Posted on 08/25/2002 7:21:18 AM PDT by Dog Gone
Edited on 08/25/2002 7:46:31 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
A contingent of op-ed and letter writers to the Chronicle has taken the position that arresting 278 young people during a raid on a shopping center and restaurant parking lot last weekend was entirely justified because of the annoying late-night loitering and drag racing that had become typical at that spot. But the problem with the raid is not that police officers tried to arrest lawbreakers in and around the 24- hour Kmart Super Center parking in the 8400 block of Westheimer. It is with the contemptuous attitude police showed toward the citizenry by not bothering to sort out the good from the bad.
The people who so enthusiastically applaud law enforcement for shoddy police work more than likely would be singing a different tune if they or one of their children had been unjustly swept up in the botched raid and they found themselves spending all of a weekend day working through the city's criminal justice bureaucracy and coughing up large sums to retrieve their car from the pound.
More nettlesome than the irritation of being arrested for no cause, possible long-term consequences of a needlessly acquired criminal record and the potential for significant lawsuits that will have to be defended and settled with public funds, is the fact that the officer who led the Kmart debacle, Houston police Capt. Mark Aguirre, apparently has operated unchecked for years in this free-style arrest mode.
Police Chief C.O. Bradford says he has ordered an inquiry into the parking lot arrests. And Mayor Lee Brown has referred the matter to his Office of Inspector General. But Brown otherwise has been strangely quiet for a mayor who so heavily touted his extensive law enforcement experience during his three election campaigns.
The Chronicle does not condone behavior that is unlawful, or even just annoying, including drag racing, underage drinking, drug use, disturbingly loud music playing or anything else a bunch of kids hanging out late at night in a parking lot might be up to. But neither does the paper support police- state tactics that show an alarming disregard for the right of law-abiding citizens to to go about free from fear of sudden arrest.
I think this is a very important detail ---if the businesses wanted trouble makers removed from their property who wouldn't leave when told to leave, it would be a whole different matter. It seems the police went way overboard.
Yeah....these things never went on when you were a kid did they? You grew up in the perfect little town where all children attended mass every night and no one loitered, drag raced, drank or played loud music.
Or is it that "things were different then"?
She probably talked back to the officer during a traffic stop and he decided to teach her a lesson.
We are all criminals just waiting to be caught! That is the attitude of Law enforcement.
Over all, the rank-and-file officers are good people. I'm less charitable toward the top brass, because they have to kiss a lot of politicians' backside to get there (and I won't bother to tell you why I'm suspicious of politicians).
However, the "blue wall of silence" is a problem. Police departments tend to close ranks and protect all but their worst offenders, even after multiple instances that should indicate that it's time to eliminate the problem before it escalates into a tragedy.
In all fairness, it's self-preservation. In any business, whistle-blowers will be victims of both subtle and obvious retribution. But, most of us have the opportunity to take our services to another employer, while good opportunities for law enforcement officers are limited.
Austin, Houston, San Antonio are also becoming socialist government cesspools. In fact so are most of the major "big" cities across America. Remember the red/blue county by county map that showed where Bush won and Gore won. Rural America voted for Bush, cities voted for Gore. Texas was one huge red for Bush map, except for the counties containing Austin, Houston. These big cities are getting the kind of government they want.
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Aug. 21, 2002, 1:17PM
Captain at center of Kmart raid hurt in wreck
By S.K. BARDWELL
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
Houston police Capt. Mark Aguirre suffered minor injuries late last night when his unmarked police car was struck by an 18-wheeler in northwest Houston.
Aguirre, the target of both criticism and kudos for a raid that resulted in the arrests of 278 young people at a popular westside gathering spot early Sunday, was off duty when the accident occurred about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
HPD spokesman Robert Hurst said Aguirre, driving an unmarked city-owned Dodge Stratus, was attempting to turn left onto West 18th from the inside lane of the West Loop North service road when he was struck, Hurst said.
The 18-wheeler, which belongs to Kirby Trucking and was driven by Allen Tompkins, 27, of Liberty, was trying to make the same left turn from the outside lane, Hurst said.
The truck damaged the roof and right side of Aguirre's car. Tompkins was cited for failing to maintain a single lane of traffic while making a left turn, Hurst said.
Aguirre complained of some pain in his legs after the accident, but was not transported to a hospital, opting instead to see his personal physician today, Hurst said.
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crybaby, it wan't even a real collision.
There weren't any reports of any alcohol at all. Or fighting. And I certainly don't share your opinion that the police should arrest everyone in sight if a few people are violating the law. Collective criminal guilt is not a concept embraced by our Constitution.
30 or so years ago, this would not have happened.
Frightening isn't it?
We only thought slavery was abolished. Actually, it has just taken a new form.
I'd be willing to bet on it. I'd also be willing to bet that we won't hear anything about other crimes that occurred in that time frame..
The courts will decide how appropriate this mass arrest was.
I'll bet this little stunt is going to cost the city of Houston multi-millions of dollars.
They usually just need the information that is already provided if they will just read them.
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