Why dont police officers ever smile on duty?

[TheBoss]

What is the name of your state? IL

Why is it that they always have a stoned face look on duty? Is it cause they are emotionless? Police officers come off as very cold people. How can they not laugh and be nice to the public ever? If someone is just saying hello to them, and not even commiting a crime, just passing in the street. A police officer most the time wont even wave back or smile at the person who is being kind to them.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Was there a legal question hidden someplace in there?

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? IL

Why is it that they always have a stoned face look on duty? Is it cause they are emotionless? Police officers come off as very cold people. How can they not laugh and be nice to the public ever? If someone is just saying hello to them, and not even commiting a crime, just passing in the street. A police officer most the time wont even wave back or smile at the person who is being kind to them.

What were you arrested for?

 

[mycarlb]

oh please... just because you didn't get a white tooth smile as they were slapping the cuffs on you is no reason to generalize... I think police officers are some of the kindest people on this planet. And when I lived in New York City I never met one that didn't return a smile if I smiled... get a grip please.

 

[gawm]

they smile on duty. sometimes they even laugh! didn't you ever hear the dispatch recordings after the Rodney King beating?

 

[TheBoss]

Oh please, I was just at the Chicago Whitesox rall when they came off the plane and they didnt smile one ****in time. All they did was stand their like they were bad asses. Give me a break. All they got is their badge. You really think they would act so bad ass if they were off duty?

No ****in way in hell. Eyeing down Ozzie Guillen and the baseball players as well like they could catch them doing something wrong. While Ozzie and The Sox were just shaking hands with the fans. Give me a ****in break.

 

[CdwJava]

And I suppose you smile all day long at your job?

They are at work ... the public isn't paying them to have toothy grins, but to do a job ... and that job tends to require attention and concentration. I don't want to be listening to the punch line of some joke when some dirtbag is snagging someone's purse or about to toss a molotov cocktail!

I have worked political functions (BIG ones) as well as stood on the perimeter of movie sets. While they were relatively light affairs, they were still work. And if an officer is grinning haplessly all the time he is probably not concentrating on what he SHOULD be concentrating on - his job.

The other thing to remember is that an officer's job often REQUIRES that he put on airs. You try being surrounded by a street full of hoodlums some time and see how far cracking knock-knock jokes gets you. If they think you just might be able to kick their tail - or at least give them a run for their money - you, and everyone else, just might stay safe.

Fear or loathing can be a great tool.

Besides, many people don't quite get our sense of humor ... it can be a tad dark.

- Carl

 

[gawm]

And I suppose you smile all day long at your job?

for people in the customer service field it is part of the job to smile all day long. so yes i do. but don't get me wrong, I'm sometimes crying on the inside. no one expects an officer to be smiling during one of the many hard and difficult functions of there job. But there are times where they could put on a little better public persona and lighten' up a little bit. it's not all cops, but it's a lot like pit bulls, the very few bad ones give them all a bad name. I'm not saying it's fair or right but that's just how it is.

 

[CdwJava]

for people in the customer service field it is part of the job to smile all day long. so yes i do. but don't get me wrong, I'm sometimes crying on the inside. no one expects an officer to be smiling during one of the many hard and difficult functions of there job. But there are times where they could put on a little better public persona and lighten' up a little bit. it's not all cops, but it's a lot like pit bulls, the very few bad ones give them all a bad name. I'm not saying it's fair or right but that's just how it is.

Like anyone, there are good days and bad days. And any assignment at a big public event - even a bright one - can be a huge concern for the officer.

When I have worked large events, I have been too occupied with watching the crowd to be concerned with whether I was smiling or not. Sorry, but that's just the way it goes. I expect my expression appears neutral and not too threatening ... but there are others who can look threatening by standing in the door.

It's the nature of the job. People with too light a demeanor don't tend to pass muster. Most cops are pretty serious folks ... it's the dynamic.

- Carl

 

[stealth2]

Oh please, I was just at the Chicago Whitesox rall when they came off the plane and they didnt smile one ****in time. All they did was stand their like they were bad asses. Give me a break. All they got is their badge. You really think they would act so bad ass if they were off duty?

No ****in way in hell. Eyeing down Ozzie Guillen and the baseball players as well like they could catch them doing something wrong. While Ozzie and The Sox were just shaking hands with the fans. Give me a ****in break.

Maybe they're all Astros fans.

 

[CdwJava]

Maybe they're all Astros fans.

And I DO smile ... I am often entertained by the actions of the derelict few! This job can be very entertaining!

- Carl

 

[Curt581]

Oh please, I was just at the Chicago Whitesox rall when they came off the plane and they didnt smile one ****in time. All they did was stand their like they were bad asses. Give me a break. All they got is their badge. You really think they would act so bad ass if they were off duty?

No ****in way in hell. Eyeing down Ozzie Guillen and the baseball players as well like they could catch them doing something wrong. While Ozzie and The Sox were just shaking hands with the fans. Give me a ****in break.

Cops rarely smile at jerks.

Unless, of couse the jerk gives them a reason to arrest him.

 

[bigdreams11]

Boss...Have you ever thought to stop and think about the fact that police officers have an obligation to society to protect the safety of people like yourself and that they deal with all kinds of situations everyday. Sometimes they need to show people around them that they take their job seriously and dont joke around on the job. In regards to the situation you described about the rally for the white sox did you even think about the reasons they might have been eyeing down everyone? For all you know they could have been doing it to try and scare someone with a twisted mind that may have wanted to cause harm to the team or one of its' players out of doing it? Police never know what someone's going to do in those situations.

 

[CdwJava]

Good point. When we DO joke around or look too happy, there ARE people who will complain! I kid you not!

And a lot of this job is "acting" - for survival ... when you walk in to a group of four hoodlums - all potentially armed - you have to make them THINK that you are the baddest MoFo in the room ... that doesn't happen when you come in and open with, "Stop me if you've heard this! ... there was a nun, a priest and a rabbi ..."

- Carl

 

[stephenk]

"Eyeing down Ozzie Guillen and the baseball players as well like they could catch them doing something wrong"

You were either at the rally or watching it on TV and all you can care about is whether the cops were smiling at Ozzie and the rest of the team? Do you usually feel the world is against you?