We have a thread about police here already but it heads in other directions.
Given headlines about corrupt police in NSW I thought we could ask the question can we trust our police?
My view is a good copper is worth far more than the community can pay him/her but how do we tell them apart?
In the 1960,s a pillar of my town was given a ticket for speeding, his car had been parked for 2 hours while he watched illegal car drags, many got booked just like that tickets that lied parked cars speeding insulted and told now stay away.
He trusts no policeman still.
About that era a RAAF pilot dressed in civvies with his bride to be was stopped in his rather hot car, Sunday night on his way home from church planning the wedding! he was abused and asked who is the slut you have with you?
He trusts or likes no police still.
I have with my own eyes seen rolled over trucks stripped of valuables by serving police, stolen loads not salvaged and not just a few but every one in a station can we trust police?
If todays serving police understood the kid they harm today grows into an adult, that todays actions will be remembered maybe we could trust every police officer but not yet.

When I started the thread I was aware of the Royal commissions into state police forces.
Underbelly got in late NSW police had been implicated in armed holdups in Victoria and my state has more underbelly's than you can count.
Queensland has its day in the spotlight one Minister for police even telling a Constable to select his new station in outback QLD if he wrote him a ticket.
Yet I had hopes we may see the little daily actions of some police that makes Aussies not trust them.
In my view we do not know who to trust but a Good cop is gold.
We can take part of the blame for police behavior we know one hamburger heaven [if you like them] has a separate cash register so police pay not much for food.
In any group you will find people crawling to police but on walking away cursing them.
A thousand story's exist and I could fill pages but this happened one day.
A car rolled in front of my work truck, head and legs came out of every door a police car skidded to a stop and three young men gave up.
One ran, the car was stolen, no more than 16 years old a mild Christian worker stated speaking to a bush and a very frightened kid came out arms in the air.
A senior constable grabbed him and flogged him in front of 4 workers.
My complaints saw me transported in the back of a van to be lectured about cooperation with the police, so long ago it does not matter but how often does it happen?
Would it have been ok if it was my car? no not for me.

I'm struggling with a point here Belly. Yep, many police, like any other human being, are human. There's 'corruption' and there's CORRUPTION. Giving your mate a ticket while he was watching illegal activity (which is tantamount to taking part) and possibly over-exaggerating the circumstances which really only resulted in a fine is one way of discouraging your mate from participating again. Did he watch drags again?. He's an idiot if he did. If it resulted in a conviction then he would have something to whinge about. But a fine?, take it on the chin and move on. A little too proud me thinks.

If all you've got is this opinion Belly, then you're out of touch with reality. I deal with the police everyday and witness them being fair, just and compassionate 99% of the time. Even when they could've come down hard they mostly take least intrusive tact. Occasionally they'll appear to be harsh, and occasionally they appear to be unjust. Some people need to be lined up for a lesson in truth, like your grudge holding mate

St G not a whisper of over statement in my story my mate?
40 years as an in demand entertainer, often working for free if asked by any charity.
As I said a pillar of our community much loved by the police too.
Are you a tow truck driver? many are very close to police , its the money you know.
Remember my words we could never pay enough to a good cop.
But ignore the discount suit[uniform] the over reaction, the out right theft at all our peril.
Some cops are out of line some leave the job rich some should be ashamed of their actions.
I have stood at the site of a tragic road trauma event and watched good cops hold us all together.
But I have seen one charge out into traffic screaming stop that scumbag.
Do you know why?
The scumbag? was using a mobile phone while crawling past that scene!
Yes they are human but we ask for more from them, smacking a kid around is a low act No matter who does it.

hi to all the forgotten australians

victims of rapes and abuses in institutional care in orphanages girls homes boys homes state ward homes foster care remand centres state run church homes church homes out of home care state run institutions through out new south wales and australia we are real victims the goverment still continue to cover up with all the hidden records of the abuses we suffered either the records are hidden or destroyed take your choice its real

as i stated in many post their are many people out their in high ranking jobs whether it the police politicians school teachers church ministers and so on these pedophiles are out in our community and they are getting away with their crimes and are being protected by various persons of who we don;t know who they are

yes their are the real true cops out their who want the right justice and i feel they are being guided away from the real truth at times because even if they hear hear say and metion it not all is looked into

back in the sixties and early seventies police some of them were in actual fact ex crims because they knew of how the criminal mind worked

their has been that many corrupt cops in all states and yes here in new south wales their were many in the seventies and eighties and now again in 2008 even parliment members are in coruption take woolongong council

the fedral police are even corupt it proved it with charging its top cop during the weeks gone bye parliment member milton acopolious gaoled for pedophillia just last month

so why are the police and the state goverment of new south wales still covering up the rapes and abuses that we victims suffered in these state run institutions in the state of new south wales

they say the perpertrators can not remember or they have memory loss

well we victims don't forget what we suffered and we never will forget

we are the forgotten australians and will no longer be forgotten

regards huffnpuff

Belly said: "St G not a whisper of over statement in my story my mate?"

I meant the cop exaggerated his story.

Belly also said: "Are you a tow truck driver? many are very close to police , its the money you know."

No, I'm not a tow truck driver. I work in the security industry. I don't know what you mean by "it's the money".

Belly said in his first comment: "...his car had been parked for 2 hours while he watched illegal car drags..."

He got the ticket to teach him a lesson. Bad luck, tough bickies. People watching illegal and dangerous activity encourages the participants.

Just because individuals have a position of standing and trust (cops, judges, teachers, priests, ministers yadda yadda) that doesn't make the person themselves infallible. What those police supposedly stand for is what we put our trust in, not the person. What other choice do we have?. That's why vigilantes find themselves in a cell next to the perpetraitors. You're naive if you think a job title 'makes the person'.