Do you support these ideas for police?

1. Random fitness exams that occur 7 times throughout the year.

2. Mandatory, functioning, body cams. (Meaning that if a body cam is not working properly, then that officer must either get a new one from the precinct or the the day off until he gets a new one. This would include dash cams)

3. Random tests on municipal law (3 per year)

4. Higher pay. I think police, if they do the other things on this list, should be payed, at least enough to be middle, middle class-- in Illinois that's $90,000)

5. 3 weeks paid vacation (idk if they even get paid vacation) everyone needs to decompress, especially from a job like that.

Whatdayathink?

Not feeling it

only 1-3 why those arent already compulsory parts of the job i have no idea

they get paid plenty and we dont need cops getting 3 weeks paid vacation wtf

@rpgesus:

Average pay is around $50,000. After taxes and living expenses, I'd imagine that drops dramatically. Too much, considering the stress of the job and the hours they work, IMO.

Police shouldn't get special treatment. This should be applied to everyone, or those get less than police.

@sog7dc: it doesnt take much too become a cop just because it has the potential to be high stress i dont think they deserve anymore pay plus they get benefits and retirement packages

Illinois police salaries are probably in the $50-60,000 range overall, being a populous state. Bureau of Justice says the state employs roughly 42,000 police officers. To raise average police salary to $90,000 (what, for even beat cops?), you'd need roughly $1.3 billion. Where does that money come from?

@rpgesus:

I think it ought to be harder. If I had my way, cops would need a four year degree in some legal or scientific field.

I think their job is really taken for granite. They do a really important and dangerous job that very few people express gratitude for. People also adhere the actions of the bad to the good officers. I'm all for holding police accountable but I also think the good ones should be rewarded.

@sog7dc: yes they should have to have a law related degree, also its granted* and i shouldnt have to express any more gratitude to them, they chose the job so dont complain about it and there are no good police if the bad cops arent held responsible for their actions

@saren:

I'm not gonna pretend I know a great deal about taxes and government spending, I also acknowledge that this is an appeal to ignorance, but I'd imagine we could stop spending on something like defense and spend that money on police and schools.

Yes and no. I think the more dangerous the area the higher he pay should be. So the cop that works in East Saint Louis will probably make more than the ones that work in Far Oaks.

To earn that kind of pay you speak of, I think the requirements to become a cop should be very challenging and there should be more transparency within the department. And I think cops should be required to spend a little bit of that paid time off trying to improve community relations. Help create programs or spend time with kids and get to know them. Help make the community trust cops more.

@rpgesus:

Damnit! I had granted at first but changed it.

I think that's a silly point of view. Police make your life safer than if they didn't exist. Yes they made the choice but (the good cops) made a choice to protect and serve their communities. I think that warrants admiration and gratitude. Unless of course you feel that you could protect yourself and a police-less society.

I can't agree with your last statement. Good cops are not judges, nor DA's. Past arresting another cop, which they would likely need approval from a DA to do, they can't hold other cops accountable-- except for reporting truths to the media.

@juliedc:

I agree. Rpgesus and I both agree a law degree or a scientific degree would be a good qualification for becoming a police officer. Fitness should also be extremely important.

It really irritates me when European politicians stand up in Brussels and proudly proclaim that they've cut down on their military spending, because the reason they can cut down on their military spending is that they consider themselves safe under NATO's umbrella through membership or association. Europe's military is so terrible that America has to spend for them as well, and if they bothered to take security seriously and into their own hands, we could probably relax some of that spending and focus it on American problems. Robert Gates even told the EU that America was getting fed up with the situation, but nothing changed. We should really just let Russia bulldoze a few minor nations so the rest of them get the idea.

I can't imagine police unions would take kindly to that idea. Also, people who attain four-year legal or scientific degrees usually set their sights higher than police work.

@saren:

I really don't know enough about your first statement to comment on it. Suffice it to say I think this is a worthy expenditure that would be well worth the budgeting it'd take to pay them.

Teachers in Illinois get hazard pay for teaching in underprivileged neighborhoods; I don't see why police shouldn't garner the same thing.

I don't want to pay for all this stuff

We should really just let Russia bulldoze a few minor nations so the rest of them get the idea.

Haha!!!

#Get rid of Trident :p

Cops pay tax too.

1. Random fitness exams that occur 7 times throughout the year: Dont mind

2. Mandatory, functioning, body cams. (Meaning that if a body cam is not working properly, then that officer must either get a new one from the precinct or the the day off until he gets a new one. This would include dash cams): Yes

3. Random tests on municipal law (3 per year): Sure

4. Higher pay. I think police, if they do the other things on this list, should be payed, at least enough to be middle, middle class-- in Illinois that's $90,000): In theory yes, but no, people cant afford more taxes

5. 3 weeks paid vacation (idk if they even get paid vacation) everyone needs to decompress, especially from a job like that: Sure

Saren = wicked smaht

Tons of community service to earn the trust of the community.

Multiple constitution tests every year

Speaking as a Criminal Justice major working towards investigation;

Right now it's too easy to become a cop. Way, way, WAY too easy. I opted for a 4-year degree to begin with, but an individual can become a cop with only a 2-year degree and next to no experience. Spend a few weeks at the Academy, and you're set. That's ridiculous. At the risk of sounding prejudice, you would not believe the amount of ignorant rednecks I attended my starting classes with. These people could barely pass with a C in most CJ courses, and are going to be defending, most likely improperly, our society. Absolutely unacceptable.

Any of law enforcement should require a 4-year degree MINIMUM, and again that should only be for basic policing positions instead of actual investigation. I can speak to the fact that many people pursued CJ because it sounded like an easy major; Absolutely unacceptable. Any form of law enforcement needs to be supplemented by an actual passion to strive towards and complete the needed courses. It should be considered just as important as Medical degrees; you have the lives of the people in your hands. Sorry, but I don't want Billy-Bob, who couldn't pass with an A in his basic CJ courses, to be carrying a gun and stopping people. That will inevitably lead to screw-ups and other issues.

If Criminal Justice and Investigation was looked, and treated, as something more than a throw away degree, these body cams, extra pay, and vacations wouldn't be necessary. There needs to be more work and education for these positions to be reached.

Hell, in 2 weeks time, I would be technically eligible for a policing position after the academy. There is absolutely no way I would feel prepared to work in the field with the information I've collected, and I really doubt these 2-Year degree folks would feel prepared either.

TL;DR: Policing isn't treated with enough importance. It's seen as a throw away degree to get some easy college. This degree should be the absolute LAST to be considered that.

EDIT: Please excuse any typos, I just woke up and probably skipped a lot of words.

Money is the problem. We can't afford things as they are now and this will all cost more. It's not ideal, but what can you do about it?

No!!! I hate these ideas!!

Let the police kill and murder and never hold them accountable. The blood of people in the streets satifies my soul and it is the God-given right of police to shoot everything in sight! Which god you ask? The god of murder, that's who!(I'm being sarcastic).

But seriously, who wouldn't want better police regulation?

@dum529001: Police are always held accountable for their actions.

@sog7dc: I have a Bachelor's in Law and Justice because I was going to be a cop before enlisting in the military (considering the current climate, good decision on my part) and new recruits (at least in the districts I was applying for in New Jersey) required a 4-year degree in Criminal Justice at minimum.

However, I know that many only require a 2 year degree throughout the country. But I also graduated college in 2008 and was going through the academy the same year.

Increasing cop salaries I am all for, same with firefighters, teachers, and military. The money needs to come from somewhere though and, personally, I think if politicians are working as 'public servants' like the careers listed above then they should have balanced pay with them as well.

Always?? Accountable to who?

@dum529001: Always was a bit exaggerated, since I'm sure there are instances of corruption where they aren't.

A vast majority of the time, however, their actions are held accountable to them in the eyes of the law.

100% agreed with the bolded.

My main desires, the things I want the most, are the fitness exams and the mandatory body/dash cams. I tend to think that some cop shootings are due to out of shape officers not wanting to chase the criminal. This number may be really small but still, there really isn't any reason for us to allow officers to be out of shape. And cameras are the best way to gain public trust of police, imo. The good cops can have their admirable, noble actions on display and the bad cops can be weeded out. I really, really don't see a downside to cameras on cops.

Sounds good, except you kind of went overboard with the higher pay. 50,000 should be minimum and about 75-80,000 should be maximum for a regular cop with years of experience. 90,000 sounds like something a sheriff or chief would get or should get.

Brb becoming a cop.

Body cams.

@saren: The American military budget is still way over budget even for the amount of proxy wars they constantly involve themselves in.

Mandatory dash & body cams would fix everything. It'd be easier overall with them.