As much as I advocate for law enforcement, there are things that civilians must always remember. I will explain why the "protect and serve" slogan is laughable at best.
Firstly, police officers are not your friends by definition. By strict interpretation of the term, police officers have one purpose and that is to arrest you. It's as simple as that. When a police officer initiates a non-consensual (and often consensual) interaction, they are looking for a reason to take you to jail.
From Wikipedia: "Law Enforcement" broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating or punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society. This is the generally accepted definition of a law enforcement. Nowhere does that definition say anything about being a nice guy, a friendly person, or even do anything for you other than take you to jail. It's no simpler than that.
Along the same lines, court case after court case has shown that police have absolutely no responsibility to protect you from anything. People have tried to sue law enforcement agencies for failing to respond and protect someone. In some cases, people have been killed because police did not respond. Again and again, the courts have said that the police have no legal obligation to protect you. You could be mugged and stabbed repeatedly in front of a cop and he will not have any legal repercussions if he does nothing to stop it.
Gasp! The Andy Griffith Show vision of a police officer isn't true? There is no Officer Friendly? The words "protect" and "serve" do not appear in any legal mandate or job description? Yes, it's all true.
But what does it matter if most cops are generally good guys? Won't they step up and do the right thing? Well, what keeps you from speeding? Is it because it increases your risk of being involved in an accident? Maybe. Is it more because you will get a hefty fine? More likely. You don't generally do illegal stuff because of the possible legal repercussions. It's why we don't rob banks, launder money, or dodge taxes. What if there were no legal repercussions? There would be a lot more illegal stuff happening whether it's morally right or not. That means that a police officer who does not respond to an assault in progress because he doesn't want his coffee to get cold can sit tight till they feel ready to go. The victim may well be dead by then.
Let me say that this "exemption" is absolutely necessary. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to come up with numerous situations in which police could be held liable for circumstances beyond their control. The issue is that it must be broad in order to be useful. Otherwise every unsatisfactory outcome in which police are involved would be subject to review.... a process that would be costly to the taxpayer and add yet another layer of bureaucracy to the legal system.
I'm not trying to bash police officers as bad guys who don't give a rip. I am just trying to explain at a base level what may and may not be expected. The simple solution for a civilian is to be fully aware of all the rules involved. Don't think that just because it seems to be common knowledge that it's true. There are many fallacies portrayed as truth by people who have ulterior agendas, just don't know any better, or cling to a fairy tale view of reality. Wake up each morning with your eyes wide open, challenge preconceived notions, and constantly strive for the truth no matter how unpleasant it might be.
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