[Jaydelart]

Richmond, California, USA; Oakland, California, USA: I live very close to these areas.

Generally, the police here are fairly professional. There are some officers that I found that were friendly and polite, and there were some that weren't. When they're doing business, naturally, they can be quite straightforward, in which cases, it can be difficult to judge their personalities.

As far as response speed goes... I would say usually around 2-4 minutes. But I wouldn't stick to that number confidently.

In terms of treating people... it depends on whether you're the suspect or not. Again, I live close to some rough neighborhoods; I know people from these areas; I've have some experience in these areas. People here would have you believe the police are ruthless and corrupt -- and maybe some are -- I don't deny that at all. But, here, I've never truly fallen for the street rebel-versus-conformist mentality. Many people here are not well educated and don't understand some of the police protocol. They get offended when asked to step back or show their hands. They shout abuse when someone is wrestled to the ground. And many don't realize, when you simply refuse to follow directions, especially when it regards officer or citizen safety, you can be put in handcuffs.