▁in ▁use ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁The ▁word ▁cop ▁is ▁sl ang ▁for ▁police ▁officer ; ▁the ▁phrase ▁is ▁derived ▁by ▁anal ogy ▁from ▁cont empt ▁of ▁court , ▁which , ▁unlike ▁cont empt ▁of ▁cop , ▁is ▁an ▁off ense ▁in ▁many ▁juris dict ions ▁( e . g ., ▁California ▁Pen al ▁Code ▁section ▁ 1 6 6 , ▁making ▁cont empt ▁of ▁court ▁a ▁mis de mean or ). ▁ ▁Similar ▁to ▁this ▁is ▁the ▁phrase ▁" dist urb ing ▁the ▁police ", ▁a ▁play ▁on ▁" dist urb ing ▁the ▁peace ". ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" fl unk ing ▁the ▁attitude ▁test ". ▁In ▁some ▁areas ▁it ▁is ▁called ▁P . O . P . ▁( for ▁" P iss ing ▁Off ▁the ▁Police ") ▁when ▁a ▁suspect ' s ▁de mean or ▁influ ences ▁officer ' s ▁response ▁to ▁people . ▁" Len iency ▁might ▁be ▁afford ed ▁to ▁persons ▁who ▁treat ▁officers ▁with ▁respect , ▁whereas ▁the ▁heavy ▁hand ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁is ▁extended ▁to ▁persons ▁who ▁are ▁dis res pect ful , ▁ill ▁manner ed ▁or ▁r ude ." ▁ ▁In ▁crime ▁writing ▁and ▁works ▁about ▁police ▁mis con duct , ▁it ▁has ▁become ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁cl ich é ▁to ▁s ardon ically ▁refer ▁to ▁cont empt ▁of ▁cop ▁as ▁the ▁worst ▁possible ▁crime . ▁ ▁Federal ▁case ▁law ▁Several ▁federal ▁court ▁dec isions ▁have ▁found ▁that ▁express ing ▁cont empt ▁for ▁police ▁officers ▁is