>>Well, the negative reputation of cops in a lot of places doesn't come out of the air, things happen to lead to that reputation. I think the pay and the hiring/screening process should be very high, these are the people protecting us and putting their ass on the line so they should be paid accordingly and at the same time the bar should be very high as far as standards (especially psychological) for a new hire. Many times you have cop having no business being a cop and gives other good cops a bad name.
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>>Ok, small rant, back to the topic :).
>
>I agree with you across the board. The problem is public servants / government employees can't always be paid what they're really worth. As you say, policemen and firemen (and women) put their lives on the line every day. Teachers are another great example. Soldiers. (And Marines and sailors -- hi, John <g>). All these people make some small fraction of the incomes of, say, investment bankers, but would anyone seriously dispute that they make a greater contribution to society?

You have a real soldier complex Mike. There are many admirable soldiers but like in other areas of life there are a fair few ----- as well.