Yes, but what can we DO about the police presence?

[oneeyeddick]

You don't need drugs for that .

[geospyder]

You don't need drugs for that .

That was my first thought also.

[LostinReno]

You don't need drugs for that .

The guy that got raped by your donkey might??

[Hayden]

I’ve heard that there are some people that work in law enforcement that actually buy tickets. They go to enjoy Burning Man and all it has to offer. I bet it would be funny to see the expression when they spot one of the deputies they know and are asked if they are covert and then tell them that they are not, that they actually bought a ticket and are participating. I’d bet the deputy on patrol would be jealous. At least that’s what I heard. :lol:

I was a 'drug cop' for over 5 years. For the first 2 years, I loved it. I savored it. An earlier post (pengthy, lame post I might add) talked about the mentality of 'drup cops' and to a large degree, I have to admit it is true.

After serving my 3rd and 4th year in a street crimes/narcotics unit, AND listening to Ron Paul speak - I felt as though someone had hit me in the face with a brick and said, "Wake up!" I almost immediately stopped making drug arrests, except those involving violence and felons, major crimes, etc. When I encountered a small bag of marijuana or whatever it was, as long as the people were cool - it disappeared or even went right back to where I found it from.

My attitude began changing and it was apparent. I requested a transfer back to uniformed patrol and was considered a rat by my fellow cops. The guys who were in the trenches with me in a very violent city turned their backs on me because I refused to arrest a 19 year old college girl for a joint and some script pills. And when I began dogging them on their senseless and sadistic behavior, the treatment I received got worse - to the point of no one showing up when I called for backup. Commanders started to take notice and have 'talks' with me. No one could understand how I went from one of the top drug arrests producers to having ONE arrest during a 6 month period (was a violent felon with a warrant).

It took a huge change in my perception of the world aroundme to get away from being that type of cop. I lost a lot of close friends over it, but knwo that it's the right choice.

There ARE other cops out there like that. I've not met many, but a few.

While most cops aren't as extreme as many of the drug cops, they still get a high from making even a petty arrest. They DO consider you a 'dirtbag' or a 'drug arrest' - a stat(istic), if you will - for having a bag of marijuana.

Many uniformed officers take pleasure out of making those petty arrests. Once some of them get 5-10 years under their belt, they begin to mellow out a lot more for a number of reasons. Some realize the paperwork is not worth a petty arrest while others simply grow lazy. Some, like myself, lose all faith in law enforcement to ever be a truly constitutional organization this day in age and leave the force.

While I agree with the dozens of posts relaying the fact that cops ARE people, too... there IS such a thing as being TOO complacent. And I say this from experience, reflecting back on how I treated some people at large events (can we say Mardi Gras?); I became friendly with several groups of people in the area I was assigned to and chatted with them, even ate some hamburgers with a few that offered. All in all, it was a great community/police interaction and that's what I LOVED about being a cop. But I remember one year when one of those people I was being "friendly" to became rather drunk and aggressive. When it came down to it, he left me with no choice but to wrestle him to the ground and eventually arrest him.

His family and friends that were there even said, "I thought you were cooL!? What the $(*&^# did you do that for!" etc etc. I didn't want to, but he forced my hand by being completely stupid about something and getting aggressive. I might add that many other cops would have been muchmore violent, much quicker in his arrest but that's not my style - never was. So, realize that even those 'friendly' cops that you chat with on the Playa can quickly turn into those cops who are arresting you if you force an issue.

From a LEO perspective, I bet a lot of the cops really enjoy just BEING at BM. Some might really get into the 'night vision' crap and undercover stuff, but overall, my impression would be that a 30-40% are there to make extra money and enjoy it a bit.

Be friendly, be respectful - but know that a police officer is exactly like an unfamiliar dog. You could be petting it one second and it is gnawing your hand off the next.

[Isotopia]

Fittingly, using some arbitrarily illegal substances can help you understand that there is nothing sacred about state or nation, or the laws thereof.

Was there a message you wished to convey with that post?

[oldsoul]

Fittingly, using some arbitrarily illegal substances can help you understand that there is nothing sacred about state or nation, or the laws thereof.

Regardless of whether states, nations, and laws are sacred or not they still continue to exist, which is an important fact to be aware of. Wish in one hand, shit in the other...I'm not holding my breath for any drastic changes to drug law.

So what do we do? Let the fucking cops be the fucking cops. Like it or not they're here to stay. Cute little toke gestures, whistle blowing, or cartwheeling around is only going to do one thing: draw attention from the very people you'd like to avoid attention from. While I find the attempt to warn others nearby of police presence to be a noble gesture, it's just redundant if everyone would have a little common sense and not flaunt the law (unjust or not) where it can be easily viewed.

[Isotopia]

Ding, ding, ding....

Common Sense Post of the Week.