I work in the gang unit of a major East Coast police department. Think dense urban neighborhoods, serious violence, and a lot of day to day work that doesn’t make the news but shapes the reality of the city in real ways.
What makes my situation different is that I’m politically liberal, working in a unit and department that lean heavily conservative. That contrast is something I navigate every day, whether it’s conversations in the locker room or split second decisions in the field.
I’m doing this AMA because I think people are curious about what this kind of work is really like. Feel free to ask me anything about the job, the culture, the cases, or what it’s like being in this line of work with a different perspective.
Just a heads up….I’m not here to argue politics, and Reddit’s AMA rules don’t allow it anyway. But everything else is fair game. Ask away.
Headed to bed, but thanks for quality questions .I’ll try and get to as many as I can tomorrow.
Comments
acab?
Are you white or POC? Are the right leaning cops stereotypical right wingers?
Who’s your current favorite band or artist
is the life like movies? are all the gang members o a certain community? how often do you see other races there? i mean no harm posting this comment am seriously curious. also how hard has it been? what was your greatest catch that you could say? tysm 4 this ama mister police.
Are a lot of coos just former HS bullies who struggle with no longer being relevant? I’m honestly not making fun of cops but more my experience regarding cops I went to school with
“Split second decisions in the field” what is that supposed to mean when referring to your political preference?
Do you have discussions or arguments with your colleagues about politics? If so, how do those go
How much of your job involves things that you feel would be better handled by social workers, case managers, or mental health professionals?
How long have you worked as a police officer? How has this time changed how you view the world?
What is a misconception you’ve had about a fellow officer who leaned further right? And vice versa them about you?
Are you cool with any gangs? (As in not gang activity but driving by you guys recognize each other. Seen it in Chicago that’s why im curious)
Why do “bad” cops get protected by their fellow officers? Or is that like a media stereotype? I’ve never understood why anyone in any line of work would want to protect a co-worker who is committing immoral or illegal acts on the job, especially when using a badge to do so. I understand the union/brotherhood mentality to an extent, but when a few bad apples makes everyone else look bad one would think the rest of the orchard would kick their asses out.
Do you think ending qualified immunity would reduce violence against innocents?
The Wire?
What are the most obvious differences in how you handle tense calls compared to how your more right-leaning colleagues would? I ask because you mentioned that political leanings, like other aspects of personality, affect how officers handle these situations.
I have a question. How and how much would an informant get paid by the police? Thank you btw for sharing your insights and experience.
Do you believe gangs are weaponizing confidential informant programs? It’s kind of the impression that’s been made to me, but as you know official public information is spotty on organized crime.
What are your thoughts on the ACAB sentiment?
Not a question but just want to say thank you for your service
Do you think policing would be better if it was a several year degree like it is in many other countries?
Has law enforcement been on a soft strike since the George Floyd riots?
Do you have an opinion about Karen Read’s guilt or innocence? If so, why?
I spent nine years as a cop, before I dusted off my chemistry degree and traded my badge to be a chemical consultant. I lean left, always have, and I figured my time on the force gave me a front row seat to the real world consequences of political choices. When the January 6th insurrection hit, I was already out of the game, but I couldn’t help thinking, “Well, damn, maybe now my old crew will see the chaos DT stirs up.” I was hoping for a wake-up call. Like, maybe they’d finally get it.
Nope. Turns out, only about 5% of my former colleagues were even remotely bothered by the whole Capitol riot mess. And of that tiny sliver, just one guy actually reconsidered his stance on DT. It floored me. I mean, how do cops, people who deal with the fallout of bad decisions every day, keep voting against their own interests like that? It’s like watching someone bet their paycheck on a three-legged horse and cheer when it limps across the finish line last.
Did January 6th shake up any perspectives at your department? I’m curious if it was possibly the area I live, a red state, or if this blind loyalty is fairly consistent across departments.
Like how left ? Like harm reduction left or guns kill people left
Do you think programs like “uncornered” work? And do you or have you ever used some kind of Social Network Analysis to map out gang networks in order to disrupt them?
If you could personally overhaul policing entirely, from training to organization to equipment and more, what would you recommend?
You’ve spent half of your career in gangs, what attracted you to that type of work? What other units did you spend time in?
A big city PD….. on the east coast…. That is super right politically …. lol ok
What would you say to someone who comes from the communities you serve (gang areas) that want to be a police officer? Will their past hinder them from joining?
What’s the craziest gang shit you’ve seen?
Thoughts on police having national accreditation that’s based on evidence based practice, similar to medical fields (nursing, MD’s), firefighting, etc.?
Why would you define yourself as left leaning or right, its the law you are enforcing, you should not it make personal. To me, the law is violated or isn’t. Pretty simple follow the law regardless… do you mean you use your discretion to act or not depending how you view it a right or left situation? I’m no cop or anything related to it, just wondering…
One day I asked my ex police chief boss. Can I walk in clean and walk out the same?
He said, no. He described the idea of police work, that you no longer see people as a unique entity but rather you immediately assign them a box inside your mind. And regardless of your perception or empathy of them, your mind puts them in that box. And they usually never leave it. Regardless of any good deeds or noble actions. Your mind is in constant survival mode and it’s illogical to move people into other boxes, because you don’t have time. You will peek behind windows and doors that the common world could never perceive how humans live in their private lives. The world is very ugly behind closed doors. It’s the only our laws that make us believe a majority of us are normal citizens.
Do you feel that way?
My neighbor is a cop and I respect that as good as we are to each other. I respect him enough to know we are not friends. He has to believe in his cop friends only, good or bad. And that’s the circle he will live with until he retires. And I understand and respect that.
I’ve seen you use the, “a few bad apples”, part of phrase in an answer. Are you aware of the full quote and what it means?
Maybe you can help me. I’m writing a story where my main character (MC) is 14 and he gets in trouble with the gang. His father tries to save him but in turn gets into trouble with the gang or with the police or both (prefer both). Now he and his friends have to band together to rescue his father. Can you think of any kind of trouble that he could get himself into like that?
Do you like The Wire?
If you could join any other police force in the world, what country would you choose?.
Do your colleagues know they are in a socialist organization, public servants?
Do you ever worry that due to you be left leaning there are certain cops that might never back you up in any situations be it help with a case or down to life or death stuff.
Or is that a trope like for example two male cops pretend to response only to leave to female officers without backup type thing
How many funerals you been to?
How you answer will tell me everything I need to know
Medical doctors have a licensing board to ensure that they are adequately trained, qualified to practice medicine, and intended to handle the investigation and discipline of doctor violations for civil complaints. This is despite the fact that there doctor’s unions.
Would you be in favor or opposed to an independent board that certifies police members to be able to work in a given state? And their license can be potentially revoked with either enough complaints or particularly egregious violations?
Do you train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or any other martial art? How many of your coworkers train in martial arts? Do you think police would use weapons (both lethal and non-lethal) less if they had more combative training?
What do you think of the good apples that let the bad apples thrive?
How would you feel if cops were made to carry personal liability insurance?
Why did you chose to be a cop?
Have you ever saved someone from a co-worker?
What’s your service sidearm?
Why are you okay with enforcing the unfair and unjust laws of the state?
The only way to redeem yourself is to find a career path that doesn’t put you in a situation to be a straight up class traitor.
Any thoughts on ‘ICE enforcement’ like what we recently saw happening in San Diego?
Reference: https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/community-speaks-after-ice-raids-at-south-park-italian-restaurant/3837706/
I grew up lower income in an urban west coast city and was on the receiving end of some very serious gang violence including 5 hours in ER after getting hit with knuckles
Every time the detectives acted like they could have cared less and I had to pry any follow up
Is this an overwhelmed PD or is assault, armed robbery and the like so common or trivial it doesn’t get much interest?
Do you understand that leftism is egalitarianism, and that anti-statists would never enforce the states laws?
Fellow progressive officer in the deep red south (TX). Thanks for speaking out.
How true is the stereotype about cops and donuts?
How do you feel about the fact that almost all people saying “ACAB” are left leaning?
What do you think about the use of force changes that many departments enacted after the George Floyd killing? Has it made it more dangerous or harder to do your job?
Also, what do you think of body cams? What is the best body cam policy for police departments, in your opinion? I know some cops like them because they feel it covers their ass too, so to speak, in case they get accused of something. But it doesn’t seem that opinion is universal.
Lastly, how do your conservative colleagues think about DJTs criminality?
In your opinion was the not guilty ruling of the officer who killed Daniel shaver justified? If so, what could Daniel have done differently during that moment to save his own life?
Have you ever considered that certain left policies are enabling the drugs, poverty, and crime that you fight?
Eg, a known gang member in my city with over 80 prior run ins with law enforcement was repeatedly let go. He eventually murdered someone execution style and finally ended up in prison. But he should have been there for multiple armed robberies prior to basically ending two lives. The victim and his own seeing he was early 20s.
I feel your pain bro. I worked a long time in EMS at a fire dept that was overwhelmingly far right. I’ve moved on in my medical career but it amazes me the amount of cognitive dissonance guys in a fucking medical field had with scientific illiteracy in medicine and science overall
What data would you be most curious about regarding police complaints? I’m considering some analysis on the NYC dataset here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/ccrb/policy/MOS-records.page
Without disclosing details that would reveal your department and/or identity, do you have any cold and/or unsolved cases that keep you up at night?
Do you have any advice for fellow left-leaning folks who may be interested in a career in law enforcement?
As your president continues to break laws and refuses to acknowledge court decisions, what sort of enabling is he initiating to ordinary citizens.
What are your thoughts on Dave Grossman’s ‘Warrior Training”? How influential are his ideas within the law enforcement world?
Speaking as a regular civilian living in a high crime city, thank you for everything you do.
Did you experience more left-wing DAs being elected in your city (e.g Larry Krasner in Philly) being elected during the ‘racial reckoning’ years of the late teens? What do you think of what happened during those years? Do you think that the move toward lower penalties for juvenile offenders encouraged criminality and gang activity at younger ages?
What can you tell us about how police officers and the issue of race and racism intersect?
My interactions with future cops has been one of them was great and I’d want him with me for pretty much anything. Another was a dumb bully. What are the psychological profiles of people who join, stay and advance?
Do you think ending the war on drugs would have a positive impact on police relationships with the general population? Its clearly a failure and has escalated into narco states and fent. Let someone buy heroin or cocaine at a goverment kiosk and if they kill themselves at least it was semi on purpose not cause something was laced with fent
You guys realize this is a bot
Thanks for the AMA. You seem like an asset to your community based on your responses, and well above average in empathy and reason for someone in law enforcement in my experience.
Thanks for doing what you do.
This is a great ama, thank you. Do you think the prevalence of right leaning people in the force is because right leaning people are more likely to pursue the job, more likely to get hired, become further right over time or some combo? Or neither I guess.
How common are fentanyl overreactions and panic attacks among your colleagues? There seem to be some major misconceptions and significantly overblown fear of fentanyl exposure as a cultural trope spread among police to each other, aided by gullible media.
What is the biggest impediment to stopping things like fentanyl? I’ve often wondered about cops with many years like yourself under their belt, y’all gotta know who the heavy hitters are and where they are over time. Is it simply having to catch them in the act or can you be more proactive?
one thing i never see talked about is sentencing equality. i grew up in a rich neighborhood. everyone sold weed, stole stuff, or did dumb stuff. nobody was policed or got caught. those that did had their records expunged. they all grew up and had normal lives.
poor kids. stepped on, hard. arrested for stealing gum. those sentences condemn lives.
ive alway said. by law it has to be equal. either everyone is lenient and gets the rich kid treatment or you gotta lock up the rich kids too.
your take?
I had a similar back ground before retiring in LE. I’m also left leaning. Why? If our country is serious about reducing crime, then poverty, drug addiction, mental health and illiteracy have to tackled. They are the root of most criminal behaviour.
Apparently the Blue Bloods TV series was really popular with law enforcement type, how true is this? Also curious whether any comments were made about its cancellation
Same experience before retiring from Fire Service last year. One common theme I noticed with guys who were “Fox News Guys” in the firehouse were mostly high school graduates, with no college level classes or degrees obtained. Have you noticed this in your department as well?
It doesnt help that Law Enforcement is by nature a paramilitary organization, with an ingrained culture reinforced by the amount of veterans who became LEO after leaving the service. I say that as a veteran myself, having served 3 tours in Iraq. The number of guys I know that become officers after service were probably 100% staunchly red leaning sadly, believing anything else was perceived as weakness or woke
What is your opinion of LTC/CCW as a private individual?
I also wanted to thank you for your service. 🙏
How has your job been affected by the relaxing of marijuana laws in your area if at all? Has it made any differences, positive or negative?
How do you keep your job and training from becoming your personality? Have you ever wrongly profiled a person just for it to be nothing?
How do you feel about the current role models (A list of people) showing adult behaviour to young people ?