Off-Duty Cops Still Abuse Authority

As we constantly report on police officers' abuse of authority and power here and elsewhere, I wanted to mention last night's segment on ABC's 20/20.

They had videotape from several sources which clearly showed off-duty police officers over-indulging in alcohol and attempting to drive. On at least two occasions, the police officers used their occupation to get them out of trouble. In one of those cases, when the tape made its way into the hands of the media, the cop was suspended from duty, but not charged with a DUI or drunk and disorderly.

Corruption can take many forms, but the most common is an abuse of power. It has been a long-standing tradition in America for police officers to be above the law. Like corporations, police officers do not have to obey the law, which is precisely what has led to the overwhelming corruption of all police officers and forces throughout the land. This, in turn, has led to rampant distrust of the government, which has led to a rise in "alternative" networks (gangs and politically-motivated organizations), which has led to a rise in violent crime.

Day after day, we are confronted with video of police officers committing heinous crimes for which we citizens would be convicted, fined heavily, imprisoned, and more. Sometimes these convictions lead to further complications, such as loss of employment and/or housing, marriage and relationship problems, and more. Cops don't have to worry about any of this, yet it is often reported that they are underpaid.

Well, just like corruption, benefits take many forms. Cops get insurance, pensions, bonuses, and are exempt from the law. When you add this to the millions of dollars per year in illegally-gotten gains they collect, American police officers are some of the most well-paid workers in the world!

My suggestion is to drop their pay, put them on food stamps and offer them free housing in governmental projects. It's a simple Socialist move that will save we taxpayers millions of dollars a year while increasing the amount of cash-on-hand cops have to spend on other things - like hookers and dope. Of course, they rarely spend much on those things because they get them for free.

Further, since they have continually proven they are cowboys with "loose cannons," cops should be completely disarmed, excepting the SWAT and riot squads. Target practice should still be encouraged because they may need to be issued weapons at certain times.

If you have some better solutions, I'll gladly listen, but something has to be done. These bullies' actions affect so many more aside from them and their victims. Not only the victims' families and friends, not only their co-workers and customers, but society in general. As the video linked to above shows, Tennessee state trooper, Randy Moss' arrest led to the release of 29 people, including illegal aliens who were not deported. The amount of taxes spent on those illegal aliens, as well as the revenue lost on the convictions, as well as the resources squandered in missed work for defendants - this arrest of a single corrupt officer cost the state of Tennessee millions.

This is no longer a philosophical argument; cops cannot be trusted and they can always be counted on to abuse their power and authority. They are a danger to the people they were hired to protect and unless some action is taken - unless something new is tried - the situation will only get worse. We can understand why cops are abusive, violent thugs, but we should not excuse them.

American police forces have become just another street gang innocent citizens fear and unless they are held responsible for their own actions just as we are - until the law is applied equilaterally - things will only get worse. With soaring gas and food costs, the chance of spontaneous rioting is greater than ever.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008