The two policemen I know say most young men on the street - when it's just them and the cops - rarely comply with a kind or gentle request unless a TV camera is on them or a reporter is nearby. In reality, they say, inner-city youth and criminal adults of today generally only respond to harsh authority and ignore a cop as weak if he's too nice. They said the reality of the life of the kids and criminals is so tough and harsh, they don't really recognize anything but raw power out on the streets, though behind the scenes and one-on-one, they may be different, even as they are scared to death of being found out being nice to a cop. It can get them cut, beaten up or killed.
I don't personally know if that's true but these two guys speak plainly, have no reason to tweak the truth they live, have been in police work for over 25 and 30 years each respectively and I respect their insight and honesty on the reality of the streets. Each has lost brothers in the line of duty and one of them has delivered two babies and saved kids in harm's way. Both are heroes many times over, both have been shot and have both fired their weapons in the line of duty.
Riding the street is apparently not what the politicians, sociologists and media would like to think it is for a cop on the beat dealing with big, tough street kids, the mentally ill, wife-beaters, pedophiles/kidnappers, drugged out dopers, gang-members, chronic criminals, murderers and would-be cop-killers. I can't imagine why either of them loves his job.
__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |