I somewhat agree and disagree.
A major factor is the inconstant standards across the nation. We need a national police academy system, such as the British use, that ensures uniform training; standards and oversight.
Right now in most states it’s a High School diploma and six weeks training- then they put you on the street with a gun. US Soldiers get far more instruction than your average policeman.
Has de Blasio apologized to the cops yet?
They serve power to protect their pension.
We need an AG who isn’t a criminal conspirator.
https://twitter.com/Baldilocks__/status/1266055148788494336?s=20
Here’s the thing, man. Whenever the cops gun down an innocent black man, they always say the same thing: ‘Well, it’s not most cops. It’s just a few bad apples. It’s just a few bad apples.’
Bad apple? That’s a lovely name for murderer. That almost sounds nice. I’ve had a bad apple. It was tart, but it didn’t choke me out. Here’s the thing. Here’s the thing. I know being a cop is hard. I know that shit’s dangerous. I know it is, okay? But some jobs can’t have bad apples.
Some jobs, everybody gotta be good. Like … pilots. Ya know, American Airlines can’t be like, ‘Most of our pilots like to land. We just got a few bad apples that like to crash into mountains. Please bear with us.’
- Chris Rock
The NYPD is a cesspool of self-important authoritarian lovers. Just last week the NYPD Sargent’s union released the arrest of the Mayor’s daughter in a protest because they thought it would help them politically. The NYPD doesn’t deserve respect until it cleans up its act and earns it.
Where are the good cops refusing to participate in the smashing of heads, launching of tear gas at people’s faces, and herding peaceful protesters into dead-ends where they can be assaulted and arrested as soon as curfew hour comes? Show me the conscientious objectors, the ones who are reporting the “bad apples,” turning in their fellow warrior cops for excessive force, and refusing to follow orders to attack citizens exercising their constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.
You know what we call those cops? Ex-cops.
ETA: And yes, I know there are examples of police chiefs and personnel doing good work to ease tensions and keep things peaceful. Good on them. What I’m looking for is the one cop, any cop, who when told to put on the Robocop riot gear and fuck some protesters up, either refuses or honestly reports the cops who go nuts as a result. One example will suffice.
The officer is yelling, “Who are you essential too” But is the officer sure about the US constitution because I believe they take the oath of office and are sworn to protect and defend the US constitution. Well guess what folks, the first fu78ing amendment. Freedom of the fu78ing press!
When Trump says “The News Media is the Enemy!” those who support him LISTEN, and take action on his words.
Which is why CITIZENS (and especially News Media) need to wear their own “body-cameras” that automatically upload to the Cloud so they have evidence of these police assaults.
I have a both a visible 180 degree camera on my front mirror, and a hidden in-car camera that records everything continuously in case of an accident, or I’m pulled over by the cops (the in-car camera is hidden so others don’t know it’s there.)
Then again, being a 60+ White Guy, I doubt I would have much trouble, but you can never be too careful, especially now.
You can’t spell crap without AP.
Those laws are the first that need to be reviewed - and revoked/changed. It effectively allows legal murder (or at least manslaughter?) to occur. Unacceptable. Many years ago, I read Gilbert King’s “The Devil in the Grove”. Not much has changed.
But times are. I think this nation should also take on the current Second Amendment interpretation that everyone and anyone is allowed any type of gun they want and as many of them as they want. People may own guns, but there should be limits. I have nothing against private ownership of weapons. But citizens should not be allowed to carry in public spaces, such as government buildings, universities, bars, etc. Doing so is clearly meant as intimidation of and an implied threat to others. Many of the “bad apples” like to play with guns. The US averages over 30,000 deaths per year by guns? https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-america/ And we find this acceptable?
When faced with an insurmountable problem, make it bigger. Let’s deal with multiple issues at once. And let’s do it through open discussion, with all citizens, independent of their color, religion, or political views, participating. Enough.
Gee, the NYPD is abusive and violating the law? Stop the presses!
And then they wonder why the public doesn’t just love them and hug them and worship them.
I have seen a lot of image of cops in riot gear from Seattle to New York this past week. I have also seen a lot of tactical balaclava and badges with black tape covering the serial numbers.Being identified for their bad acts isn’t in the cards for many of them.
If they’re on camera, and attended the academy, they can be outed; and the black tape only makes it worse for them.
Make it worse how? In some police department, it is actually part of the allowed protocol for an officiers to cover the serial number in some situations. Wanna guess if riot control is one of them? The point is no to make recognition impossible. paired with any kind of face covering (balaclave, riot helmet, face shield, etc.) It’s simply for it to be difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt.
Judges and prosecutors both love reasonable doubts when LEOs are at the ones being accused.
With a civil court jury, but I take your point.
We need laws specific to officers who commit offenses against Constitutional rights. For violating freedom of the press, in this instance, the penalty should be a minimum sentence of several years in prison. For any violent violations of freedom of assembly, likewise. We need punishments commensurate with the power held instead of, as they are today, inverse to it.
Similarly, white collar crimes should draw prison sentence commensurate with the executive power of the perpetrators.
Both journalists were wearing AP identification and identified themselves as media.
“They didn’t care,” Wong said. “They were just shoving me.”
Unfortunately, I think they did care that they were media and were very likely targeted because of it.
So it goes