David, give me a break. Calling me "childish" adds nothing to this conversation. As many other have pointed out, your experience as a big city cop is probably not consistant with suburban or rural law enforcement.
And I stand by my assertion that cops will be on their best behavior with a ride along. I followed a state patrol officer for over ten miles one day at speeds approaching 110 mph. I followed him right to his lunch date, to which he was clearly late. I challenged everyone at the table on this and they blew me off. Would a ride along get to see that?
Recently here in the Northwest a young man was forcibly removed from a car parked on the side of the street. He looked like a car theft suspect. The cops beat the hell out of him. It was an expensive car parked in a ritzy neighborhood. The kid did not look like he "fit" - he was black. Turns out it was his dad's car in front of his own home. Would a ride along get to see that?
I was stopped on my motorcycle once; obstensibly because the cop couldn't tell if my tabs were up to date (I thought that was why they are color coded). I was right outside of his driver's window in the adjacent lane on the freeway. When he saw that were in fact up to date, he did not simply let me go. I stood on the side of the freeway for 45 minutes enduring this guy's shakedown. He kept digging for something, anything at all. Would a ride along get to see that?
Anyway, I could go on and on. A ride-along will never be exposed to these realities and we both know that. So yes, at that level, it is no more than a
PR ruse. "See how nice we are? See how respectful of citizens we are? We just don't understand what people could possibly complain about..." Those of us that have seen, or have been on the receiving end of, disrespectful or abusive cops know better.