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.
DG,I really didn't want to agree with your post #105 but I now must reconsider my position and admit that I'm leaning toward agreement with the point you were making.HeHe.;)
Today, there are only a handful who are defending what happened here. The rest either were eventually convinced (and some admitted it) or they lost interest. I'd like to think that some we haven't heard from lately are simply hoping that the issue will go away and their earlier remarks will be forgotten.
But this wasn't about winning an argument with folks here. It was about explaining why this was so wrong, and hoping like hell that Houston would do something about it. The City Council meeting today was far more significant than I expected it to be. I expected nothing more than softball questions and weasel answers. Judging from the early reports of it, the Police Chief understands what went wrong. The City Attorney understands the ramifications and his obligations. The Mayor continues to be clueless, but, hey, we couldn't expect miracles.
I feel as if the position we were taking all along was vindicated today. It's not the end of this story, but it may mark the beginning of the efforts to make things right and ensure that an abuse like this never takes place again.
That's a good feeling.
Huh? Where am I heading?
Are V-8's OK? I mean, American V-8's, of course.
Your efforts have helped many to see more clearly.
I'm with you on that one.
You wonder sometimes how Janet Reno can sleep after what she did to Elian Gonzales and his American family.
I've noticed that - 18-wheelers never stay in one lane when turning - ticket them all!
I may have sent some personal insults toward some people here, but not once have I accused anyone of being dishonest.
Here is my bottom line: I want a public apology RIGHT NOW, or your posts get forwarded to Jim Robinson.
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