Are Portland police officers rude?

So much anecdotal evidence from the cop haters. Your one contact with a LEO means they all have issues. Geez, cry me a river.

They arent paid to 'care'. They are paid to keep order and protect. If they have time (way overworked and understaffed) to give you directions you should feel real grateful.  Because that isnt their job. But most all of them will do so with a smile.

You complainers have not idea what its like to walk in their shoes. IF you did you would eat your words.

When I was in high school, we had a Portland Police Officer visit us for a special assembly.  He told us that there are three types of people in the police force.  There are cops, they are the rookies who do everything by the book, there are the pigs who are on a power trip, and then there are the police officers they are the ones who treat people with respect, he told us he was a "cop" for a long time and the day he became a police officer was the day that there was an accident and he held a little 5 year old girl in his arms, after he pulled her out of a mangled car, she was calling him daddy, as she died in his arms.  He said that was the defining moment that he became a police officer to protect and to serve.  You could have heard a pin drop in that auditorium that day. 

I think there is good and bad in everything.  Police Officers are supposed to be Peace Officers.  They have to put up with more than most people know and I appreciate when they are protecting us law abiding citizens.  I know some Police Officers and they are decent people trying to do the right thing.  There are however, some Police Officers that abuse their authority and should be removed from serving the public.  Usually the other Officers know who they are but do nothing because they that results in hell to pay for them.  Any Police Officer who abuses their power egregiously abuses their power even once should be removed from serving the public.  While it is a rough job it is also a privilege to serve the public.  The public should not be okay with even one person having their rights trampled on.  If it happens to one it will eventually happen to us all.  The militarization of Police is NOT OKAY!  Slowly and little by little, our rights are being taken away.  Police should have to go through periodic interviews of competency.  I am not talking about some little check-up.  They should also not have to suffer disciplinary action for this.  Maybe they are just having a hard time at the moment and need a little time on some admin work.  Burn out can happen in every job and it doesn't mean they can't do the job maybe a month from now.  We all have challenging days but when you have that type of responsibility, you can't take it out on others.  Actually, they should all be cycled off to admin work periodically. 

The last time I had a chance to talk to PPD was down by the waterfront, there was some festival wrapping up, and one officer was removing a fence barracade and I asked him if it was OK for me to ride through their now, he said "Yup, go ahead".  As I started to ride through, another officer jumped in front of me and started to very rudely berate me for riding in there, I of course said nothing, but he went on asking if I wanted to go to jail, who do I think I was.  Now I'm a man in my 40's, never been arrested, pay my taxes, and was just told by another officer it was OK, and this guy was just being a straight up D$CK.  Then the other officer came back and told him it was OK, he let me through.  You could see the tough guy cop was fuming that he wasn't justified in his actions, he pointed at me with a look like "I've got my eye on you".  So one cop was polite and reasonable, the other was on a straight up power trip and looking for an excuse to use his daily allotment of testosterone.  It takes all kinds I guess.

I have the utmost respect for all law enforcement officers. I have had only positive experiences with the Portland Police, some have been fun experiences (like when the 'new kid on the block' downtown bicycle officer had his bike mysteriously disappear when he ran into the cigar shop to get cigars to pass out when his wife had a baby; it was chained to a pole across the street by the Starbucks. Hmmm....wonder how it got there?). I am in awe that these officers are willing to put their lives on the line every day they put on their uniforms. Rude? Give it a rest, people!

i wouldnt last a day because i couldnt stand takin crap from the low life scum balls they deal with.  over and over and over.  i wouldnt be polite or polittically correct enough to do their job.   cops should be highly paid, with excellant retirement plans after 20 years and free health care for life.   they risk their life every single day, unlike our armed troops over seas who were brainwashed into voulenteering for a unjust cause.  they are not defending our country. they invaded omeone elses country.    FACT.  bush/cheney/powell/condi and the worse...rumsfeld  who all declare their christianity like most phony gop-ers will be in one of the hottest areas of hell their is.   next to elvis.

Many years ago the COPS show was in Portland. There was a black officer "highlighted" in several episodes. Whenever he was arresting some low life this officer called the low life "sir". Now, I know that the officer was keenly aware of the cameras, but also it was clear that officer always treated people of all walks with a high regard, it was just his way. I never forgot it, because it was so unusual. One time the officer even helped a really disgusting and nervous guy he had arrested to smoke a cigarette. I bring all this up because what I really took note of was how cooperative his criminals were. They would become respectful because the officer treated them as if they were decent humans (which they obviously weren't). I think they call all this "mirrored behavior". 

KATU, how about trying to support the police for once?

One has to understand that a police officer in order to do his job has to command a certain amount of respect. Society today has deemed that nobody can be trusted without exception. It's too bad but that's the way society has deteriated in the last 20 years. The bottom line is show them respect and follow their commands. They are in charge whether their nice or not. There are some bad apples like all occupations but most police officers today are well educated and able to handle any situation.

I am a pretty friendly person - I've called cops maybe 1 or 2 times in my life and each time they've been okay. I understand that they have to provide some sort of customer service, but they also have to deal with a lot of ridiculous crap. I don't blame them for seeming rude or standoffish - they can't really be sweet and kind, they have to carry some role of authority.

When they consistently have to deal with the trash and the dregs of society on a daily basis, and to make matters worse they have Sam Adams thumb pressed firmly on their backs keeping them from doing the job they were hired to do, it's no surprise they come off as rude to most offenders. I've personally found the best way to deal with police during any direct contact is to be polite and do exactly as they tell me. It always works.  

I can only go by over 30 years of observation. A couple decades ago I had a few friends who were Portland police, now ... I wouldn't dream of it since they are fairly unapproachable. 

In the last few years anytime I've had to interact with police, say to ask directions, I am confronted with one hand held out in a stopping motion and the other hand on the gun. I don't know about you but to me this is a very aggressive posture.

People say its much more dangerous today than in the past but that actually is not true, we are currently living in one of the safest times in history, but don't take my word, do some research.

As for their aggressiveness towards me? I'm a white haired old guy who walks with a cane ... scary, I know. ;)

All personnel in Law Enforcement are doing a job that many can not or will not do. They put up with people who are breaking the law, or have issues. A few people that consider them rude is not that bad really. I have seen very rude people in stores, malls or gas stations. The few that cause trouble take up the majority of the time of the officers.

When people get caught speeding or breaking the law, they are upset that the officer pulled them over, or gave them a ticket.

I do not deal with PPB,but have deal  with LE in other states and countries. The complainers perhaps need to sit back and think about their meetings. 

I find it laughable when people try to demonize the PPB.  They do a hard job dealing with the largest crime rate areas of all of Oregon.  I know a few cops who all say they wouldn't want to work for PPB, not because of the department they all say its a good department, but because the public they serve seems to hate them so much.  Patrick Preston can you please let us know what the total number of commendation/compliments the PPB received during the same year as those 400 complaints?  Otherwise it sure looks like you are reporting in a biased manner. 

what a thought provoking story...;) .  I'm okay with them being rude, if they in fact are, as long as they keep my family safe.  You also might be 'on edge' if you had to walk in their shoes.

 

Get some perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jm-chVaSCw

If you think police officers are rude, watch this video and follow the simple steps.

I was pretty familiar with most of the portland police at one time. My father was PPD for 25 years. During those years I knew officers who were the kindest most respectful people Ive ever known. There were others who were A holes on and off the job. Yes its true that police officers are in one of the toughest professions there is. But, that does not excuse the 'Im a cop and youre not' mentality that seems to pervade all the police departments around portland. While most of my contacts with portland police have been about as positive experience as you can have with the cops, I have had some really nasty interactions with them in the 30 plus years since my dad retired. There is definitely an US VS THEM attitude from too many portland cops. They are trained (at least they say they are) to deal with the public in as calm and courteous a manner as the situation calls for. But too many cops abuse that. Only 426 complaints you say? I hope youre never one of those people who feel the need to officially complain. Its not too cool when you call upon someone who youve been told your entire life is your friend and should be trusted, and they treat like dirt. This isnt a new story by any means. Yes, most cops do a great job under the most difficult circumstances, but that will never excuse those few who abuse their position and or privileges.

Americans confronted by militarized cops threatening them is a VIOLATION of  their Constitutional guarantees of peaceful protesting ......A VERY SERIOUS CRIME!

RUDE? They MURDERED IN COLD-BLOOD  James Chasse, an innocent man.

The State Police are definitely rude and arrogant, Portland Police are usually cool. A little lazy sometimes but pretty cool overall. I've only run into a couple that were rude.

There is no doubt that standards of behaviour and civility, across the whole  of the USA, have changed for the worse over the past quarter century. Courtesy  and good behaviour have been abandoned by many in our modern, ‘ME’ society.

It is clear that a  significant minority of officers see the public as their enemy and as a  potential hazard to be dealt with aggressively

The police are products of that society; they attend the same schools, live  in the same communities and have the same attitudes and prejudices as the best  and the worst of us. But police officers should be held to a different standard  of behaviour.

The main problem we face now, I feel. is after 9/11....anyone CAN BE THE TARGET!

So now law enforcement is a personality contest ??? C'mon KATU........get the children off the news desk !

People treat people the way they get treated.  Treat the cops with respect and they'll give it right back.  They have a job to do and that's to enforce the laws of the city.  Some people just don't seem to get that basic concept.

Living / working in Salem, I've had very few interactions with Portland cops, but I can't imagine that they're too much different than cops in any other city...they'll usually respond in kind to the treatment they get from others.   It's called being human...and like any other group of humans, there will be some that are better than others at their jobs.   (Name any occupation that does not have a few "bad apples" in it; especially one with as much built-in high stress as the police!)

 

The police are doing a job that not many of the rest of us could or would want to do... and most of them do it very well.  Unfortunately, we rarely read or hear about the cops that just do their jobs well, day after day after day... because hearing / reading about the "bad apples" apparently makes for higher sales and ratings in the media.

 

Thank you, Portland police, Salem police, OSP, etc, for the jobs you all do... personally, I don't want to try to imagine what life in our cities and towns would be like without you.

Wow, 450,000 contacts, 426 complaints and the title of the story is, "Are Portland Police Officers Rude?"  Considering the left-leaning, occupying mentality of this city, I am amazed that the number is so flipping low!

 

The title should have read, "Are Portland Police Officers Saints?" but that wouldn't arouse interest or play into their agenda.

Rude? no ...........Arrogant assholes...yes

If the Portland police are rude? Perhaps we should excuse them considering the people they deal with are the rudest people on the planet called criminals.?

I have a bad habbit of saying "thank you" to cops when I get pulled over and don't get a ticket.  It's happened a few times, they don't seem to like it very much.

They are rude, arrogant, unprofessional and just don't care.

 

If I had another option to use someone else for police services I would do it in a heartbeat but I am stuck with the Portland police.