Police openly steeling money at random to fund their department

[GoVegan]

Don't apologize, It is a perfect example, How we can make lawyer jokes, bitch about car salesman, and make fun of plumbers' crack but start critiquing the police and your a dirtbag. Well played my friend.......

Are you insinuating that ALL plumbers use crack?

[ProudMarineDad]

Before I posted, I knew that whatever I said wouldn't change anyone's opinion but just didn't think that the broad stroke was fair. Look on the bright side, everyone is getting closer to getting the discount from the Snus Shop.

[GoVegan]

Before I posted, I knew that whatever I said wouldn't change anyone's opinion but just didn't think that the broad stroke was fair. Look on the bright side, everyone is getting closer to getting the discount from the Snus Shop.

Exactly! I am glad that you made your post. There are 2 sides to every story and not everything is black and white (no pun intended).

[Bigblue1]

Are you insinuating that ALL plumbers use crack?

No, but I have known a few guys in the car business who opted to burn out on the shit.

[sgreger1]

Sounds to me like you're dealing with a bunch of crooked assholes, who just happen to be cops.

Just cause a black guy robs you it's no reason to join the klan.

I would tend to think in that direction as well if these were isolated incidences. But this is happening every day all over America. I could start a thread and post at least 5 new instances of police brutality each day if you want, in bigger cities like San Fran and LA it is literally an epidemic, not just a few officers.


It would be different if the "black guy who robbed me" was part of a government sponsored force who that was tasked with protecting me and funded with my tax dollars, and it happened hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of times per year. I mean we think it's crooked when cops do shit like this in mexico but somehow when it happens here it is to be accepted? Cummon man there is no explaining away the level of ridiculousness it's gotten to lately.

[sgreger1]

Everyone....and I mean EVERYONE deserves a certain level of respect untill they prove to us they don't deserve it.

I will continue to thank every military person and every law enforcement officer knowing full well that some simply don't deserve it. The overwhelming majority of these people do deserve it.
http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239


@ PMD, please convey our deepest appreciation and thanks to your son for the task that he upholds....from the members of snuson.

Well this is the general rule for anybody though, I think everyone (the person themselves) should be given the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise. I would never just assume a cop was dirty because he had a badge. I had to deal with enough of that with those in san fran who think every soldier is a baby killer, it's not right to assume everyone is that way just because they wear the uniform, but all I am saying is that we need to realize that the percentage of those acting in this manner is growing and it is not being put in check.

Again, thumbs up to all of those who protect us, but thumbs down to all of those who don't, that simple. I know Proudmarine dad is a good guy and I know any son he raised would be no less of a good man as himself, I am just saying we rag on muslims because "while not all are radical there is a serious segment of them that are, enough to where it is a problem", so we need to apply that to other groups as well and acknowledge that the same trend is being observed within our own domestic police force.

[sgreger1]

In the interest of full disclosure, I followed that case fairly closely on another forum. The guy that got shot was well acquainted with the police for numerous non-violent nuisance issues. He was a drunk, and had some mental problems. That's still no excuse for shooting him in the back. The cop? He resigned, and no one felt any need to press charges. Guilty, or not, it should have at least gone to court to let a jury decide.

What do you suppose would happen to you if you shot a guy holding a shitty folding knife ~25' away in the back? :^S

I'd like to add that the autopsy revealed that the man was in fact not facing the officer at the time he was shot, meaning it was 100% murder. Like you said, I could not shoot some handicapped guy for having a pocketknife and get away with it, these cops either resign or get paid vacation while they pay off the persons family with millions in taxpayer money.

[triplethreat675]

Just to butt in with another perspective again... As far as police brutality and not being able to approach a parked squad vehicle without finding your dick in the dirt and a gun pointed at you. Every year the criminal element in our society becomes increasingly violent and brazzen. As officers we all have family and friends that we deserve to go home to, and we train in a manner that will allow us to do so at the end of our shift. For example in 1975 not even the nastiest criminal would walk into a starbucks pull out a glock and execute three officers. In 2010 thats a whole different story.

Do innocent civilians get wrapped up in some sticky s*** occasionally? absolutely. But modern police work has become and is still increasing in complexity and difficulty. No two situations are alike, but when you work with the same individuals, in similar situations, over and over it is easy to make mistakes, when you walk into a situation and have to make a life or death decision in less than half a second turns out to be the wrong one, that officer is civilly liable for everything unless that officer followed their policy to a T.

As far as the wood carver goes, we dont know the full extent of that officers history with the Carver and I can say for a fact if you dont think a knife is a deadly weapon at 25 feet, try holding your breath and running 25 feet with it. People dont die instantly when shot like you see in the movies. We are no different than deer or any other animal that runs several hundred meters when shot unless directly in the central nervous system.

If someone is holding a knife and I identify myself as an officer and request that they drop it, they had better drop it d*** fast. Because I am going home to my family bottom line.

Do I agree with the way the officer handled the carver situation... I cant honestly say because NONE OF US could see in the video the actual actions of the officer or the victim. What I can distinguish is that the officer ordered the man to drop the knife three times "sir, drop the knife" "drop the knife"
"drop the knife". At this point put yourself in the officers shoes if you had never dealt with this man before and did not know he was deaf your first impression is "s*** hes refusing my orders he has a deadly weapon in his hands (im going to draw my weapon now) I saw a knife but now I cant see his hands (the most dangerous part of someones body) " youve got half a second to decide wether to shoot him or risk him being a thug who does want to do you harm and either turns around to assault you with the knife you already know he has or pull out a firearm and begin shooting at you.

For those of you who are not aware, half a second is the average amount of time it takes for a officer to make a decision on use of force. It takes a criminal a fraction of that to act on a decision theyve already made. We are ALWAYS at a disadvantage.

Would i have handled it the same way? That is hard to say. I have only encountered one deaf person in my career thus far and this person was a maintenance worker in a warehouse that had an alarm tripped. While investigating and clearing the warehouse I encountered him holding a hammer and standing on a ladder as I came around a corner. I asked him to drop the hammer and step down to speak with me. To my surprise he acted as if I wasnt even there. Naturally I raised my voice still no response. My gun was already drawn and he finally realized my presence and stepped off the ladder he took a couple steps in my direction (about 30 feet away) and I must admit my mind was racing and I seriously thought about squeezing the trigger and then I thought maybe he doesnt speak english. I tried the only spanish I know "Hola!" The only response I got was the non hammer hand to his left ear making a cupping motion. This is where I finally made the connection that he was deaf. I was able to disarm him by pointing at his hammer and then pointing to the ground while making a dropping motion with my own hand. Needless to say my heart was beating much faster than a mouses and I had a nightmare or two about it.

Its always easy for people to criticize our actions but untill you have lived a day in the life, noone can truly understand the reason or the way that Officers conduct buisness.

Does "police brutality" exist? Absolutely. Do I believe that any officers purposely engage themselves in the behavior? Not at all. Its all tied back to making bad decisions when youve got a 50/50 shot and half a second to make it.

The real s*** of it is, as an LEO you are not protected if you make a decision outside of your training, standards and policies. If you accidentally kill someone its still murder, and we're civilly liable to the victims family. In half a second it is possible for me to lose my house, my freedom , and even my life.

Bottom line is, I would like you to put yourself in the officers shoes when you are in contact with one. Be polite, if they tell you to do something just do it. It will put the officers mind at ease somewhat and keep all of his/her tools on their belt. That way you dont have to worry about being a victim of police brutality. In addition the more you cooperate the less we have to do, which equals us letting you get back to your life alot faster.

When watching supposed police brutality videos onthe net keep in mind that often times youre only seeing a snippet, or that the poster creates it in a negative light and post facts that have no confirmed truth about them. And finally put yourself in the officers shoes. Would you have felt threatened? By doing this you can seperate the real police brutality (few and far between) and the proper use of force on people where force is rightly and justly used.

I do feel really bad about your motorcycle though sgreger. That still is a total crock of s***!

[GoVegan]

Thanks for your side of this story triplethreat - I still do not like how cops seem so eager to target commuters but I did not realize that a police officer could be held liable in civilly for acting outside of established parameters. I will say that I have never gotten a ticket, knock on wood. I have been pulled over twice for a broken headlight and once for doing 69 (he said it was 69 after I hit my brakes when I saw him) in a 55 but was let off with a warning. I will admit that there is some security in knowing that someone will help me if I call 911, no matter what the situation.

Thanks for your service!

[triplethreat675]

The reason we target commuters is a statistical issue. Our main goal of traffic enforcement is safety. When someone gets into an accident 7/10 times speed is a contributing factor. When you put several commuters on the same road (all speeding) the risk rises. When you think about the mindframe those commuters are in (just woke up, busy on phone with buisness, trying not to spill coffee on suit, etc.) The risk rises again. Many times I will sit in the median knowing full well that several cars just passed me exceeding the limit. But rather than pick one out I sit and do reports and what have you, because as soon as they realize Im in the median, tires turned, headlights on, ready to pounce, they have a tendency to refocus on not only their speed but the act of driving altogether.

In my jurisdiction only 10% of the forfeitures stay local. the rest goes to the state, Im sure some of it flows back our way in the way of training and grants. But there are far easier, safer, and less time consuming ways to fund our dept than write traffic tickets all day!

[GoVegan]

OK triplethreat but let me ask you a question please. Mind you, I rarely exceed 5mph over the speed limit so I am not a speed demon by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes on my way to work, I got stuck behind an elderly couple or truck doing 10 mph under the speed limit but refusing to pull over even after there is a line of 20 cars behind them. I get into these scenarios often, but when we go by a police officer they do absolutely nothing. Isnt it just as dangerous to have a line of cars behind you applying their brakes every 10 seconds than it is to speed? This is my one pet peeve that officers rarely do anything about. On the flipside, I am almost certain that I will get a ticket if I pass them on a double yellow.

[triplethreat675]

I hear ya govegan. Just because Im an officer doesnt mean my driving is always perfect either. We are all human, officers and citizens alike. Personally Im addicted to speed. In my younger days I liked to street race and i was even pretty good at it but now I do my racing on the track. Being that I would rather be going 5 over than 5 under, or even ten over and risk a ticket myself and have to explain to my supervisor that I wasnt speeding but rather practicing my ability to expedite Slow traffic is a huge pet peeve of mine too. Ask my wife it instills rage in me like none other. Especially those idiots that like to go dead nuts on the speed limit in the left lane those are the worst.

Unfortunately most states dont recognize slow speed as a contributing risk factor to safety. And therefore the state legislatures are reluctant to pass any laws that require motorists to travel at or above the posted limits. If I see a vehicle on the highway going 5 under legally there is no reason for me to stop the person. People do have a constitutional right to be left alone if not violating the statutes and ordinances set forth by the state. So about all I can do is shake my head and hope someone doesnt get so frustrated that they cross the double yellow trying to get to work on time. because that is definately a risky move. and will indeed warrant my undivided attention.

Hopefully this answers your question.

[GoVegan]

Yes it does. It drives me nuts because I commute an hour each way to work over 2 lane highways and surface streets. If you get someone driving slow in front you can be stuck behind them for a while. On the flipside, I love pulling over to let someone pass me by. That way they will get the ticket first!

[nicodude]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...041505394.html



Next from the wikipedia page for baltimore police department found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimo..._Squad_scandal

Flex Squad scandal
A rash of high profile corruption and brutality allegations have surfaced in late 2005 and early 2006, including the suspensions and arrests of Southwestern District flex squad officers for the alleged rape of a 22 year old woman they had taken into custody for illegal possession of narcotics. All criminal charges against the accused officers have since been dropped.[31]
Stories surfaced about flex squad officers planting evidence on citizens. Murder charges were dropped by the city.

Heres something a little different, a federal officer that lives in MY county, randomly shoots and kills a dog in a dog park:

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/24530406/detail.html


I see your side of the story, I do, and as I posted before I knew several upstanding officers in my life time and know there are alot of good cops out there, but the articles above are 3 of many all illustrating unforgivable actions by those entrusted to protect us. Go ahead and search for baltimore or maryland police brutality cases, or beatings, rapes, drug dealing, ect...

This is not so few and far between anymore, it is a serious problem. I understand the situation the cop is in and I can place myself in his shoes and evaluate what my actions would be, I know mistakes happen and sometimes stuff just goes to hell for no reason, even certain cases of excessive force can be explained but there are actions that can not be tolerated, like stealing and selling drugs, trafficking weapons, planting evidence, and of course there is NO legal or procedural reason to rape a woman, no matter what she is doing, that is f*cked up. These cops aren't just in the wrong place at the wrong time, they are actively commiting these crimes, and its going on ALOT more than is reported.

The epidemic is spreading because the offending officers almost NEVER face any serious consequences for their actions, most get put on paid leave until everything blows over.

That said I do appreciate the good officers that risk their lives to to try and make things better.

[TheJanitor]

It's a big world, and for every link you post of a criminal cop I can post a link showing a cop doing something heroic, saving someone's life.