A good way to get this message out to police "We have your back"

[Tank]

I'm not looking for arguments and negativity , just want a safe place to live.

I'm just sick of the lack of support for our law enforcement. What ever it takes for the good guys to win. This is one way we can show support


A blue line painted on the curb to show police we support them and bad guys "not in our neighborhood" or maybe blue ribbons tied around the big oak tree .

http://madworldnews.com/blue-strip-curb-reason/

The Safe Harbor Initiative:
To all law enforcement who see this line, know that the residents of this home appreciate your service and dedication to keeping the peace. Know that when you enter the neighborhood and see these lines that you are not alone or without "back-up". We do not need the media to make our voices of support for our police and emergency services heard ( though it would be nice). Lastly, if you are in my neighborhood and mean to harm a member of law enforcement, know that decision may be hazardous to you health as someone has that officers back!

"back up" Really as simple as to call 911 if you see wrong, tell the truth of what just happened, observe and be aware.

 

[SMHarman]

NYPD had Courtesy, Respect, Professionalism on the side of their cars. Each of those has to be earned, or in the case of courtesy proffered, daily.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[geekette]

Interesting sentiment but a) no curbs in my neighborhood and b) how many times a year am I expected to freshen this paint in the street? and c) why would I alert the bad guys to come pick me off first, before the cops arrive?

Frankly, I don't need to put paint on pavement to be a decent and law-abiding citizen and I don't think the cops are going to pay a lot of attention as to which witnesses came from houses with blue paint lines.

What would really help is if the bad cops somehow wore identifying markers so we know who will force us from our cars and slam face to pavement for minor traffic violations.

 

[SueDonJ]

I just disagree that there's an all-out War on Police. Yes, there are some bad guys who will do them harm, maybe even some who wouldn't have done it a year ago but will do it now because of the extra attention the so-called War is getting. But there is, still, a far greater majority of people who support the good men and women who put their lives on the line for us.

A blue line painted in front of your house does nothing when all is said and done. A donation to the local police K-9 force (which are mostly supported by their partners/handlers) or an established local Police Benevolent fund or any other seriously-underfunded police entity would go pretty far to show support. As would a simple "hi, thanks for all you do" whenever you get the opportunity.

 

[DeniseM]

In my neck of the woods, blue is a gang color, and the Dodger's team color.

No can do!

 

[Conan]

Anybody here remember the John Birch Society?

 

[vacationhopeful]

I can see a defense lawyer starting off asking YOU what the blue curb means in front of your house? Yes, you might have seen the ax murder striking the fatal blows on the little old widow lady lady 1 mile from YOUR house ... but now, the defense lawyers have raised a valid question as to you being impartial with your eye witness account.

 

[taterhed]

Better suggestion: Next time you see an officer performing his/her duty in a professional manner.....walk up and say thank you etc....

Police (LEOS) are people too. Good, bad, better and best. They all have lives and problems, good days and bad. You're comment of thanks might make their day better and remind them who they serve at the same time.

Ditto for military members in uniform.

JMHO

 

[zinger1457]

Lastly, if you are in my neighborhood and mean to harm a member of law enforcement, know that decision may be hazardous to you health as someone has that officers back!

Law enforcement does a good job and is respected in my neighborhood. The last thing I want is some untrained yahoo with a gun trying to protect the neighborhood.

 

[Tank]

"back up" Really as simple as to call 911 if you see wrong, tell the truth of what just happened, observe and be aware.[/QUOTE]

I agree about that threat , that was directly from the article , I added this part ^
non violence but very helpful calling 911

my friend gets $13 a hour to stick his neck out as a sherif

 

[Ken555]

In my neck of the woods, blue is a gang color, and the Dodger's team color.

No can do!

Go Dodgers!


Sent from my iPad

 

[Bucky]

I copied this from one of my friends Facebook page.

Typically, I refuse to use facebook as a way to speak my views and opinions. It is usually used to post pictures for our families back home, so they can watch the girls grow up. When you have as big of a family as we do, it makes life easier. Snap a picture and post. But over the last several months, I have wanted to speak up however it has been hard to find the right words. I’m also a terrible writer. Its why I work in numbers for a living, and basic at that. However today, I want to speak about the “Thin Blue Line”.

I know most of you have gathered where I am going with this, but I just ask that you keep reading. I am writing this because I don’t want you to judge a book by its cover. In the past months, social media and news has created such a low opinion of Police Officers. But in reality, the officers care a great deal, probably more than you would ever know. You only hear of the ugly parts of their jobs, the part that is only deemed as news worthy. An Officers job is thankless but they choose to keep going to work, especially knowing how much hate is out there.

I know this one Officer and he is a son, a big brother to 6 siblings, a father, a husband, an uncle, a nephew, a cousin and a friend. He is dedicated, loyal, hardworking, dependable, a comedian, and a storyteller all rolled into one. From one year to the next, he doesn’t know if he will be working days or nights; in a good neighborhood or tough. He doesn’t know if he will be coming home at night or in the morning to see his kids off to bed or school. He wears a bullet proof vest in hopes it will protect him. He misses out on school and social events, birthdays, holidays and sometimes vacations. He knows it is a thankless job and that there are people out there who truly hate him, but he still goes to work every day because it is what he loves to do.

From the outside, Officers look tough and mean but inside they have a heart of gold. This specific Officer is often called to do a wellness check when you have not seen your neighbor in a while. He will continue to do checks on this neighbor if he is really worried about them. He will cook/bring them a meal, a drink, and check the house to make sure it is safe for them. The Officer is sometimes the one that knocks on your door in the middle of the night to tell you that a loved one had died. He will sit there with you and answers your questions, holds your hand and offers to call someone for you. Other times, he is known to provide CPR on any victim whether adult, child or baby if he is on scene first. He has been known to save people from a mad dog that has chased you up on top of the roof of your car. He has changed your flat tire or called a tow truck for you. He is one that will check your house because you heard strange noises. He is the one that is first to arrive at a car accident and makes sure the victims are ok. He is one that packs up extra sandwiches and drinks each day to give to the homeless. He is the one that is looking for drunk drivers to keep them from causing a serious accident. He will hold and cuddle a child who is scared. He will buy a drink for a child that he has found in the middle of the street, lost. He will sit next to an abused victim all night while waiting for a nurse so that they are not afraid. He is always on a lookout for a missing person/child. He is the Officer that comes home every day to have his children screaming his name and jumping into his arms.

This Officer is my husband, best friend and my love. We belong to the Thin Blue Line Family!!! and I wouldn't give it up for the world. He makes me proud and takes me by surprise by how much he truly cares!

This Saturday, September 19th, is “Thank a Police Officer” Day, I challenge all of my friends and family: Go meet 1 Officer in your community, take them a treat and ask them about their story. I promise you, they don’t bite. PS, please don’t thank me – Just promise not to judge before you have gotten to know someone.

 

[Tank]

That is what I'm talking about. People like you and me

Paul Harvey had it right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUUZ2fKVqcs

 

[VegasBella]

Painting a curb? No. The curbs are specific colors for parking laws. Those parking laws are important for police, fire fighters, EMTs, etc. because it gives them the right to park in situations where civilians can't park. Altering the curb colors is a really really bad idea. Not only is it probably illegal, it's also going to confuse first responders and make it harder for them to help you if you need help.

Second, I don't think cops "need to know we got their back." Police already have more legal protections than civilians. They don't need extra support other than the regular respect you'd give anyone, a smile and respect.

We need to root out the bad apples so the good ones can do their jobs more effectively.

 

[ronparise]

When I was a kid I was taught that a policeman was your friend and I believed it...I think most people did

Today not so much.. Im afraid of them... sorry no blue ribbons for me. and until the rank and file steps forward to call out the bad actors Im going to assume my life is in danger whenever I see one

 

[geekette]

Law enforcement does a good job and is respected in my neighborhood. The last thing I want is some untrained yahoo with a gun trying to protect the neighborhood.

Yes, this is the scary part. Blue curb = packing heat with itchy trigger finger

Got my back or shooting me in the back?

 

[love2travel123]

As I am still pretty new here, I seldom can reply with any great knowledge to most of the posts I read. I defer that to those of you that can so brilliantly clarify and expound on the subject of timeshares. However, I can speak with a level of expertise on this subject.

I have been with a law enforcement agency for 25 years as a civilian. I worked in the jails directly with inmates for 10 years and with our civil unit with the courts for 15. Most of my friends are cops. Most of the people I work with are cops. The man I chose to spend my life with is a cop. The post that was put up by Bucky brought me to tears and I am not an overly sentimental person.

First off, thanks to all the kind words posted by so many of you. In today's climate, appreciation and an effort to understand the complete situation is a beautiful thing. I can go on about the risks, lack of family time & incredible amount of stress that fills the daily life of a cop, but I won't. They all knew what the job entailed when they applied. Yes, like every cop's wife I had many sleepless nights knowing my husband was working a barricaded suspect call or any number of dangerous situations. I was terrified during the Rodney King riots in LA.

The thing that most people don't truly understand is that every situation is different. A cop has a split second to take in all the pertinent details of a situation, process it and make a decision based on the available information. We have all seen stupid and even malicious actions made by cops. The people I know do not condone abuse by the police under any circumstance. But please try to understand that a hose nozzle being pointed like a gun in the dark can easily be interpreted as a lethal threat. Or a 19 year old 250 pound "child" rushing at a cop after he had attempted to take the cops gun from him can lead the cop to believe his life is in imminent danger.

Yes, there are abuses by the police. And they are being investigated and prosecuted, as they should be. No one working for the law enforcement likes to bear the shame of unethical or even criminal behavior by one of our own. We applaud this.

But please keep in mind these little facts:
1. 5% of the population in LA County commit 100% of the crimes.
2. LA County has a SERIOUS problem with domestic violence (which is the most dangerous call for a cop to show up at)
3. LA County also has one of the highest population of gang members as well as mentally ill people in the nation.

Cops know most of the gang members by name. They also know that given the opportunity, a gang thug would kill them to raise their status in the gang.

Domestic violence usually involves alcohol and/or drug use. This makes the perpetrator even more dangerous as they are less likely to think of consequences before they act. This makes them extremely dangerous.

Until we can find real help for the mentally ill and stop using the jails as mental institutions, we will continue to have abuse scandals in the jails. These people need help. They need doctors and medication and perhaps even a safe place to live whether they like it or not. Having tens of thousands of unstable people living on the streets with easy access to drugs and alcohol is not a solution. Every person who has a family member that seems unable to care for themselves and MIGHT be a danger to society has an obligation to find help for them.

The best advise I could offer is to raise your children to not fear the police. Teach them to follow the laws and instill common sense into them. It's not smart to threaten ANYONE with what appears to be a weapon. The average person will not usually have a negative encounter with a cop aside from the annoying traffic stop. And really, we know we risk it when we speed. Sometimes we get caught, sometimes we don't. Be very passive and don't argue aggressively if you are detained. Remember, being detained is NOT the same as being arrested. It is to allow the cop time to investigate the circumstances. Sometimes we may fit the description and be in the area at the same time. Cops are not perfect. If they haven't had time for lunch or their girlfriend just posted a breakup letter on Facebook, they may be kind of cranky. The more cooperative you are will lower any chance of problems. I'm not offering a pass to cops that behave badly. Just remember all the things you got away with in the past and chalk it up to dumb luck.

Sorry it's such a long post. I'll get off my soapbox now. I just wanted to let people know that cops are humans just like everyone else. With good days and bad days. But every last one of them took the job because they wanted to help others.

Shelly

 

[presley]

Thanks for this post, Tank and Shelly.

 

[Karen G]

Thanks for this post, Tank and Shelly.

Ditto. I appreciate all those who protect and serve us.

 

[geekette]

Ditto. I appreciate all those who protect and serve us.

Absolutely. Difficult job that is probably closer to "a calling" than a chosen career.

 

[Tank]

Thank you Shelly ! That was a awesome post !

It is all about "respect" (or lack of) all the way around.

Thank the Blue for all they do !

 

[SueDonJ]

I can still remember from when I was a teenager the names of the beat cops that terrorized us, the boys mostly, while we were hanging out in Boston playgrounds after dark - Ennis and Olsen. They certainly didn't foster respect and admiration; they fostered fear along with busted teeth and bones. Their fellow cops knew it, too, because they cleaned up the messes. The good guys never did testify against the bad guys, though.

Thank goodness for social media that today allows for the bad cops to be on display for all the world to see so that they're not protected when they don't deserve it.

It's completely understandable that good law enforcement officers need to be given some quarter for the circumstances and sometimes split-second timing under which they do their jobs. But it's long been recognized that whacko violent people are drawn to the profession and occasionally get past the screening, putting them in position to mistreat the least-protected of our citizenry. None of us, law enforcement included, should be making excuses for the bad cops. And acknowledging that they exist doesn't take away any measure of respect and admiration for the good cops. It isn't and never will be a simple case of, "you're either for us or against us."

 

[PigsDad]

But it's long been recognized that whacko violent people are drawn to the profession and occasionally get past the screening, putting them in position to mistreat the least-protected of our citizenry.

Could you please back that statement up with some facts? Pointer to a study, etc.?

Kurt

 

[ronparise]

As I am still pretty new here, I seldom can reply with any great knowledge to most of the posts I read. I defer that to those of you that can so brilliantly clarify and expound on the subject of timeshares. However, I can speak with a level of expertise on this subject.

I have been with a law enforcement agency for 25 years as a civilian. I worked in the jails directly with inmates for 10 years and with our civil unit with the courts for 15. Most of my friends are cops. Most of the people I work with are cops. The man I chose to spend my life with is a cop. The post that was put up by Bucky brought me to tears and I am not an overly sentimental person.

First off, thanks to all the kind words posted by so many of you. In today's climate, appreciation and an effort to understand the complete situation is a beautiful thing. I can go on about the risks, lack of family time & incredible amount of stress that fills the daily life of a cop, but I won't. They all knew what the job entailed when they applied. Yes, like every cop's wife I had many sleepless nights knowing my husband was working a barricaded suspect call or any number of dangerous situations. I was terrified during the Rodney King riots in LA.

The thing that most people don't truly understand is that every situation is different. A cop has a split second to take in all the pertinent details of a situation, process it and make a decision based on the available information. We have all seen stupid and even malicious actions made by cops. The people I know do not condone abuse by the police under any circumstance. But please try to understand that a hose nozzle being pointed like a gun in the dark can easily be interpreted as a lethal threat. Or a 19 year old 250 pound "child" rushing at a cop after he had attempted to take the cops gun from him can lead the cop to believe his life is in imminent danger.

Yes, there are abuses by the police. And they are being investigated and prosecuted, as they should be. No one working for the law enforcement likes to bear the shame of unethical or even criminal behavior by one of our own. We applaud this.

But please keep in mind these little facts:
1. 5% of the population in LA County commit 100% of the crimes.
2. LA County has a SERIOUS problem with domestic violence (which is the most dangerous call for a cop to show up at)
3. LA County also has one of the highest population of gang members as well as mentally ill people in the nation.

Cops know most of the gang members by name. They also know that given the opportunity, a gang thug would kill them to raise their status in the gang.

Domestic violence usually involves alcohol and/or drug use. This makes the perpetrator even more dangerous as they are less likely to think of consequences before they act. This makes them extremely dangerous.

Until we can find real help for the mentally ill and stop using the jails as mental institutions, we will continue to have abuse scandals in the jails. These people need help. They need doctors and medication and perhaps even a safe place to live whether they like it or not. Having tens of thousands of unstable people living on the streets with easy access to drugs and alcohol is not a solution. Every person who has a family member that seems unable to care for themselves and MIGHT be a danger to society has an obligation to find help for them.

The best advise I could offer is to raise your children to not fear the police. Teach them to follow the laws and instill common sense into them. It's not smart to threaten ANYONE with what appears to be a weapon. The average person will not usually have a negative encounter with a cop aside from the annoying traffic stop. And really, we know we risk it when we speed. Sometimes we get caught, sometimes we don't. Be very passive and don't argue aggressively if you are detained. Remember, being detained is NOT the same as being arrested. It is to allow the cop time to investigate the circumstances. Sometimes we may fit the description and be in the area at the same time. Cops are not perfect. If they haven't had time for lunch or their girlfriend just posted a breakup letter on Facebook, they may be kind of cranky. The more cooperative you are will lower any chance of problems. I'm not offering a pass to cops that behave badly. Just remember all the things you got away with in the past and chalk it up to dumb luck.

Sorry it's such a long post. I'll get off my soapbox now. I just wanted to let people know that cops are humans just like everyone else. With good days and bad days. But every last one of them took the job because they wanted to help others.

Shelly

"Be very passive and don't argue aggressively if you are detained".

good advice. but if Im not, thats no excuse for breaking out the gun or billy club or mace. I understand that cop may be having a bad day and I dont take lightly the risk he is taking every day he puts on a uniform, but no excuses please


Im a old white guy and Ive learned over the years to keep my mouth shut when I should, so Im probably safe, but if I was 50 years younger and a few shades darker I dont think that would be the case

 

[SueDonJ]

Could you please back that statement up with some facts? Pointer to a study, etc.?

Kurt

Using search terms similar to, "professions that attract violence-prone, professions that attract psychopaths, domestic abuse by police" etc, you can find plenty of studies, papers, books written on the subject. There's no doubt each of us would come to the findings with a natural bias whether circumstantial, political, etc so I'll leave it up to you whether you'll believe or discredit the sources, and agree that police work ranks in the top ten of professions or that domestic violence among police officers is far more prevalent than among the overall society. (I realize we're not talking about domestic violence specifically but the related studies do support violent tendencies among police in numbers large enough to be significant in the overall discussion of violence.)

But again that's not to say that every police officer deserves either respect or condemnation, which is the overall point I'm trying to make. It's sad but true that there are bad cops who make it very difficult to give total unquestionable support to the force as a whole. And like Ron and others have said, for some select members of society the personal experience of others like them with police leads naturally to fear and suspicion as opposed to respect and admiration.