Honest easy question....

[Binky]

Do I feel safer? No.

Do I feel unsafe? No, but I do feel I need to "lock the doors and mind my P's and Q's". When I see a cop, it is 90% of the time when they are running radar or waiting for some other screw up to write a ticket or otherwise cost me time/money/effort. My perception is that uniformed street cops are a revenue engine more than being criminal investigation force (detectives).

I feel safer with a firefighter/EMT in the area more than Police. I can handle getting myself out of a situation regarding the criminal element. Medical - that's a diff story.

[Chili]

Okay....nervous or threatened. Why should you feel this way? we shouldnt feel nervous around cops. we get nervous because we know that at any moment they can come up with any number of things to violate your rights and there isnt a thing you can do about it at that particular time....legally anyway.

Wish cops would go back to actually spending every single hour they are at work doing their best to actually make the city safe from hardcore career criminals. Maybe start with gangs like MS-13......until there no longer are gangs like MS-13. As i have been told before by several cops, that shall remain unnamed, this does not make the city any money. thus endeth the story

Well that's the thing, I generally don't, unless I know I have done something wrong. When I was younger I would get a little nervous, just because I didn't want to make a mistake and get a ticket. But that is no different than getting nervous when my boss is looking over my shoulder, or giving a presentation to senior managers at work. I'm nervous because a mistake under that scrutiny and fuck me up in the future (legal issues with the cop, career impact with the boss).

I see where you are going though, and tend to agree with what you are saying, just maybe not to the same level.

[Jester]

I've had multiple weapons drawn on me for doing nothing more than waiting for a tow truck or speeding. Neither case was really in a bad neighborhood either, heck one was in front of the Parks Mall!

could have easily gone a different way...

[BP]

It depends on the situation. I generally don't break the law so most of the time it doesn't bother me. In certain parts of town though the police act like they are starring in End of Day or Colors. I've had multiple weapons drawn on me for doing nothing more than waiting for a tow truck or speeding. Neither case was really in a bad neighborhood either, heck one was in front of the Parks Mall!

[Jester]

Seems to me, based on those scenarios, the question should have been "do you feel nervous / threatened when cops are around".

That said, situation 1 would not bother me, as it is not uncommon for cops to do a walk through like that. If I was being loud and boisterous I would probably tone it down a bit though, if I were drunk.

Situation 2 I would be more worried because I would assume something bad had happened.

Neither of those situations would cause me to feel "safer", but that's because I wouldn't have felt "unsafe" to begin with.

Okay....nervous or threatened. Why should you feel this way? we shouldnt feel nervous around cops. we get nervous because we know that at any moment they can come up with any number of things to violate your rights and there isnt a thing you can do about it at that particular time....legally anyway.

Wish cops would go back to actually spending every single hour they are at work doing their best to actually make the city safe from hardcore career criminals. Maybe start with gangs like MS-13......until there no longer are gangs like MS-13. As i have been told before by several cops, that shall remain unnamed, this does not make the city any money. thus endeth the story

[stevo]

Okay, you are having a beer at a bar and are having fun with your buddie's....maybe being a little loud but not disturbing the peace or anything, and you see a cop walk in. Do you feel that all is well in the world, or do you suddenly start to question whether or not you are going to get fucked with?

Another simple scenario.....you hear a knock at the door and you open it and there are 2 cops......do you feel that all is well or do you feel like you are in trouble even though you are innocent of anything and everything?

I'm not sure about you guys, but I have never had a cop inform me that I won the lottery. Any time a cop shows up (other than grabbing a proverbial donut), it cannot be good news, and if they are not there for a specific reason, they will GET a reason to be there.

I am (in most circumstances) able to provide my own safety, that ability may be hampered in the presence of law enforcement. I can and will protect myself, they may or may not, and in all probably will hamper my ability to protect myself.

Stevo

[Chili]

Okay, you are having a beer at a bar and are having fun with your buddie's....maybe being a little loud but not disturbing the peace or anything, and you see a cop walk in. Do you feel that all is well in the world, or do you suddenly start to question whether or not you are going to get fucked with?

Another simple scenario.....you hear a knock at the door and you open it and there are 2 cops......do you feel that all is well or do you feel like you are in trouble even though you are innocent of anything and everything?

Seems to me, based on those scenarios, the question should have been "do you feel nervous / threatened when cops are around".

That said, situation 1 would not bother me, as it is not uncommon for cops to do a walk through like that. If I was being loud and boisterous I would probably tone it down a bit though, if I were drunk.

Situation 2 I would be more worried because I would assume something bad had happened.

Neither of those situations would cause me to feel "safer", but that's because I wouldn't have felt "unsafe" to begin with.

[jluv]

Okay, you are having a beer at a bar and are having fun with your buddie's....maybe being a little loud but not disturbing the peace or anything, and you see a cop walk in. Do you feel that all is well in the world, or do you suddenly start to question whether or not you are going to get fucked with?

Another simple scenario.....you hear a knock at the door and you open it and there are 2 cops......do you feel that all is well or do you feel like you are in trouble even though you are innocent of anything and everything?

First scenario, I'd rather drink at a bar without cops around, if given the option. Not that I can't be around them, but I don't hang in bars where a cop is needed for me to feel safe, so I'd be more worried about them targeting me for something (PI, for example).

Second scenario, if I know I am innocent, don't have any warrants, etc, then I'd be perfectly fine, and just curious as to what's going on. I'd want to help in any way possible if they're trying to find/bust a bad guy.

[Strychnine]

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/06/fear-of-terror-makes-people-stupid.html

[Jester]

Okay, you are having a beer at a bar and are having fun with your buddie's....maybe being a little loud but not disturbing the peace or anything, and you see a cop walk in. Do you feel that all is well in the world, or do you suddenly start to question whether or not you are going to get fucked with?

Another simple scenario.....you hear a knock at the door and you open it and there are 2 cops......do you feel that all is well or do you feel like you are in trouble even though you are innocent of anything and everything?

[Fastlane]

When I call the police, it is to start a paper trail. I depend on myself and loved ones for any sense of security.

To answer, no, I feel no safety in the presence of law enforcement.

Stevo

That's how I feel. Police aren't around to protect, they are there to document.

[BP]

Only when they are ticketing people for driving too fast on the beach.

[Sean88gt]

Not in the area I live in, no.

Interesting point of note. I was talking to a former client from Europe that is thinking about moving to Texas (Lives in the US now) and the subject of cops came up, as Texas has a rather high number of police officers, he said that the difference between here and there is that in Europe he wasn't afraid of the police like he is here. He said over there they just don't exercise authority like they do here.

[stevo]

When I call the police, it is to start a paper trail. I depend on myself and loved ones for any sense of security.

To answer, no, I feel no safety in the presence of law enforcement.

Stevo

[Chili]

Depends on the situation, location, surroundings, etc. Not an easy question, actually.

This..