Ferguson Riots

[StrangeSox]

Cleveland Browns player Andrew Hawkins wore a "Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford" t-shirt during pre-game intros last weekend. The Cleveland Police Union demanded an apology, but Hawkins refused and instead replied with some pretty solid thoughts on the issue:

 

He said:

 

“I was taught that justice is a right that every American should have. Also justice should be the goal of every American. I think that’s what makes this country. To me, justice means the innocent should be found innocent. It means that those who do wrong should get their due punishment. Ultimately, it means fair treatment. So a call for justice shouldn’t offend or disrespect anybody. A call for justice shouldn’t warrant an apology.

 

“To clarify, I utterly respect and appreciate every police officer that protects and serves all of us with honesty, integrity and the right way. And I don’t think those kind of officers should be offended by what I did. My mom taught me my entire life to respect law enforcement. I have family, close friends that are incredible police officers and I tell them all the time how they are much braver than me for it. So my wearing a T-shirt wasn’t a stance against every police officer or every police department. My wearing the T-shirt was a stance against wrong individuals doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons to innocent people.

 

“Unfortunately, my mom also taught me just as there are good police officers, there are some not-so-good police officers that would assume the worst of me without knowing anything about me for reasons I can’t control. She taught me to be careful and be on the lookout for those not-so-good police officers because they could potentially do me harm and most times without consequences. Those are the police officers that should be offended.

 

“Being a police officer takes bravery. And I understand that they’re put in difficult positions and have to make those snap decisions. As a football player, I know a little bit about snap decisions, obviously on an extremely lesser and non-comparative scale, because when a police officer makes a snap decision, it’s literally a matter of life and death. That’s hard a situation to be in. But if the wrong decision is made, based on pre-conceived notions or the wrong motives, I believe there should be consequence. Because without consequence, naturally the magnitude of the snap decisions is lessened, whether consciously or unconsciously.

 

“I’m not an activist, in any way, shape or form. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred I keep my opinions to myself on most matters. I worked extremely hard to build and keep my reputation especially here in Ohio, and by most accounts I’ve done a solid job of decently building a good name. Before I made the decision to wear the T-shirt, I understood I was putting that reputation in jeopardy to some of those people who wouldn’t necessarily agree with my perspective. I understood there was going to be backlash, and that scared me, honestly. But deep down I felt like it was the right thing to do. If I was to run away from what I felt in my soul was the right thing to do, that would make me a coward, and I can’t live with that. God wouldn’t be able to put me where I am today, as far as I’ve come in life, if I was a coward.

 

“As you well know, and it’s well documented, I have a 2-year-old little boy. The same 2-year-old little boy that everyone said was cute when I jokingly threw him out of the house earlier this year. That little boy is my entire world. And the No. 1 reason for me wearing the T-shirt was the thought of what happened to Tamir Rice happening to my little Austin scares the living hell out of me. And my heart was broken for the parents of Tamir and John Crawford knowing they had to live that nightmare of a reality.

 

“So, like I said, I made the conscious decision to wear the T-shirt. I felt like my heart was in the right place. I’m at peace with it and those that disagree with me, this is America, everyone has the right to their first amendment rights. Those who support me, I appreciate your support. But at the same time, support the causes and the people and the injustices that you feel strongly about. Stand up for them. Speak up for them. No matter what it is because that’s what America’s about and that’s what this country was founded on.”

[southsider2k5]

I love the "I have ______ who are friends" line that would get most mocked.

[southsider2k5]

http://freakonomics.com/2014/12/18/uninten...ts-in-new-york/

 

1. According to the New York Post: “The NYPD is pulling detectives from homicides and other investigations to help deal with the endless barrage of anti-cop protests in the city, law-enforcement sources told The Post Monday.”

 

2. The anti-police protests are, in one way at least, rewarding the very police officers whom the protestors wish to punish, with nearly $23 million in overtime going to cover “the equivalent of 38,700 tours of duty since Dec. 3,” according to commissioner Bill Bratton.

 

3. The protests have also led most New York precincts to cancel their Christmas parties. According to DNAInfo: “The officers, who pay for their precincts’ holiday parties themselves, also don’t want to risk putting in money if there’s a chance they’ll be called out to work overtime the night of the party.”

[bmags]

This has to be the very definition of too clever by half:

2. The anti-police protests are, in one way at least, rewarding the very police officers whom the protestors wish to punish, with nearly $23 million in overtime going to cover “the equivalent of 38,700 tours of duty since Dec. 3,” according to commissioner Bill Bratton.

[StrangeSox]

It's really weird that the police commissioner would perceive protests demanding less police violence and more accountability as seeking "punishment" against police.

[StrangeSox]

A positive policing story:

Outpouring of Kindness Continues for Grandma Caught Shoplifting to Feed Family

 

On Dec. 6, Tarrant, Ala., police Officer William Stacy got a shoplifting call from Dollar General. Stacy gets such calls all the time. When he got to the store, he was shocked by what he saw: Helen Johnson, 47, was short the money she needed to get a carton of eggs, so she had stuffed a few in her pocket and they had cracked as she began to walk out.

 

"Usually people are stealing things like makeup or phone chargers—not things they need to get by," Stacy told Yahoo Parenting.

 

Johnson told Stacy what she had done and why she had done it. At home were her "two daughters, her niece and two young grandkids," who hadn't eaten since the Thursday before.

 

"When she mentioned the kids and said they were hungry, that's when I knew I wanted to buy the eggs," Stacy, 23, told Yahoo Parenting. "No matter what financial situation kids are in, it's not their fault they're hungry."

 

Stacy told the news site that the Police Department has used this as an opportunity "to start a fund to help feed the community as a whole."

 

Facebook commenters have called Stacy an "angel" for his act of kindness, but Stacy just believes he is doing his job. "There's a real trust issue between law enforcement and citizens right now, but hopefully this shows we are not robots who just want to arrest people," Stacy told the news site. "We have hearts—you have to have a big heart and clear conscience of mind to do this job."

[cabiness42]

Here we go again:

 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-a...5dbdc896ba.html

 

I've already seen dozens of posts on Facebook, adamant that this kid did not pull a gun on the cop and did absolutely nothing wrong, despite:

 

Meanwhile, Schellman said he has seen video from cameras at the gas station where the shooting occurred. He said that footage will be released soon.

 

"You can see the gentleman raise a handgun and the officer fire a shot," Schellman said.

 

He said that, based on footage he has seen, the officer was carrying a flashlight when he approached two people at the Mobil gas station and engaged in a conversation. He also said it appears that the officer did not pull his weapon until one of those people pulled a gun.

 

Detectives "recovered the deceased subject's handgun at the scene," the release from county police said.

 

[RockRaines]

Here we go again:

 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-a...5dbdc896ba.html

 

I've already seen dozens of posts on Facebook, adamant that this kid did not pull a gun on the cop and did absolutely nothing wrong, despite:

Those posts were based on a guy trolling the Internet to get followers on Twitter.

[RockRaines]

They already released the security video. Sure looks like he is pointing something at cops. Also doesn't appear the police were getting physical or anything prior.

[Brian]

Down in southern Illinois for few days and it's all over the news. Chief doing press conference now. They're going over surveillance now.

 

[RockRaines]

Good prompt press conference with quickly released video.

[Brian]

Am I wrong or did the guys approach the cop car before the cop got out? I can't see it very well

[RockRaines]

Kind of. For some reason they looked like they approached the lady walking the stroller then went right to the cop car. Sure looks like he pulled a gun.

[cabiness42]

No, you're getting it all wrong. That isn't really a gun on the video. You can't be 100% sure, or even 99.9999% sure that was a gun so we have to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. The gun found at the scene was planted by the cops to help justify the random murder of an innocent black kid. And even if it was a gun and it was pointed at the cop, the cop has no business firing first. Maybe the kid was going to put the gun down. The cop should never fire at any black person unless that person has fired at the cop first. Otherwise, the cop is just murdering the kid because he hates black people.

[greg775]

I haven't followed Ferguson in weeks. Are the protests over? Back to normal completely?

[Balta1701]

I haven't followed Ferguson in weeks. Are the protests over? Back to normal completely?

Just a day or two ago someone drove over the "memorials" in the street where he was killed and a police officer interviewed by the post scoffed at it as a bunch of trash.

[EvilMonkey]

Just a day or two ago someone drove over the "memorials" in the street where he was killed and a police officer interviewed by the post scoffed at it as a bunch of trash.

Well it has no business being in the middle of a street.

[TaylorStSox]

http://freakonomics.com/2014/12/18/uninten...ts-in-new-york/

Am I understanding this correctly? The NYPD calls their work shifts "tours of duty?"

[StrangeSox]

Am I understanding this correctly? The NYPD calls their work shifts "tours of duty?"

The federal government does that for most (maybe all) of its agencies.

[StrangeSox]

Nashville chief of police with a solid Christmas message

 

To All Employees:

 

It is the holiday season and this has been a good year. My sincere thanks for the work you do every day to make this a successful police department. The Nashville public is especially pleased with the work you do and has even more confidence in you as events have unfolded over the last few weeks.

 

Over the last weeks, across the nation, and here in Nashville, we have witnessed many protests and demonstrations. Some of the demonstrations have been peaceful. Some have been violent, with significant property damage. Here in Nashville, persons have gathered to express their thoughts in a non-violent manner. I thank all involved for the peaceful manner in which they have conducted themselves.

 

I also thank you. As a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, you have responded to these events in a manner that clearly shows that this is a professional police department staffed by professional individuals who respect the points of view of all persons. Again, thank you for showing the Nashville public that, individually and collectively, they have a police department they can be proud of.

 

Obviously, as you have come to know over your police career, not everyone will understand or agree with the manner in which we have responded during these demonstrations. In any endeavor we undertake, decisions should be made with a view toward producing the best outcome for all of Nashville. Our decisions must be made with this in the forefront. However, in that we work for the public, public opinion should be given consideration in the decision making process in matters such as this.

 

Overwhelmingly, in comments that have been directed to me, the public is supportive of your actions. Obviously, some have expressed disagreement. Most have stated their disapproval in a well thought out and rational manner. Their thoughts should be respected and given consideration.

 

However, as in any similar issue, there is a fringe, generally about 5 percent, on either end of the approval spectrum that have very strong views. It is readily apparent that their thought processes are driven, not by what has occurred during the demonstration, but more by the social positions taken by the demonstrators. Clearly, they are more angry at the thoughts expressed by the demonstrators than how the demonstrations are being conducted. While I respect their right to take that position, we cannot allow those views to be a part of our decision making process. Decisions need to be made with a view toward what is best for all of Nashville.

 

Below is my reply to one such email I received. I have removed the name and other identifying information from the email in order to respect the privacy of the individual.

 

Again, the Nashville public is very proud of you and the work you have done over the last years. The confidence and support of the public is continually and loudly expressed to both me and the Mayor at any time we are out in the public. Thank you for making this a very impressive police department--another thing we can celebrate during this holiday season.

 

I wish you and your family well during the holidays and I am predicting, thanks to the work that you do day in and day out, that we will have another very successful year.

 

The email he references and his response is too long to quote but is available at the link.

 

[pettie4sox]

That is a very smart Police Chief. Thanks for posting that SS.

[farmteam]

Yep, that was a great response.

[StrangeSox]

Meanwhile, the NYPD isn't exactly covering themselves in glory right now. From turning the funeral of a slain fellow officer into a petty protest to a work slowdown that's meant to demonstrate....something?, they're only making themselves look silly.

 

From the NYT

Many members of the New York Police Department are furious at Mayor Bill de Blasio and, by extension, the city that elected him. They have expressed this anger with a solidarity tantrum, repeatedly turning their backs to show their collective contempt. But now they seem to have taken their bitterness to a new and dangerous level — by walking off the job.

 

The New York Post on Tuesday reported, and city officials confirmed, that officers are essentially abandoning enforcement of low-level offenses. According to data The Post cited for the week starting Dec. 22 — two days after two officers were shot and killed on a Brooklyn street — traffic citations had fallen by 94 percent over the same period last year, summonses for offenses like public drinking and urination were down 94 percent, parking violations were down 92 percent, and drug arrests by the Organized Crime Control Bureau were down 84 percent.

 

So, the city isn't falling apart yet, despite their being 90%+ fewer citations for pretty minor offenses. I don't know that this demonstrates what the police want it to demonstrate. The police have also said that they are not making arrests unless absolutely necessary; uh, shouldn't that be the case always, that you don't make unnecessary arrests? And all this because what appears to be a majority of the NYPD perceives protests and rallies over lack of accountability for specific cases of excessive use of force sometimes resulting in death as being "anti-police," and ending racial 'stop-and-frisk' as being "anti-police." DeBlasio even supports the "broken windows" policing that the NYPD wants.

 

And this follows on the heels of this admission from an ongoing corruption investigation into the NYPD drug units: We fabricated drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas, former detective testifies

 

A former NYPD narcotics detective snared in a corruption scandal testified it was common practice to fabricate drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas.

 

The bombshell testimony from Stephen Anderson is the first public account of the twisted culture behind the false arrests in the Brooklyn South and Queens narc squads, which led to the arrests of eight cops and a massive shakeup.

 

Anderson, testifying under a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, was busted for planting cocaine, a practice known as “flaking,” on four men in a Queens bar in 2008 to help out fellow cop Henry Tavarez, whose buy-and-bust activity had been low.

 

“Tavarez was … was worried about getting sent back [to patrol] and, you know, the supervisors getting on his case,” he recounted at the corruption trial of Brooklyn South narcotics Detective Jason Arbeeny.

 

“I had decided to give him [Tavarez] the drugs to help him out so that he could say he had a buy,” Anderson testified last week in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

 

He made clear he wasn’t about to pass off the two legit arrests he had made in the bar to Tavarez.

 

“As a detective, you still have a number to reach while you are in the narcotics division,” he said.

[LittleHurt05]

Is there anything dumber than arrest /citation quotas fire police officers?

[Jenksismyhero]

Is there anything dumber than arrest /citation quotas fire police officers?

 

 

Can't embed, unfortunately: