[Autocratic]

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Cops are douches. They became cops because they were picked on and teased as kids, and feel like they didn't get the proper amount of respect that they deserved. This is why cops and people who work in security power trip all the time. By turning on the siren they're able to make people respectfully move out of their way.Giving people like that a respect switch(aka the siren switch) will always result in a an abuse of power. They're addicted to power and respect, even if it is fabricated.

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umm....no.

Bob,

You know how sometimes you use the copier in the office to make a personal copy? Or do some personal stuff at work? Its just a fringe benefit, just like this. And besides, aren't cops more effective when they aren't sitting around doing nothing?

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I'm pretty sure that that analogy sucks. Obviously there is little harm in a cop making a safe turn even if it's illegal. But there's little harm in ANYONE making that same turn.

The real problem is not cops using their lights to get through traffic. It's that this is often a symptom of a larger disease, where officers enforce the law because it's their job, not because there is some practical purpose for the existence of that law. It's more than feeling "above" the law. It's about not understanding what makes being a cop honorable (at least in theory).