I suppose I could bring myself to say he/she is a criminal.
I don't know, I am just thinking out loud here...

[excon]

Hello again:

I'm not making any judgments or political statements - yet. I just wonder how many there are, that's all. You're sounding quite defensive there, start.

Ok, I guess what I'm getting at, is that in my view, once a police force grows bigger than the crime problem they were hired to solve, they're going to be looking for innocent people to lock up. I'm just wondering if we're there. Or if YOU think we're there. Or, how many cops it will take to be there? Or we'll NEVER be there no matter how many cops we have, because cops are the good guys.

excon

[jillianleab]

According to this site:

Police Department, Law Enforcement Agency, Police Officer, FOP, Laws & Codes Links from Officer.com : Officer.com

It looks like there are 3874 different police organizations. But the same site says there are 4623 in the US... somebody failed math!

The short answer is, bunches.

[startover22]

No, sorry, I didn't mean to come off that way, I was just wondering exactly what you wanted to know and why?
I just feel as if everything, our gov, our police, our state services, and all the little things in between are so corrupt and so outlandishly getting away with it, it starts to make me sick, as if nothing even matters cause its just a bunch a bull anyway!

[jjwoodhull]

Ok, I guess what I'm getting at, is that in my view, once a police force grows bigger than the crime problem they were hired to solve, they're going to be looking for innocent people to lock up. I'm just wondering if we're there.
excon

I think the issue is more complicated than that. In some areas there are more cops than criminals. So, yes, they harrass innocent people to justify their jobs.
In other areas there are not enough police to handle the amount of crime. Ironically the high crime areas seem to be the areas in which police salaries are lower.

[excon]

Hello again:

Some of you who know my stance on cops in general might be surprised to hear that I think MY local police force is pretty good. The guys I'm talking about have regular uniforms.

Of course, we too, like lots of police forces these days, have a squad of jack booted thugs. That's why I asked about their uniforms in an earlier question. I think they're related.

excon

[startover22]

excon agrees: It IS. But, WE can fix it - you and me!

Can you tell me how, I would do my part if I knew what the hell to do.

I don't work in a donut shop, but I do feed many police officers lunch. You get to know the "cocky, I am above all the rest", the "polite do gooders" and the I am just going to follow everyone else" cops.....I have to admit, I see a lot of good cops, but the bad stick out like a sore thumb!

Starting with the most recent of conversations, I asked why he could park where no one else could, he says...."would you like me to have to walk across the road to get to my car in an emergency or would you like me to flash out of here and just jump right in? I said that's all well and good, but what happens when the emergency is here and we need that spot for the firetruck instead of your emergency? He took his lunch and left, haven't seen him since. I kind of felt bad, but then again thought I had a valid point.

[startover22]

And then there is the lady cop, her and a another guy were talking about what they could do to just talk to the "bad"guy instead of taking him in. They were trying to figure a way out of having to turn this guys life upside down, I thought it was a good discussion and commended them for it!

[excon]

Can you tell me how, I would do my part if I knew what the hell to do.

Hello again, start:

I'm just American enough to believe that voting counts. In these days of the internet, I believe PUBLISHING counts even more. And, that's exactly what we're doing right now.

We TALK about the issues. You'd be surprised how many people read what we write. Most of them don't comment. But, if it makes somebody think about some issue WE raised... Then that's all we can hope for. No, we ain't going to change the world here. But one vote at a time is better than NO votes.

Sure, they're not going to listen much to a guy like me. They KNOW where I stand with the cops. But, a middle America lady like you, who thinks they suck, is a LOT different than me.

So start, THIS is what we can do, and you do a fine job of it too.

excon

[startover22]

I am one of those ones that read and am not obliged to comment on most. I sit and read the political board and these law boards. I don't know enough to state facts, just know how I feel on a daily basis. I get confused, some of my views interlock with the opposite ones. On this thread, I agree there are good and there are bad. But, our wold without them... I just don't know. We definitely need law and order, but sometimes it just seems as if it isn't law and order. It is merely a mess!
Thank you excon, I am thinking...

[jillianleab]

excon agrees: maybe doughnuts soften the brain

Krispy Kremes right off the conveyor belt certainly do. :)

[0rphan]

No idea, being that I'm in the UK... but surely there has to be more criminals than cops, I know in the UK... although they would tell you different... there aren't enough police,so there has to be more criminals than police here.

In fact our crime rate is high, because we have run out of room in the prisons more often than not criminals get a lighter sentence, rather than a custodial... there's just no more room.

Thinking about USA a little more, it is a huge country, so maybe there are more cops than criminals!!

[N0help4u]

I get so sick of hearing the they are only doing their job and the 'thug' musta deserved what they got!
I see too much to begin to even believe that. Moon, Pa. police are the greatest and in fact the older ones go out of their way to not get anybody in trouble. But seeing and hearing as much as I have I know the bad cop is increasing in leaps and bounds way too fast.
They not only think they are above the law they have the law back them up.
When my boyfriend got stopped in May for legally using his high beams his public defender even said, "You have a case but for you to pursue charges against the police it wouldn't be worth the time and lawyer fees and who does the Judge side with anyway?"
The Police know this so they get away with murder... even literally at times.