This is a thread about the Police!
What do you think about them now versus in the past (regardless of where you live..)

I think most people agree that violent criminals, thieves and certain other people need to be controlled by the police. But so often, the police overstep the mark!

Here in England I have no real negative experience of the police and I must say that they are surprisingly nice when you have to deal with them. Sometimes I find it annoying that they are standing around in the Metro for a silly job like catching people who don't pay... But they are forced to be civil to everyone and they are generally not very intimidating. A lot of the policemen are actually women. They don't actually wear weapons! I suspect they are a bit racist and that they discriminate against people at the bottom of society. But that does not affect me and I have never actually seen it happen.

I don't know anything about the police in the US other than from TV... If you live there, what's your view and/or experience?

I have heard and read MANY stories now about police in Russia; that the police is out of control: taking bribes, stopping innocent people/drivers to demand fines and beating up people they take dislike to. I don't know if it is true or not - a lot of the info about Russia on the web is quite exaggerated.

What's your view on the above -- true / false, right or wrong? Are you scared of trouble with the police? Have you had any trouble?

What about Ukraine and any other ex-USSR countries?

But in Sweden recently the police is getting increasingly unpleasant.. The police tend to be VERY large guys (>2m and bodybuilders..), dressed in uniforms that look like they are from a scary sci-fi thriller. Instead of talking to people in a NORMAL tone of voice like the English police, they speak with a harsh accusatory tone of voice. When people speak back to them, they get accused of being drunk or under the influence of drugs which means they can be taken to the police station for a test. Frankly, they are intimidating and people do not really dare to challenge them since they hav the law on their side. However they are not corrupt and there are no SERIOUS miscarriages of justice along the lines of what seems (?) to be happening in Russia.