Posted on 12/11/2013 12:40:46 PM PST by Kaslin
The University of the Incarnate Word is a highly-rated Catholic college in San Antonio, Texas. It is hardly a hot bed of campus violence. When senior Robert Cameron Redus was pulled-over last Friday by campus police for “erratically speeding,” it is unlikely he had any clue of how tragically the stop would end. The campus police department contends Redus, an honors student set to graduate in May, grabbed the officer’s steel baton during a struggle. Not in dispute, however, is that Redus was shot five times by the officer, at close range, leaving him dead and the University scrambling to explain why lethal force was needed to subdue a single college student.
Police-involved shootings are on the rise from New York City to Anaheim, California and crime data suggests incidents involving questionable use of police force -- once a problem primarily limited to large, inner-city areas -- are occurring with greater frequency in smaller towns across the country. For civil liberties watchdogs, this disturbing trend should come as no surprise; much like their federal counterparts, local police and prosecutors are demanding greater power to “pursue criminals,” even if such power may overstep constitutional limitation; and regardless of whether such an approach makes practical sense in low-crime communities or in many non-violent situations in which police officers are involved.
A major factor accounting for this trend is the massive infusion of federal “anti-terrorism” money being funneled from the Department of Homeland Security to local police departments. These billions are turning many neighborhood cops into paramilitary personnel -- equipped with vehicles and weapons intended for use in the world’s most violent warzones. The over- militarization of small-town America is turning Mayberry into the Middle East; with Andy Griffith monitoring a license plate camera while Don Knotts patrols the streets carrying an MP5. Officers now have military-style armored vehicles parked in their lots along side their Crown Victoria patrol cars. This has created such unusual scenarios as Ohio State University’s 40,000-pound, armored Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, and sophisticated license plate readers in a town of 333 people.
More than simply increasing the likelihood of abuse or disaster, such militarization tends to change the psyche of the American police officer -- the more he is equipped like a soldier, the more he begins to act like one. This, coupled with today’s crime-speak that treats all crimes as if they were acts of terrorism, puts police officers mentally on the offensive; changing their perspective from “serve and protect,” to “find and prosecute.”
Perhaps this is why earlier this year, Virginia Alcohol Control Board agents pulled their guns on a frightened, 20-year-old college student. After mistaking her purchase of bottled water for alcohol, plainclothes officers surrounded her vehicle, and one agent jumped on her hood. Understandably frightened after being ambushed in a dark parking lot, the student tried to drive away as agents drew their guns and tried breaking her windows. Fortunately, the student was not shot. She was, however, forced to spend the night in jail and charged with three felony offenses. The District Attorney decided not to prosecute the case, but stood by officers’ decision to file charges against the student.
In a country where buying a bottle of water can escalate quickly into a potential five-year prison term, the once-common refrain of “you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide,” has become esoteric. Reports emerge daily about new details of the Obama Administration’s domestic spying programs. Recent court documents reveal the FBI’s ability to activate computer cameras without alerting users. Government agencies at all levels share our personal data with each other -- even data illegally stolen from commercial sites.
The entire attitude of the criminal justice system is shifting towards treating all citizens -- regardless of guilt -- as suspects. There is no more burden of proof. There is no more assumption of innocence. Your only “right” is to obey; just try to board an airline with a two-inch toy gun in a child’s back pack.
The best hope we have to undoing this statutory and regulatory nightmare created in recent years is to fight back through the ballot box and in court. Fortunately, organizations from across the ideological spectrum -- from the Institute for Justice to the American Civil Liberties Union, and many others – are actively helping to protect citizens from government abuse in all its forms.
All this is not to say there are not very real and very serious threats in communities across the country. Adam Lanza reminded us of that a year ago in Newtown, CT. These threats and incidents must be dealt with using a sound combination of good policing and new technology. But militarizing police forces in communities large and small, and treating all citizens as enemies, is not reasonable, necessary or American.
One thing I’ve noticed is the ascendency of what I call “The shaved head screamer” cop. They seem to place achieving the subjugation and complete compliance of whoever they’re dealing with as the number one goal. They quickly up the ante when their wishes aren’t instantly met. They escalate instead of de-escalate.
I worked in corrections and it’s really not hard to talk folks down when they’re pretty spun up, but it also doesn’t take much to get one to go out of control if you decide that instant dominance is the only possible means of approach.
“If the guy took the officer’s baton and beat him with it, the officer has a right to defend himself. “
“IF”
And despite “affirmative action,” most cops are still guys with size 44 coveralls and size 4 hats! No one needed to die here! You never heard of these cases thirty years ago, because LEOs back then understood their role as “peace officers.” Today, most of them have absolutely no respect for the public they are supposed to serve. They serve their government “handlers.”
It is most unsettling that the relationship between LEO’s and much of the populace has come to this. What happened here is the exception, and not the rule. And I support you Crunch!! HOWEVER, the good cops, like most anything else, are being tainted by an increasing minority of knuckleheads. People get enraged about the bad behaviors, but fail to recognize the far greater good behavior of so many LEO. I fall into that same trap, given that what so many of us see here is the bad behavior. I don’t know the answer. Perhaps a combination of “black-box recorders” for each officer, and a judicial system that gets serious about applying more severe justice excessive force LEO and to the scumbag populace. What I do know, is it seems to be getting much worse, for both parties.
You have to remember one thing: for many years, the various police departments have been using psychological testing to weed out people who are "unsuitable" for police work.
You think the police brass WOULD NOT weed out those who would not reliably follow the orders of those above them? As one of the primary objectives of testing?
I served with a lot of cops from the 70’s. And I know what a lot of them did, because they told me. They got away with it because there weren’t cameras everywhere like there are today. I love it when people wax nostalgic about ‘old time’ cops. If they only knew.
Does the name Serpico mean anything to you?
I don’t know what you mean by ‘he quit when the new guys weren’t required to learn anything.’ Cops today are required to have more training and certification than ever before. Many departments won’t hire you unless you have a college degree. They are scrutinized more than ever before. I know, I’ve been doing it for awhile.
You point out all this wrongdoing by police departments. I won’t deny that there has been wrongdoing. A lot of cops go to prison for some of those things as well.
What your pointing out has nothing to do with militarization.
It should also be noted that the "I was just following orders" defense didn't work very well at Nuremburg.
Some years back, there was a popular bumper sticker:
If voting could really change thingsWe see it all the time with judges stringing down voter initiatives as "unconstitutional" when they go against the politically-correct tide.It would be illegal.
Amen, Cap’n.
Too tired of this argument to say it better myself.
RLTW
Your right, I did find a use for the ammo cans I got from the Feds. I took them home and filled them full of ammo and other supplies I’m going to need when the fit hits the shan.
The Bushnell 10X binoculars have come in handy for the birding excursions my wife and I go on.
I didn’t want the binoculars. They could have kept them. I would have gladly taken more ammo cans.
Your not going to tell me that all those people in jail are innocent? In Ohio people are waiting to do their jail terms. While they are waiting they are out committing more crimes.
Many of the people that write to the newspaper complaining about it don’t seem very happy, they accuse us and the prosecutors office of not doing their jobs.
Just can’t win.
They don't blouse their boots. Other than that, these guys look like they are playing real army in the streets of America.
There are a few moron cops on my department too. I despise them. I know who they are and I keep as far away from them as I can. Many of them have been suspended repeatedly, some have been fired. Some have gone to jail.
For who? I didn’t vote for Obama. I vote for conservatives. I’m very well of what happened at Nuremburg. I don’t have anything to worry about, unless just being a cop makes one guilty in kangaroo court.
So what? Other than national security issues, I'm all for audio/video monitoring the office's of mayors, governors, police chief, cops, Congress, Senate, the Oval office... They're stinking telephones, texts messages and emails should be public...Then start randomly drug testing all of them, just like the poor slobs stocking shelves at Home Depot, starting with POTUS. Anyone in government with authority/power should also have their financial records investigated on an annual basis.
Nothing they do on the job should be private.
They're supposed to work for us...Public employees right?
Enough!
The solution to this is at the state level, but so far there has been no movement among state legislators to reform how police operate in any state.
The first priority is to “demilitarize” police, to strip them of their paramilitary assets, such as armored vehicles, belt fed automatic weapons, fragmentation explosives, and even communications equipment that directly interfaces with federal agencies.
This means to limit all police agencies in a given state to what equipment they can own, store, or use. Any equipment not currently authorized should be turned over to the respective country Sheriff for safekeeping. This will dispel any argument that local police might “need” such equipment, in that they can quickly recover it for a specific purpose with a proper judicial order. And they can only use it with a written warrant authorizing its use.
Finally, states must supervise the curricula of their police academies, to insure that police are acting according to both the law and good judgment, not just to some nebulous federal standardized training “that everybody else is using.”
Thanks Sarge. The bad cops get weeded out eventually. Now that we have to wear audio and video equipment complaints against our department have gone down. There are still some idiots with badges, I don’t deny that. But there are going to be less and less as the technology reveals their lies and excuses.
I believe it’s getting worse because society as a whole is getting worse. Violence and immorality are rampant and glorified, kids are massacring kids. Politicians and leaders are corrupt and the lines between good and evil are blurred, or, good is now evil and evil is now good.
I believe that the only way to change it is a resurgence of Christian principles and values. REAL Christianity, not the salad bar variety.
My brother was police officer and had a similar incident happen to him in the early 80’s except he was severely beaten by a much larger guy with mental /drug issues simply for asking that person to move along (he was banging on the glass at the police station). My brother is no slouch and neither was his partner but it took both of them to subdue this guy using everything except deadly force.
My brother ended up with degenerative brain damage and I asked him why he didn’t just shoot the guy and the reason was he was afraid if he was to get his weapon out the guy most likely would have used it on him and his partner.
The perp in this case was sentenced to 3 month in the state mental hospital.
Sure glad you live on the OTHER DAMNED SIDE OF THE COUNTRY from me.
Thanks Brother, stay safe!
BTW, I should add any recorded conversations involving on-going sensitive investigations need not be disseminated publicly in real time, BUT recorded for future/pending investigative and judicial purposes.
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