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

nytimes.com

211–220 of 222 posts

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

#211

Really Baltimore's not as bad as the Wire, the riots and this story. As with any city it's best you avoid certain crime ridden areas, but other then that it's great! The low cost of living in the surrounding counties and Govt IT jobs where salary ranges from 120 to 250k are fairly plentiful. Also, traffic isnt too bad, there is a tech scene, a startup scene and good amount to do in and outside of the city.

I almost never say shit like this, but you are clearly speaking from a position of significant privilege. Obviously the cops aren't planting drugs on yuppies and tech workers, nor do you live in one of the many terribad parts of that city.

Huh I was just saying Baltimore is not a bad city especially if these negative stories paint a different picture and in ones mind not a positive one.

Thus, I was pointing out positive aspects of this city that are available to everyone!

As for being privileged I am not rich nor have parents that are wealthy rather about middle class. My startups I started and made no money off we’re all paid for by myself from savings or grants I received from incubators. Thus anyone who wants to can work hard .. save money .. do a startup to either hit the jackpot or use the experience to learn an on demand skill.

I am no way making 120 to 250k in Govt IT but know friends who are after ten or more years. Maybe I will one day and if so that would be great .. though it would come after years of hard work.

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

#212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"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…

DoD isn't the only source of equipment. All that riot gear doesn't come cheap.

If you are not taking about military gear then why bring up militarization in the same context? Of course there are kickbacks in any government's procurement, even if they are just buying staplers or catering. People spending other people's money do want to be rewarded for the effort.

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

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aggressively interrogate victims of crime, and you will find nobody wants to report crime or even cooperate with the police any more. That's far more damaging than missing the opportunity to prosecute a single drugs case, but it isn't measurable.

I didn't say drug case, because it wasn't relevant. In my situation, a young woman was killed by a car. So a person is dead, and neither the victim's family and friends, the perpetrator's family or others will really know if justice were served. That's not making excuses for corruption or the despicable conduct in Baltimore. But sometimes our perception of police conduct goes one way because we haven't walked a mile…

I too think they're massively removed from the world regular people live in.

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

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

DoD isn't the only source of equipment. All that riot gear doesn't come cheap.

If you are not taking about military gear then why bring up militarization in the same context? Of course there are kickbacks in any government's procurement, even if they are just buying staplers or catering. People spending other people's money do want to be rewarded for the effort.

> If you are not taking about military gear then why bring up militarization in the same context?

I would assume because actually getting surplus military gear isn't the only manner in which police departments can get more militarized.

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

#215

At the risk of oversimplifying, I believe increasing crime rate is a good proxy for police corruption. As an example, East Palo Alto in CA was the crime capital of the country back in the 90s. Then a police force that included parties from surrounding cities was formed to address it and now the city is essentially crime-free.

the city is essentially crime-free I think you are misreading a source. Homicide has decreased, but most other crime has increased.

I don't think I've come across any report that states that other crime has increased in EPA. What is your source ? Incidentally, I think that declining crime rates are, among other things, also a sign of a ``clean'', efficient police force.

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

#216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

DoD isn't the only source of equipment. All that riot gear doesn't come cheap.

If you are not taking about military gear then why bring up militarization in the same context? Of course there are kickbacks in any government's procurement, even if they are just buying staplers or catering. People spending other people's money do want to be rewarded for the effort.

Because militarization doesn't only include items sourced directly from the military, it refers to the general mindset and mission of policing as well.

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

#217
post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why had you not reviewed the recording (and other discovery) well before the court date?

If that was possible, I didn’t know it was. Is there a law about this? How would I go about that next time?

Get a (paid) lawyer?

(I agree you shouldn't HAVE to in a society with a well functioning justice system, but that would be the obvious means)

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

#218
post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you propose that we pay people to wrestle other people into cars against their will without subjecting them to scrutiny?

I'm proposing that people like you don't think deeply enough about this problem to solve it.

No need to get angry just because you don't have anything coherent to say.

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

#219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the city is essentially crime-free I think you are misreading a source. Homicide has decreased, but most other crime has increased.

I don't think I've come across any report that states that other crime has increased in EPA. What is your source ? Incidentally, I think that declining crime rates are, among other things, also a sign of a ``clean'', efficient police force.

    a sign of a ``clean'', efficient police force
Or, that the substantial gentrification going on there over the last decade has changed the demographics substantially.

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

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't judge all the the US by its corrupt big cities. I recognize nothing in this story in my town's local police (we're about 65,000 population, and the cops are quite relaxed and civil as a default).

> Don't judge all the the US by its corrupt big cities. > I recognize nothing in this story in my town's local police (we're about 65,000 population, and the cops are quite relaxed and civil as a default). I was stopped without explanation in Andover, KS (population In a neighboring city (Wichita), police responding to a 911 call that I placed after being robbed at gunpoint played good-cop-bad-cop with me. They suspe…

Well we can trade anecdotes, it doesn't really prove anything. A relative was stopped by the cops, with weed and a pipe visible in the car, and was just told "keep that out of sight" and this is a state where it's not legal. Why? Because the local prosecutor does not prosecute simple possession cases and they know it would just be a huge waste of their time to bring people in and book them just to have the cases dismissed.
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