ratemycop.com -- what do you think?

[Uncle Mxy]

http://www.ratemycop.com

is a website that lets people anonymously rate cops they encounter. It has lists of cops assembled from public records. Cops are up in arms about this because it exposes them to unwanted crap. What do you think?

[Big Swami]

I am strongly pro-union, and I think every American worker should have the right and opportunity to join a union. However, I think the existence of a union for police officers makes them exempt from a critical level of accountability that should be required for people who are in the front line of law enforcement. Let the public speak.

[Uncle Mxy]

I don't really think it's unionization that makes them hard to be critical with. I think it's the fact that they have the force of law on their side implicitly that makes it difficult. Try making a police force accountable when they're all too happy to bust you for going one mile over the speed limit if you give them any shit whatsoever.

Part of me is kicking myself for not thinking of this first. It would've been a notorious, unique, and steady stream of income. I'd go on TV, wearing a John Cougar t-shirt with him giving the finger saying "Fuck Authority", face blurred and voice digitally altered, and people would make porn movies about me. I'm surprised the guy hasn't put up a ratemyladycop.com subsection...

Part of me wants to shake up the cops for thinking that their names won't be exposed to the public in an age of IT-unsavvy people in city governments. They're the last people I'd expect to keep secrets. This is the sort of shit that 21st century law enforcement will have to deal with, and the general reaction suggests they're woefully underprepared.

[Fool]

Ditto. And You should totally make "Rate My Female Law Enforcement Officer" or tagabadge.com

[geerussell]

Ever tried to fire a union worker? They're practically immortal. You can shuffle them from the desk to the street or from precinct to precinct but mere incompetence bounces off a strong union agreement like nerf bullets.

[Uncle Mxy]

Yeah, but that's sort of a downstream thing. I don't think people think "cops are union so my protesting wouldn't do any good". I think it's more like "cops might have me spend 48 hours in county on some trumped-up charge, just long enough for me to become Bubba's new girlfriend. I better not piss 'em off."

[geerussell]

I agree with that. I guess I was just thinking in terms of what good such a feedback site will do. Compared to say, similar sites that rate professors at colleges where you get info you can use before you make a decision.

You don't really get to choose the cop you deal with and even if a guy has a gazillion dickhead ratings on some website, I don't see any of that ever coming back to affect him.

[DrRay11]

I agree with that. I guess I was just thinking in terms of what good such a feedback site will do. Compared to say, similar sites that rate professors at colleges where you get info you can use before you make a decision.

You don't really get to choose the cop you deal with and even if a guy has a gazillion dickhead ratings on some website, I don't see any of that ever coming back to affect him.

Good points there, it does not seem like this will actually have an effect. Although I have been wrong before and will be again.

[Glenn]

Although I have been wrong before and will be again.

DrTre11 would not have said this.

[Uncle Mxy]

Cops aren't just answerable to themselves, but to city officials, who have public relations to maintain. If they (or reporters or other muckrakers) start seeing stuff posted about their cops with specifics that ring true, they may shake down the chief for details.