The police didn’t save lives in Uvalde, because that isn’t their job. For those of us who are part of the Second Amendment family, that comes as no surprise. Ever since the riots of 2020, the rest of the US has been learning to face that reality.
The “thin blue line” does not, as cops would have you believe, separate society from violent chaos. The US Supreme Court has made it clear that law enforcement agencies are not required to provide protection to the citizens who are forced to pay the police for their “services.”
Still, we are told there is a “social contract” between the government on one hand, and tax paying citizens on the other. By the very nature of being a contract, we are led to believe that this is a two-way street. The taxpayers are required to submit to a virtual government monopoly on force and pay taxes.
In return, we are told, government agents will provide services. In the case of police agencies, these services are summed up by the phrase “to protect and serve,” a motto that is printed on the sides of police vehicles.
But what happens when those police agencies don’t protect and serve? That is, what happens when one party in this alleged social contract doesn’t keep up its end of the bargain? The Supreme court says, “not a damned thing.”
In the cases DeShaney vs. Winnebago and Town of Castle Rock vs. Gonzales, the supreme court ruled that police agencies are not obligated to provide protection to citizens. In other words, police are well within their rights to pick and choose when to intervene to protect the lives and property of others, even when a threat is apparent. This reality does belie the often-made claim, however, that police agencies deserve the tax money and obedience of local citizens because the agencies “keep us safe.”
As the public is discovering, we are our own protection. In school shooting after school shooting, it has been illustrated that the police are not going to do shit when someone is slaughtering children. That isn’t why the police are there.
Police spend most of their time on activities on non-criminal in nature. During each police shift, police officers spend their time thusly:
- 27 percent on random patrol
- 20 percent on non-criminal calls for service
- 13 percent on administrative tasks
- 11 percent on traffic enforcement
- 9 percent on breaks and other personal time
- 7 percent on property crimes
- 6 percent on miscellaneous crime
- 4 percent on violent crime
- 3 percent dealing with the public, providing assistance or information, and attending community meetings.
The police rarely solve crimes. Only 11% of crimes in the US result in an arrest, and only 1 in 4 arrests result in prosecution and conviction. It’s called clearance rate, and shows that most crimes go unpunished. (pdf alert)
As you can see, police do a good job solving murders, which results in an 81% arrest rate. They do a horrible job with all other crime.
They don’t prevent crime. They don’t solve many crimes. They don’t protect you when you are a victim. This is why I won’t give up my guns. Ever.
14 Comments
Don Curton · June 1, 2022 at 7:17 am
My neighbor, who’s a really nice guy, is a cop. He says his work days are divided between 1 call days and 2 call days. Normally, he shows up for shift change. Then the briefing. Ride around for a while, then get a call. Go there, see other cops there, stand around doing jack shit for several hours, if not longer. Take a few statements, maybe put someone in a squad car, then stand around some more. Go back to the station and write up reports. Then dick around until your shift is over. That’s a 1 call day. The only reason to take a second call is if you need overtime pay, then do exactly the same thing twice, but the second time is at time-and-a-half pay.
Next time you see a wreck on the highway and traffic is backed up for miles, remember that. Cause you’ll see 4 or 5 squad cars and a dozen cops, just standing there. Doing nothing. Ignoring the traffic jam. That’s normal. That’s daily cop life.
So yeah, seeing Uvalde PD just standing around outside the school? Yeah, they might train for a day on how to respond, but their everyday work experience is just standing around. It’s what they do.
deracted · June 1, 2022 at 8:07 am
“To serve and protect” OR AIDE and Abet? ignore the will of the people violate the rights of the free,what have we got,dEMOCRACY.
The Final War Approaches · June 1, 2022 at 8:09 am
To keep the 0.25% “elites” safe as they head for their taxpayer funded doomsday bunkers and to generate revenue in the land of the fee and the home of the knave.
nunya · June 1, 2022 at 8:29 am
funny when people argue that anarchy won’t work in a society. folks we are there already. us drones need to stop playing and drop the democracy labels because its been bs for a long time
J. Smith · June 1, 2022 at 11:30 am
I cant think of one reason I need a cop, not protection, deterrence or finding out who dunnit. About 7 years ago someone stole my new catahoulla here in the panhandle. Those are hunting dogs and well prized by those that use them for hunting deer. Mine was a pet. Long story short, i made up bounty posters put them up all over town, local text alerts, etc…took the bounty posters to the sheriff and asked you got a problem with this? He said no, i like dogs. The poster read a $1,000 for info about the person that stole my dog, with a pic of the dog. I figured if I can find HVTs in Afghanistan, I can find a crackhead in Florida that stole my dog. The dog was returned to the vet’s office on his dog tags within 24 hours of the flyers going out and me going around town asking questions of the residents, and explaining my “position”. The dog was bathed, nails clipped and quite healthy. The remainder of the bounty read, Im a combat vet and I will find you and take back my property one way or another. Problem solved, no cops and no one had to get shot, and I didnt have to pay out the bounty either. See no cops. I just ask law enforcement leave me alone, and don’t get in the way.
Toastrider · June 1, 2022 at 11:54 am
Huh, that’s some unusual wisdom. A man dumb enough to steal another man’s dog is usually too dumb to realize when he’s about to get hurt bad.
Curt · June 1, 2022 at 12:35 pm
Having worked in an urban area for many years, I can say that in those types of areas, unless you are in a specialized division (k9, narcotics, investigations, etc.) you spend most of each shift solving personal problems for people with either no ability or no willingness to do things for themselves. It is amazing how many people call 911 for the most absurd things. Hiring for most agencies has become a big issue in the last 20 years or so. For every officer that wants to make the world a better place you get 10 that want a steady check and low expectations. Most of it comes down to the fact that we have been feeding the bears for far too long.
why · June 1, 2022 at 4:03 pm
“to protect and to serve” —-
In February 1955, the Los Angeles Police Department, through the pages of the internally produced BEAT magazine, conducted a contest for a motto for the police academy. The conditions of the contest stated that: “The motto should be one that in a few words would express some or all the ideals to which the Los Angeles police service is dedicated. It is possible that the winning motto might someday be adopted as the official motto of the Department.”
The winning entry was the motto, “To Protect and to Serve” submitted by Officer Joseph S. Dorobek.
“To Protect and to Serve” became the official motto of the Police Academy, and it was kept constantly before the officers in training as the aim and purpose of their profession. With the passing of time, the motto received wider exposure and acceptance throughout the department. a slogan
My comments – Collectively we have short memories. Individually, most have even shorter.
The sooner you recognize you’ve been sold a bill of goods, the sooner you’ll understand the lies…..
Johnny · June 1, 2022 at 4:27 pm
From my experience, the ‘To Protect and Serve’ refers to their
particular political jurisdiction, not the public.
Protect me? Nope, I’m rural, and have a backhoe.
Anonymous · June 1, 2022 at 5:29 pm
County Sheriff’s are to provide law enforcement in America. Private armies are a status symbol for American city mayor’s. Private standing armies are expensive to maintain, and citizens balk at the cost of maintaining both, so ticket quotas are issued to cover the additional cost.
Big Ruckus D · June 1, 2022 at 5:38 pm
Cops are an integral component of our present anarcho-tyranny. They are there specifically to do their paymasters bidding. And their paymasters desire uneven enforcement of the law to create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) for certain segments of the population, while giving a pass for offenses committed by others who are of protected classes.
To put it simply, the protected classes are allowed to prey on us, largely without fear of prosecution. They also know we will often act with restraint against them in our own defense, as we know the cops will crush us either by direct physical force, or by enabling lawfare through arrest, if we dare to protect ourselves.
That right there is the entirety of the reason for cops to exist now. They are simultaneously permissive and oppressive – depending who they are policing at any given moment – and that is exactly how TPTB want it, as it creates an atmosphere of stress and frustration for those of us on the receiving end of their orders.
We are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place as long as those who attack us are given freedom from culpability for their offenses, and the cops are there to lay waste to our lives if we decide to get uppity and properly neutralize a threat on our own. Take the cops out of the equation, and we can do what needs doing, being confident there won’t be a gotcha waiting for us.
joe · June 1, 2022 at 7:56 pm
i found out today some depts are buying green tip 223/556…you don’t shoot that stuff at the range…
Wayne · June 1, 2022 at 9:32 pm
I would argue that protecting law-abiding citizens was NEVER the proper role for the police.
The police and the justice system exist to protect those accused of crimes from private retribution. In the absence of a legal system, you are lucky if you sink to ‘an eye for an eye’. It is usually not that reasonable.
The problem is that far too many people have bought the line that the police exist to protect the citizens. They exist to arrest (and protect) criminals so that they can receive due process under the law.
Unfortunately, even that obligation has been primarily honored in the breach lately…
jwj · June 4, 2022 at 10:30 am
Why do Police carry guns? Not to protect you or me, to protect themselves. Are they ever there when the crime is committed, are they protecting you? They show up well after the event – with the body bags.
In this day and age, your on your own.
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