Dispute Simmers Over Web Site Posting Personal Data on Police

NY Times ^ | July 12, 2003 | ADAM LIPTAK

[AAABEST]

Sounds a little unfair, doesn't it?

No it's not unfair. If you're well connected with the princes and lords you should get special treatment.

Some pigs are more equal than other pigs.

[Arpege92]

Why haven't you or your son's former finace's cousin turned in these dirty cops? I mean no disrespect to you but if all of this illegal activity is going on, shouldn't someone come forward and say it?

My husbands been a cop for fourteen years now and when he has seen cops getting arrested for illegal activities, his attitude changes and he feels these cops should get whatever is coming to them. I keep hearing about people wanting the police to be policed and it's already going on. We hear about all of these bad cops on the news who have been involved in some pretty bad stuff and now they are paying for there crimes.....isn't that policing the police?

Don't worry about the length....I too tend to go on and on because so much needs to be said. :-}

[CWOJackson]

Police officer are far from being above the law...and they should be entitled to the same level of privacy as the lower elements of society.

[Arpege92]

You are comparing the death of Jews in World War II to legal searches by police officers?

What do you suppose we do to these cops who perform LEGAL searches? Execute them? Is this what you are saying? This is very upsetting to me....I am married to a cop and the thought of people like you scares the living hell out of me! Perhaps cops should be made more aware of the way people like you feel....I certainly don't want to see my husband killed for doing something that is legal. Suddenly, drug dealers, murderers and other nut jobs are not the top threat towards police officers anymore!

[Arpege92]

Warrant checks are not the same as running a history on a person's background.

[honeygrl]

"But then you'd probably complain that the cops aren't pulling more of these people over. No different from most people, you applaud when some idiot drivers makes an incredible stupid and/or dangerous move and get's pulled over for it, but when you do it and get caught, it's all the evil cops fault."

I don't think it's too much to ask for them to seek out the people who are actually driving dangerously instead of following someone until they catch them doing something wrong just because they need to meet some sort of quota. Or hiding their car in the brush to catch people when it would be better to put their car in plain sight since that acts as a sort of speed bump when people see an officer on the side of the road. Everyone slows down when they see a cop. It's just a reflex. That would help more than the hide and seek games.

[Arpege92]

I'm not aware of this story, so what happens in the end?

I mean no disrespect to anyone but if people are so aware of bad cops, then why don't they come forward with information? I know people don't want bad cops on there streets but if all of these departments are as bad as some say, then why do people leave the policing of police to the police?

[CWOJackson]

It's so much easier to complain and to pass on wild rumors.

[wimpycat]

Around where I live, there's a section of highway that goes from 55mph to 45mph and cops park an unoccupied cruiser in a store parking lot on weekends. I fall for it every time. And yes, it is in such a location that you do have time to conform to the new speed limit.

[Arpege92]

"Apparently the site has been up for 2 years and no one has used the info to do them any harm so far."


So far, let's cross our fingers and hope it remains that way!

[Arpege92]

It's not the complaining folks do that bothers me, it's there lack of involvement in turning in bad cops. They feel police need policing, but they don't even trust in that process.....and if they don't trust in that process, why don't they at least try to do something when they witness illegal activity by cops. It's one thing to complain but it's another to do something about it.

[honeygrl]

"I know people don't want bad cops on there streets but if all of these departments are as bad as some say, then why do people leave the policing of police to the police? "

Well, most of the time it's a he-said-she-said thing that would be difficult to prove. Other times it's just not something you feel safe reporting. And even if you do report things, it's no guarantee anything will be done about it. I can imagine now the laughter I would likely get if I called 911 because a police officer was speeding excessively even though his lights weren't flashing. Or reporting one for running a red light with no lights flashing. Both are things everyone else would get a ticket for. And if the cop is going to a call then the lights should be on. And the cop I knew that actually did horrendously illegal things and would actually brag about how cool he thought it was to spray pepper spray in someone's face usually did get reported yet the most he ever got was suspended for a short time. Most people would go to jail for holding up a fast food restaurant at gunpoint to get his wife to come out, but not him.. he's a cop so he's special. (see a previous post of mine regarding that story)

[honeygrl]

"Around where I live, there's a section of highway that goes from 55mph to 45mph and cops park an unoccupied cruiser in a store parking lot on weekends. I fall for it every time. And yes, it is in such a location that you do have time to conform to the new speed limit. "

That is exactly the way to do it. They do that in Knoxville, TN on the loop around town and it always acts as a speed bump because sometimes a cop is there and sometimes not. It effectively slows traffic to a safe speed without any hide and seek games. Where I am now though in GA they like to hide and set speed traps.

[honeygrl]

"why don't they at least try to do something when they witness illegal activity by cops"

So what are you going to do? As a very small female I'm easily intimidated by their in your face attitude and have trouble confronting them even to ask for their name if they are doing something wrong. Another story I forgot to tell:

My friends and I were in a car together in Atlanta and hopelessly lost for hours in the middle of the night. We pulled over to a cop that was sitting on the side of the road to ask where we were or if he knew how to get back to the road we needed to be on. The cop said "KEEP MOVING" even though there was *no* traffic on the road since it was 4am. My friend that was driving said "But we need help!" and the cop said "Boy I'll shoot you, keep moving!" He put his hand on his gun and we couldn't even get his name because we were afraid to keep sitting there. Once we finally found our way back to our hotel (after 5am) we called the police about it and no one could ever figure out who the guy was (even though we finally figured out exactly what exit he was on and what time he was there) and no one seem to care anyway. The guy driving the car pursued it for several weeks and never got anywhere.

[Arpege92]

I never said confront the police face to face should you witness a crime being committed by them. There are other avenues you can choose to report bad cops. The press who are mostly anti-cop would love nothing more than to hear your story.

If you don't trust the police to police themselves, then do something about it. Get involved and turn it around!

[Arpege92]

All I hear is complaining but no one is willing to come forward and do something about it. You are just as responsible if you say or do nothing when witnessing a crime committed by a cop. By saying or doing nothing, is a guarantee that a bad cop will continue to break laws.

[clamper1797]

I mean no disrespect to anyone but if people are so aware of bad cops, then why don't they come forward with information?

When I lived in my last house ... my neighbors were a husband and wife and both were Deputy Sheriffs in an ajoining county. One day as I worked on my computer the overcoming smell of gasoline started to come in the window. I went outside and saw the lady Sheriff pouring (not spraying ... pouring) gasoline on the rocks of the levee ... I live on the river bank. Apparently she was killing the weeds on the levee with the gas. The gas was running into the water and was making a large oil slick which was headed towards my $200,000 offshoer racing boat. I VERY nicely asked her to stop and she said ok ... ten minutes went by and I went outside and she was still pouring. I called my county Sheriff and told them that I did NOT want to get them in trouble but I would like her to stop pouring gas on the rocks. The cop came to my door he was very polite and asked what was wrong. I explained the situation and he went down to talk with them. When he returned ... he had an entirely different attitude. He said "you know that both of your neighbors are in Law enforcement don't you ?" I said yes I did ... he said in so many words that my call was not appreciated and that I should mind my own business. I went back outside and she was still pouring ... later in the week I got a notice of complaint about my cat being outside and got a complaint about my dog barking ... he never barks. In the next 2 months I got pulled over 4 times ... all for seat belt which I always wear. The cop always said that he "thought I did not have it on" because he couldn't see it. I was never the same guy. It finally stopped when I got my best friend who is a US Marshall (now retired) to go down and talk with them ... I suspect he wasn't to nice.

So why don't people turn in bad cops .... I know why

[clamper1797]

I was never the same guy = it was never the same cop ... all Sheriff deputies though

[PatrioticAmerican]

Colorado wants to post infomration on the web of people they claim owe taxes. It seems if they don't like government employee infomration on the web that would be a bit of a double standard. Government employee information is public information and home addresses are not private information. Hell, your mortgage records and deeds are available on the web here in Colorado.

[Travis McGee]

Yep, they scream like scalded cats when the shoe is on the other foot.