Hate and Fear the Police

Why do people hate the Police so much? Is it because the public hates anyone who appears to have power and authority over them? While there are people who have the utmost respect and praise for police officers, there are others who cringe at their very mention. There are people who have experienced police brutality, killings and even corruption and as a result there are stories all over social media about the negative aspects of the Police and how people feel about them.

The Police are constantly compared to the Army, which amazes me. The army protects the borders of the country and the people from external threats; resultantly they have zero or minimal interaction with members of the public. The Police interact with the public every day and on a regular and consistent basis. Army personnel and police personnel are trained differently to have a diverse skillset, pertinent to the job that they do. We perceive the army officers to walk around with their life in the palm of their hands, while in fact the Police Officers do that on a daily basis. A constable makes decisions and judgment calls everyday when faced with a situation and does not have the privilege of leaving the decision making to a senior officer.

Whether we like the police or hate them, they are essential for our everyday safety and security as citizens of any country. Without the police, there is no doubt that there would be anarchy, lawlessness and chaos on the streets. We would live in constant fear of anyone’s ability to hurt our families or us and get away with it. The police are essential to keep us all in check and maybe that is the problem.  Whether we agree with the laws, rules and regulation or not, we are bound by them.  Non-compliance will be met with a consequence; the prescribed punishment or fine.

People who constantly criticize the police, even abuse them will most often call upon them when they are needed, which is hypocritical and contradictory to the behavior or opinions previously expressed. People who hate the police will often contact them for assistance when they are affected by crime themselves even if they have a criminal background themselves. So why do people hate the police, when they are there to serve and protect us and there is ample evidentiary proof that they do their job well.

There are no doubt people who have had a justifiably bad experience with the police or have been met with unfair treatment. This rationalizes their dislike of the police. What about the others? Is it the police that are actually hated or is it the uniform, the authority, the control and power that affect certain people who have no real reason to hate the police?

For many people who hate the police, the psychology that is at work is most often about the power and authority that the police exemplify over us all and not the actual person wearing the uniform, however that person then becomes a target for our hate and or abuse. We may not have any experience with the police, first hand or second hand, but we still have an opinion.

I witnessed a scene at a check post recently, where the police stopped a car for a random check. The Police Officers greeted the person in the car with a reasonable degree of friendliness and respect and asked him to show them his NIC. At this point the civilian started resisting and arguing because: he was stopped, he doesn’t like the fact that the police can stop him, and that he is now being asked questions. The question is why is this person becoming so negative towards that police officer when that police officer is simply or asking for identification, which is what he is ordered to do.  

It is for some people the power and authority that police officer represents. The person being stopped is now being met with authority and it is this authority that is causing the resistance and the hatred now stirring in them. This begins the cycle of power. The police officer remained calm and responded by conveying more power and authority, resulting in greater resistance; the gentleman’s voice getting louder and inappropriate use of words.

Most police officers if not all of them have a very natural and profound ability for detecting attitude and resistance in people standing before them. Is it not this man who is asking the officer to treat him with more severity than is necessary?  This man gave the police officer the power and the authority to exercise that power over him.

It is not the experience, but what comes from that experience that leads to hate. When we react negatively towards their mere presence, we are in truth digging ourselves a hole and for most of the time we will lose that battle. In most such cases the police officer will have the final say in one way or another. He understands us more than we understand him. He knows our state instantly. He is there to protect us. We need to let him do his job.

Police officers put their own lives at risk in protecting the property and lives of others. They stand for hours on end in extreme weather conditions for their daily duties. They don’t have the privilege of a relaxing weekend. The often miss their children’s birthdays and school events because of some pressing law enforcement issue. They fight battles that are not their own. They spend sleepless nights chasing criminals and pouring over evidence to solve a case. They witness abhorrent crime scenes, come into contact with the most depraved members of society and yet by the very nature of their calling, they arouse some bad feelings. We know that while it's the government that restricts citizens, people can't abuse something as abstract as a legislative body. The Police as the most visible symbol of the government must face the brunt of the public’s anger and resentment. With such a precarious role to play, the most a police officer can hope to do is keep public resentment at a minimum through his own exemplary conduct, often in the face of extreme provocation.

Police Officers are held accountable for their behavior to a higher standard than most other public officers. There is no doubt that there are people in the police force that incite hatred due to their behavior, but are they the face of a force of 250,000 officers? I admire these officers who run towards danger while the rest of us run away from it.