Posted on 03/29/2008 11:45:29 AM PDT by Sir Gawain
Police: Outlaw masked hoodies
Posted by gswan March 29, 2008 7:24 AM
The Mobile Police Department wants to ban the sale of a specific kind of hooded sweatshirt that zips over the face and has been used in several recent robberies.
At a Friday afternoon news conference, two cadets modeled the hoodies the police were going after. One was adorned with logos of the rap duo the Insane Clown Posse, and the other was designed to look like an Egyptian sarcophagus.
Unlike ordinary hooded sweatshirts, which zip up to the neck, these garments zipped all the way to the top of the head. Designs were printed on the fabric covering the face, and the shirts had eyeholes cut into them.
"I'm almost to the point of outrage concerning the hoodies," Police Chief Phillip Garrett said. "I don't think these should be sold. The only reason you would buy one is to disguise your identity."
The Police Department is looking into writing an ordinance outlawing the sale of the clothing, Garrett said.
The chief also asked that parents go through their teenagers' closets and cars to see if they own any hoodies. Even if they are not committing a crime, kids wearing the outfits could put themselves at risk of being mistaken for criminals by police, Garrett said.
"I don't want anybody to get hurt, the child or the police officer," Garrett said. "But that's going to happen at some point if this doesn't slow down."
Deputy Chief Jim Barber said the hoodies are not just offering camouflage to hardened criminals. Normally good kids are committing crimes because the hoodies give them a feeling of invulnerability, he said.
"This is what's motivating people who otherwise would not commit crimes to commit some very serious crimes, armed robbery in particular," Barber said.
But while the hoodies have been worn in a number of recent crimes, Barber said, robbers wearing hoodies are not part of an organized gang.
"There is no hoodie gang," he said. "There is a hoodie garment that seems to be motivating people to do a lot of things they otherwise wouldn't."
Mobile has a mask ordinance that outlaws people covering their face in public outside of Mardi Gras activities. But police officials said it doesn't apply to the hoodies until they are zipped up, and by then it's often too late.
At the Friday news conference, Garrett also said police made several robbery arrests on Thursday and Friday.
Lecurtis Morrison, 19, Carl Taite, 17 and two juveniles aged 14 and 15 were charged with first degree robbery Thursday in connection with five incidents on Tuesday and Thursday.
Skyler Poellnitz, 16, was charged with first degree robbery and first degree receiving stolen property at 1:30 a.m. Friday. Police said he and another man stole a woman's purse and Chevrolet Trailblazer Thursday afternoon.
Police are looking for the accomplice, whom they described as a 5-foot-7 black male with medium build and a dark complexion.
When hoodies are outlawed, only outlaws will have hoodies.
Does this epidemic of epic stupidity have some kind of conclusion, or is it forever?
“The chief also asked that parents go through their teenagers’ closets and cars to see if they own any hoodies. Even if they are not committing a crime, kids wearing the outfits could put themselves at risk of being mistaken for criminals by police, Garrett said.
“I don’t want anybody to get hurt, the child or the police officer,” Garrett said. “But that’s going to happen at some point if this doesn’t slow down.”
I was following the story pretty well until I got to the weird threat, I don’t want any one killed or injured because of their sweat shirts.
I wonder if they apply this to the Mahometan brood mares?
Police are unionized, therefore, it will continue.
Skyler Poellnitz!
His parents are GUILTY!
Registering sewing machines?
I am really doubting that Law Enforcement truly values freedom.
What a tool.
“I am really doubting that Law Enforcement truly values freedom.”
Only their freedom.
They violate every law from speeding to parking and darkness of car windows themselves. So it’s natural to assume everyone else is violating the law.
Now they want their own Predator drones so I assume the next law will require everyone to walk around with their face to the sky with hoods down.
This cr*p started when we let them have cars instead of walking a beat.
lolz
Now that we don't see this kind of thing any more, it is "special hoodies" coming under fire.
The dude on the left looks straight out of a Woody Allen movie.
” straight out of a Woody Allen movie.”
BWAAAAA! The “Sperm Scene!” That was hilarious!
“The dude on the left looks straight out of a Woody Allen movie.”
that’s not what I thought of at first glance. Something not nearly so funny.
I remember that movie. But I think in real life this hoodie could look rather threateningespecially if this model also comes in black.
They violate every law from speeding to parking and darkness of car windows themselves. So its natural to assume everyone else is violating the law.
Well if the PD writes the new law, maybe theyll follow it as well...
Let's see, Guns kill people, SUVs kill people, and Hoodies motivate people to do bad things!
When did AI get so common? I missed it somehow.
Just have it be considered "probable cause" to believe that somebody with the hood zipped over his face in public is about to engage in armed robbery and may be shot on sight by any armed citizen. Sales of the hoodie will drop
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