Increased "Police" Presence

Has anybody noticed an increase in private Groups callin themselves Police in the public areas, or is it just a coincidence that I'm seeing more of em?

I haven't seen em griefin or anything either, which I know in the past all patrol, military and "superhero" Groups had a BAD reputation for gettin outta control. Is there some kinda magical new age comin on where citizens/residents become "Cops" due to understaffing of Lindens???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment

Zimbardo's research shows why having SL police is a terrible idea...

Wow that's crazy...I never even knew about that experiment...thanks Rockwell

Agreed Rockwell. That they're self-appointed is even scarier. What balances their so-called law enforcement? Where are the judges? For that matter, who makes the laws they supposedly are enforcing? Sounds like they're lawmaker, police, judge, jury, and executioner -- a recipe for disaster if they ever get out of hand.

Luckily, I can eject them from my parcel just like I can griefers.

Read up on Zimbardo's close relative, Milgram, some time. Sobering stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

What is this, Psych 101?

Based on past experience with griefers who thought it was cool to belong to "Police" or "Military" groups, and given that there is absolutely NO official police jurisdiction within Second Life, any person who I see has a "Police" or "Military" tag or group association will be viewed with as much suspicion as anyone carrying a herking big weapon in a non-combat area, or a day-old account with a faceless, all-black avatar and a flamethrower. If they start firing weapons or doing other prohibited activities, I'll AR them as I would any other griefer. Probably faster, as they are already under suspicion.

If someone walks up to me on the street in RL and flashes a dimestore badge and fake ID at me, and claims to be a real cop, I'll turn them in to the local police for impersonating a police officer. If ANYONE flashes a badge or police title at me in Second Life, it IS false ID as far as I am concerned, because they can't possibly belong to an approved in-world police force.

If someone wants to play "Cops and Robbers" in their own group of parcels or sims, where everyone agrees that the role is accepted, that is fine. They can do what they please on their own land. But persoanlly, I'll stay far, far away from such areas.

If they really are a real life cop with official business inside SL, they won't be seeing anyone in-world or wearing a police tag here. They will be in San Francisco, CA, at the Linden Lab offices, having a quiet face to face chat in RL with Phillip Linden and his pals. That is where their jurisdiction begins and ends.

Funny, I thought back to that experiment when I saw my first "SL Police Officer" too. And the person turned out to be a griefer in disguise to boot. He kept swatting at people with a baton or shining a bright flashlight in their faces, demanding respect. Quite funny, since he got none. And when ignored, he proceeded to particle and sound spam the entire Braunworth Infohub.

Until there is a sanctioned police force set up and monitored directly by LL - I am treating all of those so called self-appointed cops like anyone else. And they get a thorough finger pointing and giggling from me when they demand respect of the uniform. *snerk*

*Channels Eric Cartman*..."You will respect my authoriata!"

I am the LAWWW!!

*Channels Nelson* Haa-haa! *Fingerpoints*

Incidentally, for the record I will acknowledge that at least some of those who choose to wear a "Police" group tag seem to be harmless. I found out yesterday that someone who owns the parcel next to mine is a member of a "Police" group. Reading his profile, it looks like he may belong to a legit police roleplay group. And I have never seen him flaunting his group membership in the sim I live in. Heck, in three months of owning the parcel next door, I have never seen him there, even once.

However... He's now on my "watch carefully" list. Perhaps I'll never meet him. Perhaps some day I will, and we'll become great friends. (It seems he shares a few interests with me, based on other groups he is in.) But until I get to know him, he'll be regarded skeptically. Not because he's been bad, but because so many others have "tarnished the badge" by their earlier misbehavior.

*Channels Homer* DOH!

Good one.

Wise words. As far as "action", I have only seen them use weapons and gear to surround a "suspect area" and make the Sim uncomfortable for Residents for the next hour or so, by asking EVERY PERSON: "What are you doing here?" etc, and pointin more guns around than my Bike Club does at the shootin range!

The only "Law Enforcement" I have met that seemed cool was this self-styled super hero who used simple tools: Help NoteCards, Abuse Reports, and Patience...he had a big red Z on his chest & he was part of Newbie Help & some Archangel Group.

That seems so boring ta me, I cant even believe that he bothers, but I guess he just read too many comics as a kid...at least he's tryna help newbies out tho.

Zetaman, thats his name...cant remember his last name.



NOOOOOOO...I spit milk all over my keyboard, LOL

I have to go with ceera on this one. While i would love for a REAL police force to be in SL, that sadly will never happen. So anyone i see claiming to be one will be held under my own suspicion. From my experience in SL I can sense a griefer very easily. I Don't act until they do though. It's best to have good defense in that situation.

Oh thank you. You're so kind. How generous of you to permit it.

Well, I guess I understand the sarcastic response, but I understand the sentiment behind Ceera's comment as well.... Let's face it, many of these groups are just a public nuisance. I know from first-hand experience that several of them are nothing but garden-variety noob griefers.

I can never take these "police" groups seriously. Be they police, military, Clone Troopers or Jedi, they always end up in the Welcome Area panhandling. How can I respect and or fear any "authority figure" who needs cash to buy a big gun?

LOL! I need to spend more time in the Welcome Areas, I could use a few good laughs!

Furthermore, some of them are legitimate role-playing groups who only interact with other role-players who are participating in the RP game. I dislike the blanket hostility expressed in this thread to anyone with a police-related group tag.

From all I have seen of them, just one could qualify for some kind of roleplaying....

Or do you considering it roleplay telling me what to do on my own land, even in a very unfriendly way? Demanding to ban someone from my land... This person had one warning.... there was no second.
The person he wanted me to ban was even a friend of my, roleplaying a Drow.

On my land... my rules. When they listen to those, they are welcome... else... I never warn twice.

Morwen.

I haven't met one that simply wasn't a blatant asshat in a public area where there were no other active roleplayers. "Legitimate officers" (of which in SL there are none) or those out to do a good deed have alot of cleanup work to do with the reputation previously laid by poor officers. Now can you begin to understand some of the hostile feelings to would be peace officers? Tromping about in welcome areas demanding respect and then particle/sound and mass-driver spamming the area when they do not get it is certainly no way to win me over.

...Don't sound like a "blanket" ta me. In RP Sims I all for Cops, otherwise Midian City would fall apart into chaos & lose some of the things that attract played & make em keep comin back. The topic is, has anybody else noticed an increase in Sel-Proclaimed "Cops" in PUBLIC areas.

I believe Midian City is where my neighbor roleplays as a police detective. That sounds familiar, from the one time I read his profile. I'm not familiar with the sim, and given that it does seem to be a 'cops and robbers RP' sim, I would personally avoid going there. I choose to avoid all combat-approved parcels, and if I enter one unknowingly, I leave as fast as I can. But as I said before, I have no problems at all with people who go to an RP area, put on their Police tag and uniform there, and play their RP games.

Within specific RP venues, playing a cop is fine. If I went to Midian City, and if I were to encounter my neighbor in his RP role as a Midian City detective, he would get treated just as I would treat a real life officer, with respect, but treated warily. But his authority stops the instant he leaves the RP area. If he were to come to my home, outside the RP venue that he plays in, and were to try to act like he had police authority there, that crosses the line. He never has. As I said, we have never met. But until I get to know him better, the wary attitude will remain.

I have an accquaintance who I know plays in a paramilitary RP group. She's come to my home after a session there, stripped off her uniform, and we roleplayed as if she was just coming off duty. She always removes her guns before setting foot on my land. She's never been a problem, and she has earned my trust and respect.

What I have an issue with is those who won't "leave the badge and gun in the patrol car when off duty". The people who go outside of RP areas to public areas or to other people's private land and continue to wear that police tag and act like they have some sort of authority.

In the real world, if I see someone openly carrying a gun, my senses go on alert. I look to see if they are wearing a legitimate looking police or military uniform, or a known security firm's uniform. If I recognize that they are apparently part of a group that has a legal right to carry a gun, I relax, but I'll remain wary of their presence.

In the real world, if I see someone wearing some semblance of a police or military uniform, I have a fairly decent reason to expect they are legitimate, if their badge and insignia look right for the locally recognized authorities. There are significant legal penalties for impersonating a police officer or a member of the military in real life. They will have my respect unless they act in a manner that is unfitting for their profession. But I will still regard them warily, as it is possible they may have to resort to violent action in the course of fulfiling their duties.

But in Second Life, there is NO police or military organization that has a universally accepted authority to bear arms or exert authority. None, unless you count those who are logged in as Lindens. In public areas or on land that isn't doing an RP where a police or military tag is appropriate, that "police" member is just another guy or gal in a costume. But one who is more likely to be armed and potentially is dangerous.

I respect real police officers. I grew up living next door to an active duty city police officer. I spent 14 years of my life as his next door neighbor and as a playmate of his children, and he was one of the most decent people I have ever met. Perhaps that is why those who abuse the police image and authority in SL bother me. It tarnishes the memory of a good and decent man, who I know served honorably for his entire career on the force, and who retired with a spotless record.