Big cities actually have two police departments.
The connected types, who look to impress the bosses, and go out and get those one baggers, and try to get on the promotion track; and the affirmative-actioners who just get the good assignments and perks because, reasons, and will be on everybody’s short list for promotion. You don’t actually see these cops most of the time because they are hidden in special units with perks like, a takehome car, unlimited overtime, and not really having any responsibilities.
Then there are the rest; the guys on district patrol. They don’t have a chinaman; they spend their careers chasing the radio around on midnights in some crappy district; running from a person shot to a domestic to a bum pissing himself in the alley, and all around back again. They have to to to calls NOW and deal with ‘the beast’ on his ground. They don’t have the luxury of the SWAT guys who can plan on how to approach a scene.
The ‘special weapons and tactics’ guys seem to only show up and strut around after the actual first-responder blue-shirts have been scraped off the pavement where they were shot, forced to walk into a situation they weren’t equipped or trained for. They weren’t ‘special’ so who cares.
But don’t worry; corporations and Feds will only hire the ‘connected’ ones because they got to go to training and certification on the city’s dime; they had the time to go to school and study while on the clock. What could go wrong; these guys are ‘trained’, ‘certified’ and ‘vetted’.
It’s only later when they run and hide from an actual situation that you realize that they have never been real cops.
You think the rank and file won’t stomp our rights if ordered to do so?
bakeneko.....you obviously have some experience with the subject. Whether through firsthand experience or having someone very close to you with that experience.
You are 100% correct.
I was what you called.... the rest.