Stupid Cops

[Gun Nut]

The court heard all the testimony, facts we probably haven't seen. In they end the Judge ruled the cops were in the wrong and apologised to the lady and rewarded her $150,000. Sometimes 'how' officers enforce the law is put in question and needs to be improved.

The only person who appears to have supported how the officers handled this situation is the police chief. Have to respect his leadership and that he had their backs. I'm sure they'll handle it 'differently' the next time.

It's not the fact that the police officer may have gotten carried away, in his handling of the situation, what I find problematic is turning an uncooperative common criminal into a martyr. Turning a criminal into a martyr places a seal of approval for criminals exercise whatever means they have at hand to offer a challenge to authority. There was a video not so long ago, you may have posted it, where an officer makes a traffic stop, and the guy is asked to get out his half ton, and in doing so he draws a shotgun from behind the seat of his truck and blows the officer away.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut

[MikePal]

It's not the fact that the police officer may have gotten carried away, in his handling of the situation, what I find problematic is turning an uncooperative common criminal into a martyr.

I don't think she's being buoyed to 'Martyr' status, just looked like an old lady that deserved better treatment, but I do know what you mean. Especially in the Black communities where there is cop interaction due to a crime being committed and it ends up the 'Criminal' is hailed a hero. The Floyd fiasco is a perfect example.

The Cops in response....the area were it took place is now a No-Go zone for police enforcement and crime is running amouk.

[MarkB]

My concern was this thread had set to bash the police for doing what they are called upon to do, namely enforce the law. What the old woman was doing appears to have bother somebody enough, that they deemed it fit to call law enforcement. Fortunately they tased her, if they had shot her we might possibly have been looking at something like another George Floyd martyrdom.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut

I think what is missing nowadays is that middle part. Let me explain the two ends first ... end one ... neighbors solve their dispute, no need for any type of enforcement .... opposite end is cops step in because things are getting hot and heavy, no question that use of firearms is logical.

There's that middle piece ... where it goes beyond the neighborly resolution, but not nearly needs the heavy hand of police ... and we've seen this time and time again ... a mentally ill person, this case of picking dandelions ... there's nothing to respond to the middle, except the cops ... and then they go gangbusters like idiots, deploying policy and everything they've been trained to do ... IT'S WAY TOO MUCH.

Either train a unit of the police force to deal with softer issues, or create a new public arm that is better trained and more sensitive.

[rick_iles]

I think what is missing nowadays is that middle part. Let me explain the two ends first ... end one ... neighbors solve their dispute, no need for any type of enforcement .... opposite end is cops step in because things are getting hot and heavy, no question that use of firearms is logical.

There's that middle piece ... where it goes beyond the neighborly resolution, but not nearly needs the heavy hand of police ... and we've seen this time and time again ... a mentally ill person, this case of picking dandelions ... there's nothing to respond to the middle, except the cops ... and then they go gangbusters like idiots, deploying policy and everything they've been trained to do ... IT'S WAY TOO MUCH.

Either train a unit of the police force to deal with softer issues, or create a new public arm that is better trained and more sensitive.

We saw this coming 30 years ago. Governments were cutting costs, cutting programs etc., downloading to the police. Police were the only public service open 24/7
and available. For the most part, police were not trained or equipped to deal with the mental health issues they were forced to handle. The pendulum has started to swing the other way, with more mental health training, with officers dedicated to these types of issues, in some police services. These mental health, drug addiction issues are getting much worse.

[MarkB]

We saw this coming 30 years ago. Governments were cutting costs, cutting programs etc., downloading to the police. Police were the only public service open 24/7
and available. For the most part, police were not trained or equipped to deal with the mental health issues they were forced to handle. The pendulum has started to swing the other way, with more mental health training, with officers dedicated to these types of issues, in some police services. These mental health, drug addiction issues are getting much worse.

Yup, and I think what has turned this issue into steroids, is public justice via social platforms ... everything criticized, and so everyone (not just cops) now play by the book ... no such thing anymore like taking the kid back to the parents and giving the parents a chance to deal with the kid who made his "first mistake". The cops throw the book at everything, because they don't want to be held liable for anything.

So you have a system that is stone cold ... due to public judgement, and there's only two mechanisms ... full on cop assault or nothing at all.

I tell my older son to be very careful ... we could get away with stuff when we were younger. Now, cameras everywhere, cops see you, you're pretty much going to jail if you do anything bad ... no sympathy, no 2nd chances ... then you have a record, and no company wants to touch you for fear of what that does to their corporate reputation ... so you're basically done.

We created a monster ... and it's VERY BAD.