police then and now

[mmhmm]

Hi Everybody
I just wanted to find out some information

If anybody is aware, what were the police like from the 1950's up to Now in terms of serving the community.

So, did they patrol your neighborhood more often or less then now?

Did they check on your homes when they knew people were not present in the home, eg vacation.

Did they patrol the streets more often? e.g foot patrols , did they know community members.

was there more respect for them then and then now ?

Has their duties changed and do you feel they look after your neighborhood?

What would you like more from them or other law enforcement agencies regarding your home, family and personal safety.

What advice or recommendations could you give.

any information from then and now, or even your experiences but resulting more in terms of serving the community, its people.

Thank you for anybody with an input , this is just for informational purposes

[drz250]

than

1. introducing the second element in a comparison.
"he was much smaller than his son"

2. used in expressions introducing an exception or contrast.
"he claims not to own anything other than his home"

then

1. at that time; at the time in question.
"I was living in Cairo then."

2. after that; next; afterwards.
"she won the first and then the second game."

[arronm]

Police have been replaced with speed cameras. Hardly see any on the road patrolling any-more.

"Then" late 70s early 80s was a great time to have a hot modified car. Look at the cars we have now, awesome, and the excessive laws we have, stupid. Spin the wheels and your car is impounded, ridiculous.....

[LTDHO]

I wonder why you see the cars parked up at the station and never patrolling. I assume the office is more comfortable?

Now when you see a patrol car, you assume you have done wrong or about to be defected (even though my daily is completely stock and well maintained)

TBH, I'd like to see more patrol cars cruising the streets. I know they can not be everywhere at one but even seeing the red & blue lights, just to let the public (and crim's) know that they are out there.

[mechanic]

My experience with the cops started in 1968.
Nothing's changed except the size of the coppers.

[Mowdit]

In years gone by, the local officer (copper) knew every local, and your old man, when you got in trouble, either you went home and confessed, or the police showed up (and you were in way more trouble with dad).
These days you get a piece of paper (instead of a hiding) and trundle off to court to see officials (with little grasp on the real world).

Society and technology has changed, population growth and so many more domestic problems.

Some officers may be jaded, dealing with the same problems time and again yet not being able to do anything because the law has their hands tied.

Government has changed the way way the police system operates, its not just us who have stupid rules to follow (designed for the lowest common denomination)
The police probably see lots as revenue also, but are just doing their iob (like a lot of us).

Nice thread, hope it stays open

[JAJH]

As an ex copper back in the early 80's a good part of our day was spent patrolling the roads, pulling up drivers and issuing tickets where necessary. And obviously we had the discretion to issue a ticket or not. Other duties were general policing duties but unfortunately, paperwork was the bane of every copper's life. These days with speed cameras seemingly on every corner, the discretion is not there. The local copper's job these days seems to be more of an admin role rather than getting out on the street, getting to know his area and community.

[CoupeKing]

Half of them have tat-sleeves now. Back in the day was a moustache.

Want to see if you have an under-cover cop in your ranks, just ask them to roll their sleeves up.

[Ben73]

I see general duties vehicles driving around less than once a week. I see Highway Patrol driving around almost once a day. That seams to be modern day policing.

I know many crime stats are lower in relation to our current population compared to many years ago, but come on it would be nice to see more general duties getting around. I know people will say more police = more tax, but I would rather see tax go to something useful than something like politicians family holidays.

[castellan]

Police are every where you look around here and they respond so fast if called and unmarked cars are everywhere, thing is most people don't even know they are going past one.

As far as QLD goes the only thing holding back or doing wrong by the community, it's the Government that is by far the main problem, as they are criminal morons who are doing so much harm to the reputation of the police and community as they are the ones that make the community hate or disrespect the police, not to mention the stupid laws of letting people out of jail who should never be aloud to be out in our community, rapist and not to mention all the child molesters who run free.
Did you know that it's our government that idolised child molesters and supports just so many creeps in so many ways, it's just unbelievable.

[Blue Shadow]

Did you know that it's our government that idolised child molesters and supports just so many creeps in so many ways, it's unbelievable
-----------------------------------------------------
Just trying to get my head around this, what are you saying?

[FPV+fteT3]

Back in the day when people had respect and manners the Police also for the most part responded in kind and were more human. Now with the total lack of respect and idiots they deal with for all sorts of reasons from crack to just plain spoiled bratts with no respect for themselves or anyone else they have evolved into a harder form of individual they had to, just to complete their shift intact.
Such a shame as for the most part they are very reasonable people but are less trusting of the population than they were but I guess with the crims having a dont care attitude its a survival thing but imo they are less approachable now than they were.

[superyob]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

Did you know that it's our government that idolised child molesters and supports just so many creeps in so many ways, it's unbelievable
-----------------------------------------------------
Just trying to get my head around this, what are you saying?

I think the message is state sanctioned support for perversion and criminals and immorality...

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

Did you know that it's our government that idolised child molesters and supports just so many creeps in so many ways, it's unbelievable
-----------------------------------------------------
Just trying to get my head around this, what are you saying?

Ok, Child molesters do get a lot of respect as to all there rights, but as to others rights ? No !
You have no rights to know if someone like that is in your street or such, no the fact is the gov don't show due care about children, but they sure do care about all the rights of the lowest of the lows rights.

We here in Australia had people asking could we or should we follow the USA in such leadership that they have in some of there States, where people are warned of such people living in the area, but the Aus Gov full on said NO NO NO !!!! they did not like that at all, no way !

Aussie people are out in the cold, children are fair game and your rights ? you have no rights to know such at all and the Gov will walk all over any rights of yours to know about any such molester, that they will come down on you so hard, if anyone is to inform others of such a person in the area or have a list of all of them in my State that have been caught and start handing such out, because then I will then made into enemy number one, only due to our governments.
The Police they all would be happy to give the info out, because it will save many children, but the government is the one who will not let them give out such information.

Hell I am just trying to do the right thing protect any children from the biggest trash of all and what do I get, just some load of moronic madness who full on is trying to have a go at me and surly such must be idolising such grubs to have that outlook.

[Blue Shadow]

http://www.mako.org.au/temp_qld.html

[Mercury Bullet]

The Police we get out my way is when my brother comes to visit.
Haven't seen one on the highway for years.

Lots of cameras closer to Perth though.

[CoupeKing]

Not to mention people that get pulled over are smart %$#$ hiding behind a camera, and probably have the video posted in Sheepbook before the Cop gets back into his car.

[Pol84]

Interesting topic...

Well I'll see if I can go through your list a little here...

1) Patrolling - Once I get in the car on shift (GD's), I'm out on the road bouncing from address to address (and the cells) for 8, 9, 10 hours solid. Very rarely do I get a chance to go and sit in the station unless I have an appointment with a victim/witness/offender etc. So while you think you might not see us, I'm rolling around the streets going job to job to job without a break for hours on end. Even then there'll be more outstanding jobs sitting on our dispatch screen from callers awaiting attendance for every kind of job (domestic, car crash, break in, suspicious person, child runaway from DOC's care, etc etc).

2) Respect - Well we're not physically imposing anymore because that aspect of the job is long gone. Any form of excessive violence will have you out on your **** really quick. I wasn't apart of that era where cops would give the teenagers a clip around the ears and march them back home. According to the public, that's just not acceptable anymore. People know this now and happily verbally abuse us and run knowing that we've got our hands tied really and can only fight back with paperwork in the hope it lands a conviction of some decency. Of course, if you do try to fight us, we have the powers in legislation to use force to gain control of you.

3) Paperwork - Holy hell. Arresting someone is hours and hours of paperwork. By the end of it you'll end up with a 50-100 page set of documents just for a simple assault or break in or drink driver etc. The only way you'll end up off the road and in the station is if you get an arrest.

4) Accountability - it's not something mentioned yet, but the level of accountability is nothing I have ever experienced. Picture this - in 2014 you attended a domestic incident, but neither party (partners) would give you any information and so there's nothing you can do. 2 years later, in 2016, one of those parties is murdered by the other. You can guarantee (at least in my jurisdiction) that you will be summonsed to give evidence to the coroner investigating the death about what you did back in 2014 to prevent this murder occurring. If the coroner decides you missed a step then part of the blame for the death will fall on your shoulders. Honestly, that was the hardest part of this job I had to come to terms with - I mean, it's been 2 years! You did what you thought was right at the time, but someone else will make that decision for you. That's sort of a hypothetical incident - didn't happen to me, but a similar incident did to a colleague. More stress is generated from the high level of accountability than from attending incidents in my experience, but that's also down to the individual.

5) Revenue - Doesn't matter to us on the road. We don't care about giving out tickets- Highway though - another story, but that's their job, so that's what they do.

6) Community - We know our regulars, but don't have time anymore to know anyone else who doesn't come to our attention. There are so many jobs now we have to attend to or follow up on for other agencies that just didn't occur 15-20 years ago. Someone walks out of the mental health ward? Call Police so they can drive around for a few hours trying to find them (and if we don't find them - we cop the blame if they do something - Hornsby Westfield anyone?).

Probably a bit of a negative post, but I do love the job. There's nothing more satisfying than spending days/weeks/months on an investigation and then going out and getting your man/lady. It's knowing that that person had done something wrong by another and you've got them for it and helped your victim.

Just remember though, we're just like everyone else in society. We have days off and do normal stuff and dislike or like various things in the world just as anyone else would. In the car we're often chatting about what we cooked for dinner the night before or where we're going on holiday or whether our patrol car would do a good burnout/circle work in the dirt (never done it - not worth my job!)

Hopefully it's an insight into the day to day workings of what we do in the modern era. The older era sounds a lot more exciting though!

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Pol84

Interesting topic...

Well I'll see if I can go through your list a little here...

1) Patrolling - Once I get in the car on shift (GD's), I'm out on the road bouncing from address to address (and the cells) for 8, 9, 10 hours solid. Very rarely do I get a chance to go and sit in the station unless I have an appointment with a victim/witness/offender etc. So while you think you might not see us, I'm rolling around the streets going job to job to job without a break for hours on end. Even then there'll be more outstanding jobs sitting on our dispatch screen from callers awaiting attendance for every kind of job (domestic, car crash, break in, suspicious person, child runaway from DOC's care, etc etc).

2) Respect - Well we're not physically imposing anymore because that aspect of the job is long gone. Any form of excessive violence will have you out on your **** really quick. I wasn't apart of that era where cops would give the teenagers a clip around the ears and march them back home. According to the public, that's just not acceptable anymore. People know this now and happily verbally abuse us and run knowing that we've got our hands tied really and can only fight back with paperwork in the hope it lands a conviction of some decency. Of course, if you do try to fight us, we have the powers in legislation to use force to gain control of you.

3) Paperwork - Holy hell. Arresting someone is hours and hours of paperwork. By the end of it you'll end up with a 50-100 page set of documents just for a simple assault or break in or drink driver etc. The only way you'll end up off the road and in the station is if you get an arrest.

4) Accountability - it's not something mentioned yet, but the level of accountability is nothing I have ever experienced. Picture this - in 2014 you attended a domestic incident, but neither party (partners) would give you any information and so there's nothing you can do. 2 years later, in 2016, one of those parties is murdered by the other. You can guarantee (at least in my jurisdiction) that you will be summonsed to give evidence to the coroner investigating the death about what you did back in 2014 to prevent this murder occurring. If the coroner decides you missed a step then part of the blame for the death will fall on your shoulders. Honestly, that was the hardest part of this job I had to come to terms with - I mean, it's been 2 years! You did what you thought was right at the time, but someone else will make that decision for you. That's sort of a hypothetical incident - didn't happen to me, but a similar incident did to a colleague. More stress is generated from the high level of accountability than from attending incidents in my experience, but that's also down to the individual.

5) Revenue - Doesn't matter to us on the road. We don't care about giving out tickets- Highway though - another story, but that's their job, so that's what they do.

6) Community - We know our regulars, but don't have time anymore to know anyone else who doesn't come to our attention. There are so many jobs now we have to attend to or follow up on for other agencies that just didn't occur 15-20 years ago. Someone walks out of the mental health ward? Call Police so they can drive around for a few hours trying to find them (and if we don't find them - we cop the blame if they do something - Hornsby Westfield anyone?).

Probably a bit of a negative post, but I do love the job. There's nothing more satisfying than spending days/weeks/months on an investigation and then going out and getting your man/lady. It's knowing that that person had done something wrong by another and you've got them for it and helped your victim.

Just remember though, we're just like everyone else in society. We have days off and do normal stuff and dislike or like various things in the world just as anyone else would. In the car we're often chatting about what we cooked for dinner the night before or where we're going on holiday or whether our patrol car would do a good burnout/circle work in the dirt (never done it - not worth my job!)

Hopefully it's an insight into the day to day workings of what we do in the modern era. The older era sounds a lot more exciting though!

I never spoke to my partner about what i cooked for dinner

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by Pol84

3) Paperwork - Holy hell. Arresting someone is hours and hours of paperwork. By the end of it you'll end up with a 50-100 page set of documents just for a simple assault or break in or drink driver etc. The only way you'll end up off the road and in the station is if you get an arrest.

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I wonder how many crimes are being committed while the cops are in the station writing up some relatively minor offense rather than out patrolling.

[98TLS]

Be a tough call being a copper these days ie do the hard yards make arrests only to be let down by a judge facing an army of do-gooders with an infinite list of ridiculous reasons why there client shouldnt be punished so invariably get little more than a smack on the wrist.A sad reflection on todays society is things like burglary have little chance of being solved as there simply isnt enough coppers to go round, much of there time is taken up by attending endless domestic violence calls etc etc.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by Pol84

3) Paperwork - Holy hell. Arresting someone is hours and hours of paperwork. By the end of it you'll end up with a 50-100 page set of documents just for a simple assault or break in or drink driver etc. The only way you'll end up off the road and in the station is if you get an arrest.

Ridiculous.

[Pol84]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

I never spoke to my partner about what i cooked for dinner

Well after 8 hours with them anything can be discussed. I got an excellent marinated pulled pork recipe out that...

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

I was actually thinking about this the other day. I wonder how many crimes are being committed while the cops are in the station writing up some relatively minor offense rather than out patrolling.

Mmmm, not the fault of the Police department though - all of that paperwork is demanded by the court system (Magistrates, lawyers etc), so without it all the matter would never proceed.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by Pol84

Mmmm, not the fault of the Police department though - all of that paperwork is demanded by the court system (Magistrates, lawyers etc), so without it all the matter would never proceed.

I know. I understand why they need to have these procedures in place. It would be utter chaos otherwise...

It is still interesting to think about though.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

I know. I understand why they need to have these procedures in place. It would be utter chaos otherwise...

It is still interesting to think about though.

A lot of that stuff was sorted out, by using the gut ! and it worked.
Oh no not the gut I will be good from now on

[jaydee]

Back then little Johnny gpot a clip under the ear and taken home where Dad gave him the strap.
Now Dad makes a complaint because they didn't respect him, and how dare they discipline their child.

[Top_Ghia]

Things have hanged for the better if you ask me. I think they are more professional and probably less corrupt these days.
A friend of mine worked in a petrol station in the 70 in Prahran in Melbourne. The owner of the petrol station was mates with the local coppers and they would turn up while on duty in their cars and motorcycles and start drinking at 9:00 in the morning. After a couple of beers they would head out and book a couple of people and return for some more refreshments. Sometimes they would go out and book people way over refreshed.
I'm not saying today's cops are perfect but they at least like to make it appear so.

[Trevor 57]

My father was a Police Officer from 1946 until he retired in 1985, he served in Collingwood, Alexandra (where I was born) and Phillip Island (where we actually lived at the Police Station, my backyard consisted of the rear entry to the station, the jail(s) and the Police toilets).

Policing was very different back then, people respected the Poilce and their authority, but then again everyone respected everyone else as well

The stories I could tell about life living at the Phillip Island police station, particularly on New Years Eve's - LOL

[paule11]

Still some old school ones up North .Remember the 80s being caught drag racing coppers abused us told us we where going to court nothing happened but we got a fright. Police used to get drunk drivers and trouble makers tell them to watch their head as they put them in the car and somehow they still hit their heads on the car.Something that will never be seen again with everyone having a camera in their pocket .Got caught doing 100 in an 80 Policeman asked what speed I was doing I said 100 he said why and I said because its 100 here he said its changed 2 weeks ago I apologized and said I did not notice was not paying enough attention obviously I got a warning. Used to eb able to speed more and get let of. Military Police in the 70s where very hard the army suburbs in Townsville when the guys went on exercise rapists and robbers would target the homes . If the MPs caught any scum in the yards they beat them unconscious dumped them out of town and called the police telling them they saw someone on the side of the road they had Alsatians with really long leads was impressive to see these big dogs jumping over fences with 3 blokes holding batons running behind.

[Junkyard-Dog]

Good thing is that sites like this exist: http://www.mako.org.au/temp_a.html

You're right, govco doesn't give us the information but the community will give you local information. There used to be one of these excuses for a human being living in my hometown but he finally left after about the third time all of his house windows were smashed out.

edit: Blue Shadow beat me to it.