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.
I agree with you 110%!!
God Bless you!
You won’t get any argument from me. I didn’t NEED any of that. I rarely ever get any complaints filed against me.
And those recorders, like tracers, work both ways, they’ve also exonerated some of our guys from false complaints.
It's still not a good example of militarization.
Thanks Sarge. God bless you also. Merry Christmas!
No they don't. That's fantasy-land. Those in government including cops, generally back each other up even when they shouldn't. This is no secret.
Good. Glad you are firmly in our camp. Keep recruiting like-minded folk; the day fast approaches when you will need to pick sides.
Maybe it’s fantasy land where you’re at but in the nearly 30 years I’ve been working I’ve seen about a dozen cops go to jail for misconduct and many fired. Now that they have to wear video and audio equipment expect to see more cops weeded out, they won’t be able to weasel their way out of anything.
Sure they do. That’s why civil forfeiture isn’t a problem.
http://www.cato.org/events/policing-profit-abuse-civil-asset-forfeiture
Yeah, the police are here to help. Unless you have an emergency. When that happens they’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures after the bad guy is done. If it makes it to TV, the DA will press charges on somebody. The police have little to no interest in protecting or serving the public. Unless the department is getting paid or getting publicity, y’all just don’t show up. I’ve had too much experience with it in too many towns for it to be a couple bad cops and a fluke.
They're only public employees
when it's advantageous to them; take, fore example, former congressman John Murtha.
When he was accused of defamation/slander, he was ruled to be exempt as a "federal employee" — though the hallmark of an employee is that they can be fired, yet there is no such mechanism which can be applied to Congress. (They also enjoy much protection from their State and constituents as "recall" is illegitimate and they aren't under the State's 'jurisdiction', despite many documents which assert that their authority ultimately comes from the very people to whom which they needn't give account.)
Take a look at the deputies. They don't look like deputies to me. Armored vehicle, advanced Kevlar body armor, automatic weapons.
Remember when Obozo said, “what we need is a civilian force, just as well equipped as the military.” Paraphrasing.
Well...here it is folks.
IMO there is one thing that would have near immediate effect of [beginning to] weed-out the bad cops: make them liable for and aggressively pursue perjury.
If you wanted to double-up on this, aggressively pursue 18 USC 242 violations.
Thank you. I recruit other officers and there are many of them that are like minded.
I’ve said it before, cops come from all walks of society and all beliefs. When the time comes the leftist cops won’t have the stomach to fight and most of them aren’t any good at it anyway.
The danger is liberal states, liberal politicians and liberal police chiefs. The IACP has it’s tentacles in departments all over America.
Militarization of police has to do with the tactics, the weapons, the training, and the tools.
All of which emulate the military more every single day.
The only thing which doesn’t emulate the military is your use of deadly force. Cops can use deadly force a lot easier than the military, even those in a war zone.
Yes they have to use them or they can’t justify them. Without expanding the use of SWAT there just isn’t enough high risk events to justify a SWAT team in most jurisdictions.
I don’t know. What is wrong with a cop having advanced body armor? After situations like the North Hollywood bank robbery, I don’t see what’s wrong with the police having an armored vehicle or M16’s. It’s a little embarrassing when you have to go into gun stores and beg for a weapon to match what the bad guys are using. Or hijack an armored car or ambulance to try to pick up some cop that got shot and needs to be evacuated before he bleeds to death.
Having them is one thing, what they do with them is another. I’m thinking Obozo is going to have a hard time convincing every cop in America to join his Brown Shirts. If he is able to do that then America may be finished.
A while back there was a series of pictures posted with pictures of military and cops. Point was to guess which was military and which were cops. You couldn’t tell. I think Lazamataz posted it but I cant find it.
“It’s still not a good example of militarization.”
Its really not, if this cop was military he’d be up on charges by now.
I’m ok with cops being embarrased. North Hollywood was one event in how many decades and yet its been used to justify how much fancy equipment and guns?
I gotta say, I have a deep disdain for rogue cops. There is little worse than an individual that abuses the power trusted to him.
They are worse than the thugs that terrorize the streets. Citizen can defend themselves against the thugs. Defending ourselves against dirty cops can get’cha...killed real dead.
Besides, not sure where your from, but Houston cops have always had a real bad reputation.
Folks just don't like the progression toward militarized police forces. You must admit, this ain't your father's oldsmobile.
You sound like a good guy Cap. Glad you're on our side.
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