this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2025
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THE POLICE PROBLEM

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    The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.

    99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.

    When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.

    When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."

    When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.

    Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.

    The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.

    All this is a path to a police state.

    In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.

    Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.

    That's the solution.

♦ ♦ ♦

Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.

♦ ♦ ♦

RULES

Real-life decorum is expected. Please don't say things only a child or a jackass would say in person.

If you're here to support the police, you're trolling. Please exercise your right to remain silent.

Saying ~~cops~~ ANYONE should be killed lowers the IQ in any conversation. They're about killing people; we're not.

Please don't dox or post calls for harassment, vigilantism, tar & feather attacks, etc.

Please also abide by the instance rules.

It you've been banned but don't know why, check the moderator's log. If you feel you didn't deserve it, hey, I'm new at this and maybe you're right. Send a cordial PM, for a second chance.

♦ ♦ ♦

ALLIES

!abolition@slrpnk.net

!acab@lemmygrad.ml

r/ACAB

r/BadCopNoDonut/

Randy Balko

The Civil Rights Lawyer

The Honest Courtesan

Identity Project

MirandaWarning.org

♦ ♦ ♦

INFO

A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions

Adultification

Cops aren't supposed to be smart

Don't talk to the police.

Killings by law enforcement in Canada

Killings by law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Killings by law enforcement in the United States

Know your rights: Filming the police

Three words. 70 cases. The tragic history of 'I can’t breathe' (as of 2020)

Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.

Police lie under oath, a lot

Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak

Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street

Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States

So you wanna be a cop?

When the police knock on your door

♦ ♦ ♦

ORGANIZATIONS

Black Lives Matter

Campaign Zero

Innocence Project

The Marshall Project

Movement Law Lab

NAACP

National Police Accountability Project

Say Their Names

Vera: Ending Mass Incarceration

 

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Are they cops?

Are the ICE?

Are they cosplayers?

Source: https://redlib.northboot.xyz/r/LosAngeles/comments/1lfe5gb/ice_brandishing_silencers/

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[–] MetalMachine@feddit.nl 3 points 1 day ago

They probably dont but they wanna look cool and play dress up

[–] RabbitBBQ@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

The reason for having suppressors is to make it less loud when you shoot your weapon at an immigrant or protestor

[–] TheObviousSolution@lemm.ee 15 points 1 day ago

It's not that they need silencers, but that ICE needs to hire from the pool of people obsessed with guns to be able to continue acting as the US gestapo it is.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Shooting indoors

[–] selfdefense420@lemmy.world 35 points 2 days ago (7 children)

why do we all need to continue this giant circle jerk? is there a single person here who doesn't understand that republicans are evil, that cops are fascists, that capitalism is killing us, that our president is a fucking moron, that corporations are run by sociopaths, and that religion is the scaffolding that holds it all together?

i mean seriously. i'm confused. do you guys just enjoy joking about it all? do you need the dopamine high of dunking to the choir? why don't we talk about solutions instead of rehashing the same old bullshit day after day?

[–] stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

do you guys just enjoy joking about it all?

Yes.

Morale matters.

Humor is a weapon.

Preaching to the choir is an important part of a pastor's job - because who wants to hear the Word more than true believers do?

Online circlejerks are powerful community building tools - they reaffirm true believers' loyalty, strengthen the commitment of moderates, and expose visiting lurkers to the movement's perspective and the passion of its members.

Let's not forget how racist circlejerks on FB and Reddit and the chans memed Trump into office in 2016.

Jerking about problems can't be all a movement does, of course - but an online movement that doesn't share memes, and in-jokes, and news that supports it, and similar kinds of community building, is dead on the ground.

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[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 60 points 2 days ago (5 children)

The far better question is why they need assault rifles?

A suppressor is actually a good thing to put on any weapon. That's why they're becoming standard in the military. Guns are unbelievably loud, to the point that they can cause serious and permanent hearing damage to people around you when you fire them. If you're accepting the premise that an armed police force is a good thing (I disagree, but that's a separate discussion) it at least makes sense to minimize collateral damage. The sound of gunfire is especially dangerous indoors; if an officer was forced to fire their weapon in an environment like they could actually seriously injure innocent bystanders just from the noise alone.

On the other hand, collateral damage is exactly why a 5.56mm carbine makes no sense as a police weapon. Those rounds will go straight through a human body, straight through a brick wall, and still be lethal. You could end up killing someone you can't even see. It used to be that when law enforcement wanted extra firepower, they used submachine guns and shotguns, weapons with very little potential for overpenetration. But then police forces all started freaking out about the idea that every criminal was going to be wearing level 3 body armour and demanding to use the same guns soldiers use (not helped by the fact that cops in the US are allowed to buy surplus military equipment at knockdown prices).

This doesn't come from an operational need, it comes from the fact that every cop wants to cosplay at being military, but without all the hardships that actually come with that. That's why you see federal agents and SWAT all running around in multicam and other military camo patterns, despite the fact that those patterns really don't do much of anything in an urban environment. It's all just dress up to make their peepees feel bigger.

[–] modus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Well said. If you've ever been next to someone at an indoor range firing large caliber rounds without a suppressor, it's very unpleasant to be near them if you're plinking 9mm or 22lr.

I support taking supressors off the NFA (and also abolishing the NFA altogether, but that's another argument). Calling them silencers is incorrect. They're safety devices. Some states don't even classify them as firearms. Any supersonic round is still loud enough to require ear protection.

[–] timmy_dean_sausage@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

YES. That is the most annoying shit ever. I'm just tryna have a good time practicing good technique with a handgun and I have to sit and listen to some moron spray hundreds of dollars worth of ammo away so they can feel like they're the coolest dude at the range. Then they leave and we all look around at each other like "thank fuck that asshole is finally gone eye roll emoji"

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[–] PoPoP@lemm.ee 18 points 2 days ago (7 children)

Every rifle used by law enforcement ought to have a silencer. If they're gonna murder someone the absolute rock bottom very least they can do is not cause severe permanent hearing damage to a hundred other people in the vicinity.

It's not like it's a stealth thing. It's not going to do anything to prevent detection and they don't give a shit about that anyway. This isn't a James Bond or John Wick movie so let's not pretend silenced gunshots aren't still unbelievably loud.

A better question is how can other cops bring a rifle into a densely populated area WITHOUT a silencer?

[–] Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Single shots from rifles do not cause permanent hearing loss.

A better question is how can other cops bring a rifle into a densely populated area WITHOUT a silencer?

I dont even know how to respond to this part. Maybe don't have the cops come in with the expectations to use the weapon?

[–] JamesTBagg@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Not commenting on the other parts of this discussion but a single shot from a rifle absolutely CAN cause permanent hearing damage. Even some weapons suppressed are still loud enough to damage your hearing over a short amount of time/multiple shoots. Have you ever seen or watched news of cops shooting someone and NOT firing multiple rounds?
Of all the tactical battle rattle these ICE dorks are wearing to capture people, I think suppressors are the least worrisome; should maybe even be mandatory for law enforcement in urban environments. That's coming from my experience shooting in the Marines and being a hobby shooter since then.

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[–] SSNs4evr@leminal.space 10 points 2 days ago

Why do they need/get to hide their faces, and carry no identification?

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 49 points 2 days ago (7 children)

How do we know some abductions aren't be carried out by white nationalists murdering the people they toss into vans?

I mean...isn't that what happens even if they actually are on the government payroll?

[–] helvetpuli@sopuli.xyz 13 points 2 days ago (4 children)

One could, hypothetically, turn this around and use it to abduct MAGAts, no?

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[–] cm0002@lemmy.world 156 points 3 days ago (45 children)

Silencers aren't actually silent, they're still quite loud, it's nothing like in shows and movies

In real world usage, they're really only useful for reducing the decibels a bit for hearing protection reasons

Suppressor is a more apt term for them

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 89 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Of all the disgusting shit ICE/the Gestapo is doing, honestly using a suppressor is of least concern to me

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 70 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

Personally, I think suppressor should be the least of illegal things about firearms.

The majority of the people I know with one have it so they don't bother their neighbors as much and they have a little extra buffer zone for their earpro.

I'd much rather it sound like my neighbor is using a large sledgehammer all day than gunshots.

The masks, lack of clear identification (not "I'm a cop" but actual identifying information), and what looks like 270 rounds of ammo waiting to go for a supposed ~~kidnapping~~ deportation are of FAR greater concern.

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[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 88 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

These do not work the way they do in the movies. If he fired that rifle it would still be quite loud even with the suppressor on. But the difference it makes is that if he fires it indoors it won't blast out the ear drums of everyone in the room.

I'd say the more important thing to point out with this picture is that the reason why they're kitted out like this is that they want to discourage people confronting them as they're committing another atrocity in plain sight. They know that people will not stand powerless much longer as someone is being kidnapped before their eyes.

[–] CancerMancer@sh.itjust.works 16 points 2 days ago

Honestly the suppressor is the least egregious part of the whole setup.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is also why silencer bans are fucking stupid, all it does is changes it from "goodbye ear drum" to "well that was loud", I am generalizing somewhat but my point still stands. Unless we are talking about some obscure shit like the Welrod which is ridiculously silent because like most of the damned gun is silencer, it's more silencer than gun.

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[–] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] iridebikes@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago (1 children)

How did Watchmen so accurately predict this timeline?

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[–] plz1@lemmy.world 41 points 2 days ago (15 children)

Why do they need AR's in an urban domestic environment? It's part cosplay, part intimidation factor. At least that thug is practicing proper trigger discipline.

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[–] Lucky_777@lemmy.world 72 points 3 days ago (10 children)

Remember, slugs can go through body armor. If any of these mfs are not identifying as police, have no badge or warrant, and are armed to the teeth....they could be any joe off the street.

Defend yourself and your home.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 29 points 3 days ago (10 children)

A 12 ga. slug probably won't, but these typically also weigh a full ounce and will be packing 2,300-3,000 FPE or so. Even if it doesn't penetrate, the presumptive target is likely to wind up flat on his ass and not in a position to get up in a hurry. Imagine getting hit by a dump truck that's about 3/4" in diameter.

Modern body soft body armor can usually be counted on to be designed around stopping pistol and maybe intermediate cartridges up to 5.56 or 7.62x39, so whatever big game chambering you have in your Fudd rifle is likely not to be too impressed by it. Just to throw some perspective out there.

It's possible some of these dweebs could be strutting around in level III or IV plates but this doesn't seem like a strong possibility. The chump in the picture certainly isn't.

I think these morons are putting on a big old show to make themselves look tough but they are absolutely not acting like they really expect any resistance.

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[–] oyo@lemmy.zip 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

ICE are just random racists they plucked off the street last week and gave a cardboard badge they don't have to carry. It wouldn't surprise me if the hiring stipulation was BYOG.

[–] burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago

they're not random racists. They're specific racists, that trump pardoned from federal prison like two months ago and then deputized

[–] ZMoney@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

These are people who think they're playing CounterStrike for a living. Of course they're going to look the part.

[–] DemandtheOxfordComma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 28 points 2 days ago (5 children)

He doesn't need a long gun either. Or all the extra gear. He needs a bag of zip ties and a freaking badge. That's about it.

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[–] MoonRaven@feddit.nl 29 points 2 days ago (3 children)
[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (2 children)

because I suspect a large chunk of them are proud boys

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[–] whyalone@lemm.ee 10 points 2 days ago

Because They played a lot of counter strike

[–] vala@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Because these are just random dudes who bring their own personal weapons from home. It's like a fashion show for them.

[–] ABetterTomorrow@lemm.ee 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] _cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 30 points 3 days ago (18 children)

That’s a suppressor. There’s no such thing as a silencer. Suppressors are important for anyone who uses a gun and can afford them, because they help protect your ears from permanent damage.

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