So are cops just like, zero percent aware of the current public perception of them?
Va Beach cops may be more assholish than others because a chunk of the city is touristy. Maybe, maybe not, I haven't been there in many years.
When I graduated high school in '74, I stayed at a classmate's Dad's house at the beach. It was actually a duplex with the main part of the house rented to tenants, who tactfully went elsewhere during the week. It had a swimming pool and abutted the Princess Anne Golf Course. My friend's cousin was living there for the summer. He was older and a graduate student something law&order and was working the summer as an undercover police officer.
Naturally, we being 18 and he 5 years older, wanted to show off his shit. Interesting thing about this year, is that 18 year olds couldn't buy beer at the time (late May, early June) but the law was going to be changed July 1. Think was, if you were old enough to be drafted you should be able to drink a beer; but the draft had just ended. Not that I complained, I'm just maybe a tiny bit sorry we fucked it up so bad they raised the limit to 21 by the 80's. (not really, I got mine, suckas)
Anyway, we go into a bar and sit at a table. Waiter brings us 3 draft beers immediately, no questions asked. We get a second round brought about. We leave, owner shoots us a thankful nod.
This gets scene gets repeated for at least a half dozen more bars along the strip. We get fucked up and go back to the house. The cousin rolls a fatty from stuff he confiscated the previous night. "Stupid motherfucker threw the baggie into the wind, dumb ass".
Meanwhile, various other classmates are staying the week at other cottages/houses not far away. Word had spread that my friends cousin is a cop. One day about a dozen of us were in the house and decided to roll up a joint. A baggie was produced and spread out on an album cover but no one had any papers. At this moment the cousin walked in. Everyone was going "Oh fuck, we're busted". I say to the cousin (I'll call him Miles because that was his name, but his last name was NOT Long) "Hey Miles man, you got any papers?" He opens his wallet, police badge showing and grabs out a packet of JB papers. Joints were rolled and good times ensued.
As the week was winding down, it was decided to have a party at this house involving everyone. I mean it had a swimming pool and shit and plenty of kegs. Turns out Miles had invited all the young police officers getting off shift at midnight to the party too. So all these uniformed police guys show up, but make sure to assure everyone that they are off-duty and are there to have as good a time as everyone else.
A little later, Miles says "come with me". We walk out the back yard through the trees onto a fairway on the golf course. There are a bunch of cops out there already. Miles fires up couple of joints and passes them around. The cops all make me promise to never say anything about it and I dutifully reply "Yessir ossifer". Hopefully the statutes of limitations has run out by now.
TLDR got fucked up with a bunch of Va Beach ossifers.