If the description of the Justice in Policing Act provided by the editors of the Washington Post and in the section-by-section summary here actually are fair summaries of the bill’s provisions, it sounds pretty good to me. From the editorial linked above:
Holding life-and-death powers over American citizens is a high trust; it is not anti-cop to demand high levels of responsibility and accountability. In fact, it is in the interest of the thousands of police officers who do their difficult jobs with integrity and honor.
The devil, of course, will be in the details. If you have ever been directly involved in the oversight of grants (I have), you will recognize how frequently they are a license to steal. I also think that, if you’re going to expose police officers to more legal jeopardy, you need to shield state and local governments when police officers act contrary to state or local laws or regulations. I’m fine with personal accountability. I’m less fine with my own personal accountability for things over which I have no control.
I agree that it looks pretty good. Tactically, I think it a mistake to refer to any program that was designed under the Obama admin. It will be resisted on that basis alone. Also seems like a lot to do at once.
҉ۢ Blacks are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for selling drugs, despite the fact that whites are more likely to sell drugs
• Blacks are 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for possessing drugs, despite using drugs at the same rate as whites”
Steve
I seriously doubt that Lightfoot was conspiring with gangs. However, you have hired an incompetent lightweight. Brought to you by: ICBLAADAD In Chicago, Black Lives Are A Dime A Dozen. Good luck…..
https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2020/06/09/chicago-mayor-lightfoot-last-weekends-riots-havent-seen-s-t-like/
The alternative was Toni Preckwinkle who was running on an “increase property taxes” platform. Needless to say I didn’t vote for either in the primary. The candidate for whom I voted was, coincidentally, the same candidate a plurality of black Chicago voters supported.
As governor we have an incompetent heavyweight. It balances out in a bleak sort of way.
Only the willfully naïve didn’t know there would be more to the story.
Martin Gugino is a 75-year-old professional agitator and Antifa provocateur who brags on his blog about the number of times he can get arrested and escape prosecution. Gugino’s Twitter Account is also filled with anti-cop sentiment [SEE HERE]. Last Thursday Gugino traveled from his home in Amherst, New York, to Buffalo to agitate a protest crowd.
During his effort Gugino was attempting to capture the radio communications signature of Buffalo police officers. CTH noted what he was attempting on Thursday night as soon as the now viral video was being used by media to sell a police brutality narrative. [Thread Here] Today, a more clear video has emerged that shows exactly what he was attempting.
In this slow motion video, you will see Gugino using a phone as a capture scanner. You might have heard the term “skimming”; it’s essentially the same. Watch him use his right hand to first scan the mic of officer one (top left of chest). Then Gugino moves his hand to the communications belt of the second officer. WATCH CLOSELY:
Trust me, Dave. I’m sympathetic. But I think its more complex than you portray. The legendary corruption and biases of big city politics preclude honest or competent candidates from winning. The fix is in. So no one tries.
Its the voters. And now they reap what they sew. Its not the duty of sensible people who got the hell out to bail their sorry asses out. That’s just subsidy of insanity. Hence my diatribe of yesterday.
Any Minneapolis Democrat voter who has watched their mayor and Council President the last few days who doesn’t feel like an absolute moron………….is an absolute moron.
The Colorado Senate passed a pretty good bill. The first draft had some bad provisions which were amended out (one bad provision, for example, made officers personally responsible for up to $100k in any lawsuit which was not insurable and had to come out of the officer’s personal finances.).
What’s remarkable is that the original bill didn’t need any GoP votes to pass, but the Democrats accepted amendments anyway, resulting in a much better bill and deep bipartisan support (the vote was 32-1 in the state Senate).
It should pass the House easily and will likely be signed by the Governor. It’s quite a contrast from the discussions and proposals dominating social media.
Drew,
Assuming all that about the old man is true, it is a post-hoc rationalization as the cops did not know who he was at the time or what he was allegedly doing. But let’s assume they did know. Does that make their actions justified? I would say it doesn’t. The failure to render aid is particularly egregious.
I think this tinkering with liability rules continues to make no sense within the framework of police officers being indemnified for their conduct by the government (taxpayers). Traditionally, courts might void such indemnity arrangements when applied to (a) willful or intentional misconduct, or (b) negligent conduct in situations involving public health safety (typically construction). They would explain that the arrangement violates public policy by allowing a person to avoid the consequences of his own misconduct or relaxing the incentives to take precautionary measures and provide a safe working environment.
The section is entitled “Police Accountability” but it does nothing to ensure police are accountable since they are not going to pay for expanded liability.
Andy –
First, I suspect they did know. They aren’t stupid, and know the tactics. That was a movie quality fall, complete with delayed phone drop. Oscar time.
That said, in a perfect world the cops would have been more circumspect. They are trained in that as well. You will find no quarrel with me there. But try to put yourself in their shoes. Spit upon, verbally provoked, rocks thrown at, and worse. The rioters know the rules of engagement: provoke but look sympathetic for the camera and you will win on propagandistic media.
As far as rendering aid, that’s a lie. You should know better. Look at unedited film. Its available, just not on the major media outlets. EMT’s were there in seconds. Don’t simplistically buy the propaganda.
Drew,
“But try to put yourself in their shoes. Spit upon, verbally provoked, rocks thrown at, and worse. The rioters know the rules of engagement: provoke but look sympathetic for the camera and you will win on propagandistic media.”
This was one old guy vs a couple of dozen cops in riot gear. This wasn’t a mass protest with violence or melees. Yes, circumstances and context matter, and in this case, the cops were in no danger from an old peacenik waving his phone around.
As for the “in their shoes” argument, I tend to listen to the infantrymen who patrolled in Iraq who had much greater discipline and practiced much more intelligent force escalation procedures in an environment that was far more hostile and unforgiving than some lone septuagenarian with a cell phone.
And the first “EMT”‘s on scene in the video were National Guardsmen who had the common sense and decency to at least check on the guy….
You can try to shine that turd all you want, and make claims without evidence about faking the fall, faking passing out – I suppose he faked bleeding out of his ears too? You gonna claim that’s Hollywood or acting?
Keep trying to shine that turd….
Gugino had his NPR bestie film the whole thing, and I assume edit it for maximum effect. When I saw the first still with him lying on the ground with what looked like blood coming out of his head and the cops just nonchalantly standing around, I said ‘this looks unbelievable, both the color and thickness of the blood and the attitude of the cops’.
I think your view is part of the problem, Andy. Virtue signaling at all costs. No real world sense. This guy was a plant and premeditated. He was there to incite and get filmed. I thought you were in the intelligence business. And you apparently haven’t bothered to get the unedited source film.
The truth is that police are taught to maintain a line, which is what they did. If you have a problem with the tactics, fine, criticize the training book. I don’t particularly like the tactics either. But don’t traffic in easily discoverable propaganda. Its not a good look for a supposed former intelligence officer.
So did people see George Floyds funeral? White horses. Wow. Adoring crowds. Noted speakers. Not bad for a serial criminal.
How about David Dorn’s? You know, David….Dorn…? Um……..David, you know, Dorn?
All you oh-so-caring souls……….
Drew’s “proof” comes from a conservative conspiracy site. If we get a police report or something believable, then maybe the guy might be antifa. (In reality 75 y/o guys just arent, so small chance.)
https://thefulcrum.us/martin-gugino
As Andy notes, it still doesnt justify almost killing the guy. They could have walked around him. Other police did. They could have arrested him. Instead he ended up in the ICU in critical condition for a couple of days. I guess his buddy faked the ICU stay also. The extremes you go to justify bad behavior are just bizarre. God forbid my 4 y/o grandson ever runs in front of cop walking somewhere. They would justified in knocking him over too by your logic.
Everyone please note, this is why we wont have police reform. Some people are so afraid of everything that they will justify any and all violence buy the police since they think it might keep them safe since they are in the special group that they think police wont bother.
Steve
Also, on the defunding issue every congressperson or senator, when asked, has said that we cannot disband the police. Even Bernie Sanders. So when you actually ask people what they believe, not just assume, that is what you find out. In fact, Bernie wants to pay them more. (OK, they are in unions so that shouldn’t be too surprising.)
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/bernie-sanders-is-not-done-fighting
Steve
Your claim was “most” not “most Congressmen”. As I said political leaders are trying to appease the radicals in the streets. It will work in some place but not everywhere.
And as long as they can get what they want from politicians by staying in the streets what’s more important is what the radicals want.
Hey Drew,
“This guy was a plant and premeditated. He was there to incite and get filmed.”
So you allege. But the point you’re missing is that it doesn’t matter. In fact, if that’s true it’s only a further indictment of the police for being dumb enough to take the bait.
“But don’t traffic in easily discoverable propaganda. Its not a good look for a supposed former intelligence officer.”
I base judgments on actual facts, not cherry-picked conclusions gleaned from motivated reasoning using the Doug Feith method of intelligence “analysis.”
You’ve made a lot of allegations that you have no proof for – that the whole thing was a setup, that he faked the fall, that he was a “plant”, that he was there to “incite,” that he was trying to steal/disrupt comms with his cell phone, etc. Allegations and claims are different from facts and your mention of “easily discoverable propaganda” is ironic.
Regardless, as I’ve said before, even if everything alleged is true, that still does not make the police actions in this case justified. One old guy with a phone vs. a dozen-plus cops in riot gear. Post-hoc, fact-free arguments about what a bad guy this old man was is not a valid justification for their actions.