Live data from Hacker News

In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

nytimes.com

21–30 of 222 posts

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#21
post #9

So I guess "The Wire" was basically a documentary?

The situation sounds much more like The Shield. The Wire was focused on institutional problems. It was more interested in the tragedy that incentives in the police force and city government were such that barely an iota of thought was ever given as to how to actually fix the problems of the city. Instead most work was expended in public relations efforts, cooking the books and ass covering. There was one storyline in…

They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. In a later season when they're taking part in a raid with a dead wiretap and no risk of being caught after the fact, they do take the money.

The entire 5th season has most of the department cooking the books to get their overtime pay.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#22

Why is there not more transparency? It makes zero sense. What is going to stop something like this occuring again? Officers going to jail?

>What is going to stop something like this occuring again? Officers going to jail?

wrongdoings by officers are mostly handled internally with administrative leave aka paid vacation

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#23
post #22

Why is there not more transparency? It makes zero sense. What is going to stop something like this occuring again? Officers going to jail?

>What is going to stop something like this occuring again? Officers going to jail? wrongdoings by officers are mostly handled internally with administrative leave aka paid vacation

That's a reward, not a punishment.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#25

Why is there not more transparency? It makes zero sense. What is going to stop something like this occuring again? Officers going to jail?

Police unions are the only strong unions left in the country.

The conservatives will come for them at some point too...until then you have places like Philly that, at least used to, have complaints against police be heard by the union before they are passed on to internal affairs.

Bmore takes the cake, though...just wtf all over and back again.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#26
post #9

So I guess "The Wire" was basically a documentary?

The situation sounds much more like The Shield. The Wire was focused on institutional problems. It was more interested in the tragedy that incentives in the police force and city government were such that barely an iota of thought was ever given as to how to actually fix the problems of the city. Instead most work was expended in public relations efforts, cooking the books and ass covering. There was one storyline in…

Man, the main character from the shield was one scary effing guy.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#27
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The situation sounds much more like The Shield. The Wire was focused on institutional problems. It was more interested in the tragedy that incentives in the police force and city government were such that barely an iota of thought was ever given as to how to actually fix the problems of the city. Instead most work was expended in public relations efforts, cooking the books and ass covering. There was one storyline in…

They think about stealing but realize that they might get caught due to the wiretap. In a later season when they're taking part in a raid with a dead wiretap and no risk of being caught after the fact, they do take the money. The entire 5th season has most of the department cooking the books to get their overtime pay.

It is not exactly the same because real Baltimore cops would not even consider the possibility of being caught and know that if they were, nothing would happen to them.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#28
post #7

So I guess "The Wire" was basically a documentary?

Yes it basically is based on true stories. I live in Baltimore, I should say just lived, because I just moved out. The city is every bit as corrupt, dangerous, and malicious as it's made out to be. Don't want anything further to do with this city. And the folks here were delirious thinking that Amazon was going to set up HQ2.

But the crab cakes are so good!

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#29

This is what happens when you have "plainclothes detectives", aka secret police.

There is a vast gulf between 'plainclothes detectives' and 'secret police'.

Ummm...I don't know if 'vast' is what I would use there, but there's a difference.

Re: In Baltimore, Brazen Officers Took Every Chance to Rob and Cheat

#30

The article doesn't mention how Detective Sean Suiter was shot in the head the day before he was to testify for the grand jury against the task force officers. FWIW, this was not news to the residents of Baltimore. They have been talking about this for over 25 years. Anyone who listened could hear about it. Nobody really gave a shit. A friend of mine grew up in East Baltimore. They would sit outside on their stoop, b…

DOJ report: https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/883366/download
Post reply on HN