[tpaine]

I forgot to ping you to:

"-- right or wrong, cops stick together --"

I was taught over 50 years ago in basic training that the concept:

'-- right or wrong, comrades at arms stick together --"

Was no longer valid in the US Army; -- that it was a variation of the "Nuremberg Defense" and would not be tolerated. -- Illegal acts, or illegal orders, were not to be sanctioned or obeyed.

I'd bet the same concept is still being taught at police academies.

Were you taught that concept factor?

[thefactor]

well, in your terms of illegal acts or orders, you are correct. especially in the academy! but of course the street is different. you circumvent department procedure, you circumvent lawful orders if you know better than some boss.

but in terms of illegality, we have a saying:

is it worth your pension? is a free meal or perjury to put some crackhead behind bars worth your million dollar pension? the answer is a resounding no.

it puts some distance between officers. you should hear some of the stories the retired guys tell. they weren't out there framing people but it was more of a frat mentality, and we have somewhat lost that aspect of policing.

in everyday work, cops police themselves. and that is the way it should be. i'm not going down for something someone else did. but i'm also not going to go out of my way to turn in some cop for baloney. we have another saying:

nobody likes a rat.