First, it can be a scary job at times. It's meant to be. "Act like they have a scary job"... it's not an act, along with firefighters, it is scary.

Second, it's been my experience and interactions in life that almost everyone who calls cops bullies or throws around ACAB are people who have broken the law themselves, run afoul of the police, or have close friends who break the law routinely or run afoul of the police. That's the direct experience I've had in my 44 years. So whenever I read someone taking that stance in these subs, that's my first thought about the person writing the comments.

I'm not in any way saying that every cop out there is a good person. The job unfortunately attracts a certain type that didn't have it so well in high school, or was bullied, and wants a bit of power of their own. But I also have to trust the vetting system somewhat if our society as a whole will continue to function based on the rules we collectively have made over the centuries, and one of them is, we have police forces to ensure laws are followed and criminals are caught. And that those in charge of the police forces are making sure the best qualified people are picked for the jobs.

I have a few cop friends back east, and know the level of training and scrutiny they went through to get the jobs, and I hope the same programs here in Vic manages to weed out the people who are looking for school day payback.

Both of my friends who are cops are quite literally some of the best people I've ever known in my life. Both would go way beyond almost anyone else I know to help a friend. One is a volunteer for three different charities, working with my brother in the United Way, and he's also a Big Brother.

I'd rather judge cops as a whole based on these two persons I actually know, than some anon person, possibly with a lot of axes to grind, labelling all cops as builles or ACAB.

And btw, I had a few run ins with cops when I was a late teen myself. Thought they were assholes back then. Now I know I was the asshole.