Doin' Time in Times Square - Documentary early 1980's

[Miigwech]

This is an historical glimpse of the way police used to treat citizens - like the peace officers that they are supposed to be. Not saying that the world was perfect back then, because it wasn't. This is really boring at times but you can skip around and watch cops performing their jobs without harassing, beating up, shooting .... or even drawing a weapon..... and we are talking about the roughest areas to patrol, Times Square, NYC. Anyone else remember community policing? No, cops were not perfect by any means but Do you remember when the cops didn't try and kill you for something minor as they do today. What the hell is this business of drawing a weapon and shooting before even knowing the situation?

[shenmue]

1. Yeah

I remember.

[BlueJazz]

2. Law enforcement training has become more of a "We're going to War against the lawless"

[Miigwech]

3. Police ....

be very afraid of them ... they will shoot a mentally ill person, a racial minority (sometimes shoot a white person who is poor) ... it depends on the cop and not on any type of training. Cops think that they are going out to patrol in a lawless war zone. We pay our taxes for community policing not for corrections officers on the street.

[BlueJazz]

4. Very true

One (slight) funny thing also: It seems to me, if most of the Cops would take 2 valium before they go out on shift, their behavior would be on a par with the cops in the 70's

That rather hints at the seriousness of sending highly-excitable individuals where a calm head is called for..

[Miigwech]

5. yeeeesssss

very funny .... those days are gone forever. I always wondered, as a kid, how the police or military in a communist country could do things to oppress it's citizens. I mean, we saw footage of the police behind the Iron Curtain shooting people trying to escape to freedom. I never could figure out why. Now, I find myself wondering the same thing about our police, here in a so called, free society. I think it comes down to this; more people with more progressive views about religion, class and social issues ..... and the crack down ensues. Don't matter where.