Ask HN: Police in your country

I've never felt uneasy around British police officers. The Metropolitan Police were particularly helpful to me on two occasions. I'm just a somewhat frequent visitor, though. However, the British police have a rather good reputation they mostly live up to in my opinion.

Police in Germany are good as well in that respect. Mostly polite and to the point. Never needlessly aggressive.

I do feel uneasy about the police as a system though and what it's about to become. Home security (or whatever euphemistic term that's called nowadays), politicians and police representatives arguing for ever more surveillance and authoritarian measures. That's what's undermining police work in almost every Western country no matter how good and trustworthy the police in those countries actually might be.

Canada - I've had only good interactions with the police, although we do have some issues (RCMP has/had some sexual harassment issues, there was a man killed by tasers a couple years back that was covered up/lied about, etc.). I wouldn't hesitate to call the police if I was in danger, and generally wouldn't worry about being treated poorly.

I am white though; I suspect if I was Native I might have different opinions on the police.

Australia - I feel the same for no real reason. I wonder if the US press we see on the bad cops permeates local thinking. Here I've generally had fair experiences with cops in my handful of encounters though they tend to be on the arrogant side. Twice I've had bad experiences though this is fairly first world problems E.g. Once 2 young cops stopped me leaving a car park one night as I took my time driving out. They said I must have been drinking, which I hadn't. I suggested they breathalyze me to which they said they didn't have a machine. They then properly tailgated me for the drive from the station car park to my home.

Side point but I've noticed the fire brigade attend local fetes and periodically setting up outside shopping centers with their truck to let people look about the trucks/gear and chat (mainly parents/kids). You never see this with cops. Maybe just my area. I feel it would be valuable for cops to introduce themselves to the community like this on a regular basis. Both for citizens to say hi in non-negative situations. Also so the police engage more with 'good society' while on duty and perhaps lose some of that arrogance and expecting the worst behavior.

Ive also lived in London and Norway and felt relaxed around cops there. They typically dont carry guns on them which I liked. In Norway they have firearms but leave them in the trunk of the car. I feel this is a really good compromise.

> (still white)

Well good to see as much as things change somethings stay the same.

I feel threatened when I see police guys nearby.

I was fined in my early twenties, because I just turned around my car where it was possible - it didn't happened on the street and police officer told me that I have violated the law. I have argued for long minutes only to give up and pay the fine.

When I checked the laws regarding this, there was no reason to fine me, but it was too late. The paragraph on my ticket was also completely bogus and the fine was already paid.

Not so many years back I was traversing the pedestrian crossing on completely calm Sunday (no car in sight). Of course there was red on the semaphore, but that would only mean spending senseless minute(s) to cross two and half meters. Officers were nearby, just waiting to fine me. What works here - you can always tell them that there's nothing to talk about, hand them your ID card and tell them that you'll be glad to visit their office once they're down with all the paperwork. Since the paperwork that needs to be done is quite obnoxious, whole thing is usually silently discarded (win).

To conclude - I don't expect anything from police. Most normal people around are reasonable and they will do whatever is needed to stop or alleviate the things that endanger someone.

Being fined because bandage from your compulsory first aid kit in the car expired week ago is just completely senseless. Why would a thinking human trust and feel safe around people who enforce such thing(s)?

This is Czech Republic, heart of Europe.