America without police?

[Ura-Ki]

We had a good System back in the 50's and 60's with how local LEO operated, They were true servants of the communities they lived in! Some where along the way, Admiralty Law took over, Dept's became corporations for profit, and we lost the true ideal of Law Enforcement! The same thing has taken over the Dept Of Justice! They have become corporations for profit! Hay PaulB47 your thoughts here would be insightful! Even the prison system's are For Profit!!!

 

[Ura-Ki]

Ok, got you. Thanks for the explanation.

A lot of folks have concerns about current laws and enforcement of such. My absurd thought about life without police is at the extreme far end of the spectrum, current laws and enforcement seem to be trending towards the other extreme, still a far way to go before a "police state" - IMO.

Not as far away as you think it is!!!

 

[Camelfilter]

We had a good System back in the 50's and 60's with how local LEO operated, They were true servants of the communities they lived in! Some where along the way, Admiralty Law took over, Dept's became corporations for profit, and we lost the true ideal of Law Enforcement! The same thing has taken over the Dept Of Justice! They have become corporations for profit! Hay PaulB47 your thoughts here would be insightful! Even the prison system's are For Profit!!!

I like the idea of Sherriff Joe Arpaios jail system, from the (very) limited bit I've read about. In short, overcrowding? Build tent city jails!

 

[nwslopoke]

Depends on what is meant by police. There will always be the "authorities" self appointed or not. I think the OP said something about a tipping point. It's accountability. Who are the authorities accountable too.

 

[mrblond]

I read something a few weeks back where someone asked that question. funny thing was the reply was there would not be much crime.
They figured that when a crime was com,mited, the community would deal with it. so, you kill someone, you would be hunted down and killed. The main problem was that many innocent people would get caught up and killed as well.

 

[Camelfilter]

Depends on what is meant by police. There will always be the "authorities" self appointed or not. I think the OP said something about a tipping point. It's accountability. Who are the authorities accountable too.

The authorities should be accountable to citizens, they all say they are, but IMO many feel they aren't.

Police in my examples would be separate from elected governing or law writing branch(s). As they currently are-kind of?

 

[Certaindeaf]

I think the accountability of police and teachers is exacerbated by their unions. They essentially can't be fired for any reason whatsoever.

 

[Camelfilter]

I read something a few weeks back where someone asked that question. funny thing was the reply was there would not be much crime.
They figured that when a crime was com,mited, the community would deal with it. so, you kill someone, you would be hunted down and killed. The main problem was that many innocent people would get caught up and killed as well.

Yeah, that's what I'm trying to wrap my head around when folks flippantly say things like we don't need them. How exactly would that work? I'd imagine not very well...at all.

I suppose this discussion is more along the lines of how would folks make a Police system work, if they could, and still maintain society.

 

[Camelfilter]

I think the accountability of police and teachers is exacerbated by their unions. They essentially can't be fired for any reason whatsoever.

Hadn't given any thought to Unions in this. Thanks!

Unions were definitely needed for a long while in our country. Current federal labor regulations now trump what the unions were initially needed for (IMO).

Nowadays, with the growing use of body cameras car cameras & such, it would seem that police have a lower risk of unfounded complaints. I'd figure that they do get a lot of erroneous complaints in there files (from criminals) that they would have to spend a lot of time on.

 

[WasrNwarpaint]

I agree with your first point, but still feel we're on the uphill slope and haven't tipped to unrecoverable yet.

I must disagree with you since you asked our opinions......
we are not on the uphill, on the contrary, the first stage of anarchy is to take out the authority, once that is completed there is little to stop the mob

so what is it you think is going on with cops being assassinated ...
BLM gets the nod from the white house
what do you anticipate the hood rats doing if Trump wins....riots

this is all gearing up and has been orchestrated...you know why there is never a mention of 60 shootings in a weekend in Chicago by the liberals? it fits the narrative if you dont talk about it ........

why would the liberals interrupt the resident Chicago inner city terrorists..that and every other city with a sizeable slum..
the hood rats drive up the gun stats DISTINCTLY & it fits their narrative quite well Id say....the white house and clinton are using the blood of the blacks they pretend to defend...just so they can remove the guns which is their main goal

create lawlessness and have the rest of the country agree enough is enough ....Clinton eviscerates the 2nd...oh you will still have the 2nd but it will be gutted to suit common sense measures

I am opinionated & outspoken here but certainly not known for wearing the tinfoil hats.....but me thinks this whole mess is orchestrated

 

[Camelfilter]

Please feel free to keep discussing...I have to get my coffee/sandwiches going & get ready for work.

Thanks!

 

[BlackRyder]

In 1919 there was a general strike in Seattle which basically amounted to the whole city functioning as an anarchist commune. It actually worked out really well, from all accounts that I've read. Services were provided by citizens, and policing was done by army vets.
From the Wikipedia page on the Seattle general strike...
"

Army veterans created an alternative to the police in order to maintain order. A group called the "Labor War Veteran's Guard" forbade the use of force and did not carry weapons, and used "persuasion only."[3] Peacekeeping proved unnecessary. The regular police forces made no arrests in actions related to the strike, and general arrests dropped to less than half their normal number. Major General John F. Morrison, stationed in Seattle, claimed that he had never seen "a city so quiet and orderly."[3]

"

While I feel like anarchism is a noble philosophy it is a little too optimistic, not taking into account the greedy, selfish, and egocentric nature of most humans. But if community policing worked before I feel like there's no reason it can't work again.
Granted, the real police were still doing their jobs during the strike, but they were unnecessary due to the citizen force.
All that being said, I think that law enforcement is totally necessary as a society without rule of law would quickly devolve into a Hobbesian nightmare ruled by the people who are most prone to violence and aggression, and most willing to get what they want through force. I like what Ura-ki said about changing the police force model from a profit based one to a community or country based one.

 

[Camelfilter]

I must disagree with you since you asked our opinions......
we are not on the uphill, on the contrary, the first stage of anarchy is to take out the authority, once that is completed there is little to stop the mob

so what is it you think is going on with cops being assassinated ...
BLM gets the nod from the white house
what do you anticipate the hood rats doing if Trump wins....riots

this is all gearing up and has been orchestrated...you know why there is never a mention of 60 shootings in a weekend in Chicago by the liberals? it fits the narrative if you dont talk about it ........

why would the liberals interrupt the resident Chicago inner city terrorists..that and every other city with a sizeable slum..
the hood rats drive up the gun stats DISTINCTLY & it fits their narrative quite well Id say....the white house and clinton are using the blood of the blacks they pretend to defend...just so they can remove the guns which is their main goal

create lawlessness and have the rest of the country agree enough is enough ....Clinton eviscerates the 2nd...oh you will still have the 2nd but it will be gutted to suit common sense measures

I am opinionated & outspoken here but certainly not known for wearing the tinfoil hats.....but me thinks this whole mess is orchestrated

I appreciate your opinion & actually agree with a bunch of above!

My "quick" reply to the what if Trump gets elected (I surely hope he does), and there being riots (I surely hope there wouldn't be, but agree it's a vy strong possible)- he would support the police in there actions to maintain law & order.

Gotta make my coffee - sorry!

 

[Hawaiian]

Well some elected government officials are emptying the prisons while restraining police actions and disarming the law abiding public. This is not recipe for a peaceful and safe community.
And for those claiming excessive force by the police, if you were not committing a crime to begin with, you would not be having interaction with them. In most cases.

 

[nwslopoke]

IMO the perfect town was Mayberry but even they had moonshine and the occasional federal escapees. Sheriff Taylor's live and let live won't work in our morally challenged society.

People in America don't know how to lose anymore. Too scared to knock on the neighbors (stranger) door because they're afraid the answer will be no. So the police is the solution for every little conflict.

 

[billdeserthills]

So you folks don't think it will be more peaceful if the police don't put 55,400 people in the hospital and morgue, next year?

 

[Hawaiian]

So just ban the police and let everyone fend for themselves.

 

[rp243]

Take policing back to being a called service much like the fire department operates. If there is a crime you have someone to call, you don't have officers out there actively looking for crime or potential crime. We don't see fire crews slowly rolling down the streets looking for "potential" fires.
Perhaps (and I do mean perhaps) the response time would be faster if your police were waiting for the opportunity to respond to a genuine request for help rather than actively questioning others about the potential that they have violated a rule.

I see the value in a police force, I just think they should wait to be called to investigate something that has caused harm to another.

Russ

 

[Member 5605]

In an America without police I'd have less problems.

Necessary though for civil society. Sheriffs can't be everywhere like city 5-0's are.

 

[billstaf]

Don't want to have anything to do with police. I can take care of myself and my family without any help from the cops. That said, I think there is definitely a need for cops. We have some pretty loopy amoral people running around these days getting into trouble, and a great many other (normal) Americans opt to remain completely helpless in the face of danger or crisis. For those people,the cops are a necessity, even if they can only get there in time to clean up the mess.