Past performance is not indicative of future results.<p>I can&#x27;t tell if police behavior is getting worse, or whether it was always this bad, and it is just being caught on camera more often, thanks to ubiquitous smartphones.  But you can now go on YouTube and watch only new videos of cops behaving badly every waking moment of your life.  They shoot dogs.  They beat up handcuffed suspects.  They arrest protesters for trespassing on public property.  They use pepper spray from 30 cm away against nonviolent protesters.  They make racist and sexist remarks.  They shoot people in the back and drop a weapon next to the body.  They literally murder people, on camera, and are not required to take any personal responsibility for it.<p>You should give a cop no more deference than you would ordinarily give to any other person who could murder you on the spot and get a paid vacation as his only &quot;punishment&quot;.  Be respectful, and they <i>probably</i> won&#x27;t kill you, or do a roadside body cavity search, or arrest you for resisting arrest, or drag you to multiple hospitals until they find a doctor willing to comply with their ethically dubious and medically unnecessary requests, or shoot your dog, or simply trash your car while performing a &quot;search&quot;.<p>Be respectful, and they won&#x27;t punish you for &quot;contempt of cop&quot;.  The Andy Griffith cop no longer exists.  He has been replaced by the &quot;made man&quot; cop.<p>Your best course of action now is to avoid all police contact altogether, even while they are off duty.  If they force you into contact, just <i>keep your mouth shut</i> and leave at your earliest safe opportunity.<p>My advice to foreigners is to not voluntarily visit the U.S.  If you must come, do not stray from the tourist-friendly areas, and try not to be outside of your hotel or other lodgings between 11 PM and 5 AM local time.  Write the phone number for your nearest consulate in permanent marker on the inside of your forearm, and make sure it stays legible for the duration of your trip.  Purchase a health insurance policy designed for international travelers to the US before you arrive.  If you find my advice dubious, read this: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Sureshbhai_Patel" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Sureshbhai_Patel</a> .