Do you think cops should be punished with double penalties if they break the law?

I do not like having a double standard for the cops and for the rest of us. I think that any person that has the duty of protecting us, or even anyone that has any government job should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us. They take a job that has a lot of responsibility and it is up to them to earn the right to the protection that that jobs gives them. Most police talk about respect, I have little use for most cops today. I think they should be subject to steroid testing at the very least, Some of the biggest drug addicts I know are cops. I think that when a cop is suspected he should lose his job subject to the outcome of the trial. if the cop is acquitted then he gets his job back with full pay. I think it is wrong for the city spokesperson to state that they support the cop, I think they should issue a statement that says there will be no comment on and on going investigation, prosecution or other issues until the issues are resolved. I think that every town should have a citizens review board that can check into any and all allegations against any police or law enforcement officers or official. I see no reason why they should not be accountable for their actions. what do you think?
Additional Details
I am not a bigot, I am not anti cop. I am advocating a double punishment because they are in the position that they have extraordinary abilities to manipulate people and situations. They should be held to a higher standards because they have our trust and security in there hands. As a deterrent and as a statement that we as a society should turn our heads when we see police officers breaking the laws they are legally bound to uphold and enforce. It should be used to weed out the people that never should have been accepted in the first place. If the standard is to much they they should look else where. It should be like the Marines the best of the best, a service that is not for everyone. Semper Fi

Tony_USA

You're not anti-cop? You obviously ARE.
By the way, is there something wrong with cops using steroids? Are you afraid of getting overpowered by them when they stop you?

I certainly acknowledge there are bad cops out there, but for the most part, I have tremendous respect for the rest of them. It's definitely not an easy job, trying to keep the balance of physical force necessary on different people, snap decisions in just a few seconds, saying the right words at the right time, etc. The good cops are not appreciated nearly enough.

I think you should see a shrink, because you're obviously obsessed, and have thought about this wayyyyy too much.

Mashiki

Already get it. Once you cross the blue line, your life is under a magnifying glass.

wiemercats

They should be held to exactly the same standard as the rest of us. No more and certainly no less. Equality for all, in all things legal and criminal. That is what used to set America apart.

Liberty or Death

While I understand your perspective that police should be held to a higher standard than the general public, your position is somewhat flawed. Under our system of justice that believes in Rule of Law and equal protection, it is unconstitutional to craft a law focused on a specific group of people, whether it be by race, gender, religious beliefs, or occupation. That said, the police are subject to a variety of extra penalties that the average citizen doesn't receive. First, the police, along with all public servants, are subject to an additional criminal charge if they use their position or authority to commit a crime. The police are also very likely to lose their job upon being convicted of any crime. The normal person generally does not. A police officer is also given a much higher level of public exposure and shaming once charged with a crime while the average person is not. Also, while the officer is under investigation, he or she is typically suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation and/or criminal proceedings. Don't get caught up in the trap that cops are all crooked. In reality, they are really not any worse than the general public, but they get more scrutiny, and rightly so. This causes people to then stereotype since a tree is generally judged by the quality of its fruit. All that said, the police do have a very difficult job and they don't always make the right decisions. This, of course, does not excuse intentional criminal activity.

As a side note, the issue that is really problematic is that of professional courtesy, which is not something solely seen in policing. It is very common for most people in political, legal, or law enforcement professions to escape formal sanctions for illegal or unethical behavior. While most only use it for minor infractions, such as traffic violations, it is still unethical and sows the seeds that allows more serious offenses go unpunished or ignored.

FQH5256

Guess what!!! news flash!!! police officers have regular unannounced drug tests. its not suspected --they are tested.. get your facts before you start spouting off. fool

Zach

Are you advocating for double the punishment for police officers? Because if you are, you are advocating for the double standard of police getting a higher punishment than the average citizen.

Police departments subject their employees to random drug testing all the time and mandatory drug testing. The people you have come into contact with are in the minority and are not a good sampling of the rest of the police.

Your ideas seem fairly good though about the city spokesman or the police spokesman being neutral about the situation and having a citizen review board, however money would be an issue on getting that going.

John

I think you need to leave the drugs alone for awhile. you are spacing out dude.

lpdhcdh

I guess that you believe the Constitution, (ie Equal protection under the law and protection from unjust and unusual punishment) don't apply to certain folks, like police officers.

I think that you are a bigot.

babycakezdolly.

Equal treatment,..

Free Thinker

They shouldn't be punished double for breaking the law, they should be punished equal to how other citizens would be. We can definitely agree that they shouldn't be above the law like most cops are now.

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