system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
I have family that are/were cops in NY. I asked one (now retired) what they thought about acab. I'm paraphrasing, but basically, they said that they wouldn't be surprised if in the future, cops were dealt with in much of the same manner than those who worked with nazis during WW2. Did some of them believe in the reich's cause? Of course. Still, many of those people did what they had to do in order to survive, yet they were still prosecuted. A lot of cops don't report things bc they know that if they do, their fellow cops would purposely not have their back when they need it most. Does that make any of it right? No. It makes it understandable. What a lot of people forget is that doing the right thing is (more often than not) also doing the *harder* thing. It's way harder to stand up for a complete stranger than it is to look after yourself when you know that you, and possibly your loved ones, will be the ones to face the consequences of you choosing to do said "right" thing. (I used quotes at the end bc the "right" thing often changes, depending on who you ask.)
gpt
Especially hard when you think about what’s on the table. You work as a cop (a good one) and you know there’s some co-workers who are corrupt, including your boss who lets them get away with it all. They have the power to ruin your career which would hurt your family in the end. You have a wife and kids and are the only person in the family bringing in income. This is the story for a lot of cops. Under those circumstances, it’s really tough to have the guts to do anything to stop them. I’m not saying that’s a valid excuse. It’s just hard sometimes