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

nytimes.com

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

#161

Post by antod »

meri_dian wrote: post #155
patmcc wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S. Is it? I'm a Canadian and everything I hear about the US police terrifies me - SWATing leading to innocent people being killed, unarmed black men being shot, no-knock warrants, civil forfeiture, the impossibility of convicting police for just about anything. If the worst thing they were doing was selling drugs that'd be an improvement as far as I can t…

It's funny how normally reasonable people forget that what manages to reach our awareness are very rare and shocking events that are not at all representative of the vast majority of day to day activity, whether police related or otherwise. You are allowing yourself to be misguided if you focus on what gets put on the front page of CNN.

I don't know about others, I want my police force judged by their worst interactions rather than the majority of their interactions. I want the standards set high enough that all those bad things practically never happen rather than some small regular percentage of ongoing interactions.

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

#162

Post by King-Aaron »

southphillyman wrote: post #35

Baltimore police were stealing drugs from Baltimore dealers and selling the stolen drugs to dealers in Philadelphia. Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S. Sounds like something straight out of a Narcos episode.

> Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S.

Interestingly, there's a globally-recognised phrase - "Only in America".

This honestly seems like exactly the sort of corruption I'd expect to hear about in the US... There's just so much negative press about your government and police that a lot of people wouldn't expect it anywhere other than America.

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

#163

Post by refurb »

King-Aaron wrote: post #162
southphillyman wrote: post #35

Baltimore police were stealing drugs from Baltimore dealers and selling the stolen drugs to dealers in Philadelphia. Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S. Sounds like something straight out of a Narcos episode.

> Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S. Interestingly, there's a globally-recognised phrase - "Only in America". This honestly seems like exactly the sort of corruption I'd expect to hear about in the US... There's just so much negative press about your government and police that a lot of people wouldn't expect it anywhere other than America.

You need to stop listening to mass media so much. When I lived in Canada there were stories of police corruption, unwarranted beatings and racism. If you think this is an "only in America" issue you're being incredibly naive.

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

#164

Post by mjfl »

antod wrote: post #161
meri_dian wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's funny how normally reasonable people forget that what manages to reach our awareness are very rare and shocking events that are not at all representative of the vast majority of day to day activity, whether police related or otherwise. You are allowing yourself to be misguided if you focus on what gets put on the front page of CNN.

I don't know about others, I want my police force judged by their worst interactions rather than the majority of their interactions. I want the standards set high enough that all those bad things practically never happen rather than some small regular percentage of ongoing interactions.

You want to know what the problem is?

No sane person would want to risk their life on a daily basis, wrestle people into their cars against their will on a daily basis, and be subject to the scrutiny you describe in your post, the hatred that is described in other posts, all for a policeman's salary. Literally no sane person would take that deal. Are you about to sign up to be a cop? Hell fucking no.

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

#165

Post by King-Aaron »

refurb wrote: post #163
King-Aaron wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hard to believe actions like that were taking place in the U.S. Interestingly, there's a globally-recognised phrase - "Only in America". This honestly seems like exactly the sort of corruption I'd expect to hear about in the US... There's just so much negative press about your government and police that a lot of people wouldn't expect it anywhere other than America.

You need to stop listening to mass media so much. When I lived in Canada there were stories of police corruption, unwarranted beatings and racism. If you think this is an "only in America" issue you're being incredibly naive.

I disagree - I don't watch any. However, it's a very widely-used phrase, which is what I'm commenting on.

It means something is so ridiculous, it could only happen in America. It's like when you see people buying a rifle in Walmart - Only in America. Or when they're getting a one-gallon cup of Coke from McDonalds, or drive away from a fuel bowser with the hose still plugged in etc etc. These things can happen elsewhere, for sure, but it's an extremely well-known and common comment to make.

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

#167

Post by goblins »

txsh wrote: post #144
goblins wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't say sensible, unrealistic or implausible is closer. "Sorry madam the last person I dealt with broke my camera, I'm not a cop at the moment" Political policing departments... Hhmm you think the police equivalent of trump are going to be any less corrupt? I'm also sure housing the police where they work would definitely no in anyway make them, their family and property, any sort of target being as everyone l…

> Sorry madam the last person I dealt with broke my camera, I'm not a cop at the moment" He could help in any way a normal citizen could help someone in trouble until another officer arrives with a working body cam. > Political policing That’s not what I said. What’s wrong with allowing the public to petition for a police officer to be fired? > I'm also sure housing the police where they work would definitely no in a…

>He could help in any way a normal citizen could help someone in trouble until another officer arrives with a working body cam.

"Sorry madam I know the theif is getting away but I can only help as a normal citizen"

Or

"Sorry madam I cannot do anything just now I need my camera, if I tried to save her and it went wrong someone could claim I did someone wrong and a mob could then demand I lose my job based on only half facts"

>What’s wrong with allowing the public to petition for a police officer to be fired?

Because as you say everyone hates to police, that would mean you're local high level gangster could drum up enough support to fill the ranks of the police with cops who wouldn't touch them.

>Everyone hates the police. That’s the point. It’s a lot harder to curb stomp a kid’s head...

Also a lot harder to arrest those dangerous and violent criminals who will then take revenge on you, your family or property. But then I forget if you're a cop your family is fair game, because fuck cops right?

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

#168

Post by pandaman »

anigbrowl wrote: post #148
manfredo wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think corruption has much to do with "militarization". It doesn't take a tank to plant evidence and steal money. Also, much of the equipment that people point to as evidence of "militarization" is either generic equipment that has valid police use (e.g. armored trucks. Brinks security, for example, uses them for their secure transport services), or is not military equipment at all. Riot shields, gas masks, an…

I don't think corruption has much to do with "militarization" Not the corruption of individual cops on the street, but I bet there are some kickbacks given for purchase of heavy equipment. Don't want to get political about it but tear gas is pretty aggressive, and is ironically banned for use on the battlefield but it's considered totally normal for police to use it to control civilian populations.

"Ironically" hollow point bullets are banned for military too, yet I rather have police use those than AP rounds, which would fly through the perp, his car, his house, his block and end up in some bystander next street over. Would you rather police use napalm (not banned for military) than teargas?

And, as the sibling said, police is not purchasing DoD equipment[1], if there is any corruption it could not be in form of kickbacks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1033_program

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

#169

Post by crankylinuxuser »

txsh wrote: post #97
bob_theslob646 wrote: post #12

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

There should be a body cam on every officer and their police powers and privileges should deactivate the moment its turned off deliberately or “accidentally”. A time delayed feed should be made public and an independent federal agency should randomly audit the recordings for civil rights abuses. Police should be treated like other political officials and there should be a democratic mechanism for the public to remove…

> A time delayed feed should be made public and an independent federal agency should randomly audit the recordings for civil rights abuses.

You know, there's a converse to that.

We're developing more and more AI that can detect "events". Wouldn't be interesting if you could detect "criminal" events, even if the officer didn't see, remember, or even know they were criminal to begin with?

It means, that every body cam, camera, and recorder turns into a statute-of-limitations criminal detector. A fishing expedition only bound by compute power. And each charge is a goldmine of $$$$, with almost inexcusable evidence (video!).

It's why the idea of "Badgecam" is boneheaded without one more addendum: the data is sealed until court order opens it up, upon probable cause at the time with said officer. Else, this massive data collection turns into a panopticon of driving and walking officers and devices.

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

#170

Post by anarazel »

paulie_a wrote: post #100
staunch wrote: post #20

The first two federal officers involved in a Bitcoin-related investigation (Silk Road) stole the money and tried to cover it up. Which shows just how bad US law enforcement culture is. People like this can, and should be, filtered out. At some point I hope to see a #MeBlue social campaign by good cops to out bad cops.

I personally think some police abuse should be considered treason and handled appropriately via those laws. Same for political corruption

Article three of the US constitution: "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort."

I'm not arguing that treason / corruption aren't worthy of increased focus, but your proposal doesn't seem to be it.

There's also these pesky anti anti-corruption / pro "free speech" SCOTUS cases :(

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