Are You A Cowboy Cop?

"We cannot have the kind of country we want if people are are afraid
of those folks who are trying to protect them."
-President William Jefferson Clinton, March, 1999


If you are a law enforcement officer and you want to know whether or not you are a "COWBOY COP" you should take the following self-evaluating quiz:



YES ( ) NO ( ) 1. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY CAUSED OR ALLOWED EXAGERATED STATEMENTS OF FACT TO BE INSERTED INTO A WRITTEN INCIDENT REPORT OR SWORN AFFIDAVIT?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 2. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY CAUSED OR ALLOWED EMBELLISHED STATEMENTS OF FACT TO BE INSERTED INTO A WRITTEN INCIDENT REPORT OR SWORN AFFIDAVIT?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 3. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY CAUSED OR ALLOWED FALSE STATEMENTS OF FACT TO BE PLACED IN A WRITTEN INCIDENT REPORT OR SWORN AFFIDAVIT?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 4. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY MADE EXAGERATED, EMBELLISHED OR FALSE STATEMENTS IN A WRITTEN INCIDENT REPORT OR SWORN AFFIDAVIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROCURING OR ASSISTING IN THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF A FELLOW CITIZEN?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 5. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY MADE EXAGERATED STATEMENTS OF FACT WHILE TESTIFYING UNDER OATH IN COURT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROCURING OR ASSISTING IN THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF A FELLOW CITIZEN?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 6. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY MADE FALSE STATEMENTS OF FACT WHILE TESTIFYING UNDER OATH IN COURT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROCURING OR ASSISTING IN THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF A FELLOW CITIZEN?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 7. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY STOPPED AND DETAINED A FELLOW CITIZEN UNDER FALSE PRETENSES AND WITHOUT REASONABLE SUSPICION?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 8. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY ARRESTED A FELLOW CITIZEN WITHOUT JUST AND REASONABLE CAUSE?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 9. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY COMMITTED BATTERY UPON A FELLOW CITIZEN WHEN THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE WAS NOT NECESSARY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 10. HAVE YOU EVER COMMITTED BATTERY UPON A FELLOW CITIZEN AFTER HE OR SHE CEASED ANY RESISTANCE AND FULLY COMPLIED WITH YOUR ORDERS?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 11. HAVE YOU EVER COMMITTED BATTERY UPON A FELLOW CITIZEN SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU WERE ANGRY?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 12. HAVE YOU EVER KILLED A FELLOW CITIZEN UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DID NOT REASONABLY JUSTIFY THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 13. HAVE YOU EVER ARRESTED A FELLOW CITIZEN IN ORDER TO HELP SATISFY OR FULFILL A DAILY OR WEEKLY "ARREST QUOTA"?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 14. HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED AND DETAINED A FELLOW CITIZEN SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT THAT HE OR SHE WAS ATTRACTIVE?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 15. HAVE YOU EVER SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED SEXUAL FAVORS FROM A CITIZEN THAT YOU HAVE ARRESTED OR THREATENED TO ARREST?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 16. HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE AT SPEEDS FAR IN EXCESS OF THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT EVENTHOUGH THERE WAS NO LEGAL REASON FOR DOING SO?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 17. HAVE YOU EVER CHARGED A CITIZEN WITH COMMITTING A CRIME SIMPLY TO COVER YOUR OWN ASS?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 18. HAVE YOU EVER KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY PLACED OR "PLANTED" FALSE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE ON A FELLOW CITIZEN AT A CRIME SCENE?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 19. HAVE YOU EVER KEPT FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL GAIN, PROPERTY OR CONTRABAND THAT WAS CONFISCATED DURING A TRAFFIC STOP OR INCIDENT TO A SEARCH AND/OR ARREST OF A FELLOW CITIZEN?

YES ( ) NO ( ) 20. HAVE YOU EVER CONDONED OR APPROVED OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER COMMITTING ANY OF THE ACTIONS ENUMERATED IN QUESTIONS 1-19 ABOVE?

How to score yourself:
(BASED ON NUMBER OF YES ANSWERS)

0 --------- SERVES AND PROTECTS
1-3--------FLAWED CHARACTER
4-6--------COWBOY COP
7-9--------FASCIST THUG WITH BADGE
10+ ------SERIAL CRIMINAL