Wow! This has been in the news for the last few days.

The skinny; Police chief sent an armed officer after midnight to the home of a reporter to tell the reporter to change his story. The story centered on law enforcement’s slow response to an elderly man's call. Later on the man's wife called and her husband was murdered by a guy not taking his meds. They claim there weren’t enough units to respond because of the "Occupy" situation, but the chief found a unit to go to the reporter's home.


http://www.chicagonow.com/p...e-dont-like-or-else/

Berkeley Storm Troopers: Don't Write What The Police Don't Like or Else

If police chiefs send armed officers to a journalist's door because he didn't like what was written abut him, would you feel just a tad uncomfortable as an American at the audacity? This is no academic discussion because it really happened. Not in what liberals may claim is the dangerous, intolerant south but instead in the heart of liberal land itself, Berkeley, California.

Worse, one of the reasons this whole situation arose is because police were too distracted by an Occupy Berkeley protest to respond to an incident that ended up in the murder of a 67-year-old resident.

But first, on Friday, Feb. 9, Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan sent an armed officer to the door of Bay Area News Group reporter Doug Oakley at nearly one in the morning to demand that he publish a correction about something the reporter had written about the Berkeley police department.

The Oakland Tribune notes that reporter Oakley at first thought there was a death in his family or some emergency when he opened the door to a policeman at 12:45 AM but was shocked when the officer presented the reporter with the chief's demands for changes in a published article.

First Amendment activists are not amused by the chief's intimidation tactics:

Meehans's actions were "despicable, totally despicable," said Jim Ewert, general counsel of the California Newspaper Publisher's Association. "It's the most intimidating type of (censorship) possible because the person trying to exercise it carries a gun."

Chief Meehan has been under fire for what residents feel was his "slow response" to the murder of Berkeley homeowner Peter Cukor who was murdered by a man with mental problems as the victim's wife watched in horror. Mr. Cukor had initially called the Berkeley police on a non-emergency line when he saw someone skulking around on his property.

Police did not respond to the non-emergency call as officers were busy policing an Occupy Berkeley protest.

After a verbal altercation with the man, Mr. Cukor walked to a nearby fire station for help, but the firemen were out on a call and not at the station. On his way back home, Mr. Cukor was attacked and beaten to death by 23-year-old Daniel DeWitt, the grandson of Alameda's first black mayor.

Police responded immediately to Mrs. Cukor's 911 call, but were too late to save Mr. Cukor's life.

This story highlights so many problems in liberal America. Firstly, Mr. Cukor lost his life because he couldn't defend himself in his own home and had to rely on police that never arrived in time to prevent his murder.

Secondly, we see the Occupy movement tangentially responsible for that murder by monopolizing city resources and preventing police from serving the rest of the community.

Thirdly, we see a police official hired by liberals that has the arrogance to imagine that he can send armed officers to journalist's homes demanding changes to stories written about him. Seems a but tyrannical, doesn’t it?

Of course, as to the second point, one can hardly blame Berkeley police for dedicating so many policemen to any Occupy event. After all, the Occupy Wall Street "movement" has been rife with murders, property damage, and crimes of all sorts.

And liberals say Middle America and the south is dangerous to our collective wellbeing?

An investigation? The facts are out there. The conclusions are obvious.

What part of "You're fired." is so difficult to say?

Oh, wait. If you actually do something, you might be held responsible and be sued for it. So there must be an investigation by an outside party. There must be no one person responsible for anything.

Minnesota Waitress Sues After Police Seize $12,000 'Tip'

My only question is. If it was a gift, why take the money to the police department.

Stacy Knutson, a struggling Minnesota waitress and mother of five, says she was searching for a "miracle" to help her family with financial problems.
But that "miracle" quickly came and went after police seized a $12,000 tip that was left at her table. Knutson filed a lawsuit in Clay County District Court stating that the money is rightfully hers. Police argue it is drug money.
Knutson was working at the Fryn' Pan in Moorhead, Minn., when, according to her attorney, Craig Richie, a woman left a to-go box from another restaurant on the table. Knutson followed the woman to her car to return the box to her.
"No I am good, you keep it," the woman said, according to the lawsuit.
Knutson did not know the woman and has not seen her since, Richie said. Knutson thought it was "strange" that the woman told her to keep it but she took it inside. The box felt too heavy to be leftovers, Ritchie said, so she opened it -- only to find bundles of cash wrapped in rubber bands.
[Related: Firefighters donate lottery winnings to ailing colleague]
"Even though I desperately needed the money as my husband and I have five children, I feel I did the right thing by calling the Moorhead Police," Knutson said in the lawsuit.
Police seized the money and originally told Knutson that if no one claimed it after 60 days, it was hers. She was later told 90 days, Richie said. When 90 days passed, Knutson was still without the $12,000.
Police told Knutson the money was being held as "drug money" and she would receive a $1,000 reward instead, the lawsuit states. Lt. Tory Jacobson of the Moorhead police said he could not disclose much information about the case because it is an ongoing investigation.
"With turning this money over to us, we initiated an investigation to determine whose money this is," Jacobson told ABC News. "The result has been a narcotics investigation."
Police argue that the money had a strong odor of marijuana and therefore falls under a law that allows for forfeiture of the money because it was in the proximity of a controlled substance, the lawsuit states. But there were no drugs in the box and Richie said he believes this law is not being used correctly.
[Related: What happens to seized "drug money"?]
"Because it was in contact with drugs somewhere along the line, it's somehow drug money," Richie said. "This isn't drug money."
A police dog also performed a sniff test on the money and, according to the dog's handler, discovered an odor.
Two of Knutson's co-workers, along with her son Brandon, were at the Fryn' Pan the night she discovered the money. Her co-workers say they did not smell marijuana.
"I know the smell of marijuana," Nickolas Fronning, a line cook at the Fryn' Pan, said in an affidavit. "I can also assure you that there was no smell of marijuana on the bills or coming from the box."
There was nothing suspicious in the restaurant when the money was found, co-workers said. They don't why it was given to Knutson.
"She was just in the right place at the right time," Tracy Johnson, the assistant manager at the Fryn' Pan, told ABC News.
Knutson's family has had a long financial struggle. She has been a waitress at the Fryn' Pan for 18 years.
"We do everything we can to make ends meet, but often times everything is not covered," she said in the lawsuit.
Knutson's financial woes are well-known in her church, Richie said. She believes that perhaps someone from the church gave her the money through this woman but did not want to be identified.
"Somebody knew she really needed the money and she needed to be helped," Richie said.
Jacobson says it is up to the judge to decide who the money rightfully belongs to.
"The police department doesn't have a decision on either side," Jacobson said. "She did the right thing, we credit her with that. It's certainly not the police department against her. We're actually with her."
But Richie said he firmly believes this is not drug money and it rightfully belongs to Knutson.
"The only thing that smells bad about this is that it's unfair," Richie said. "So that's why we're doing something about it."
Also Read

http://news.yahoo.com/minne...news-topstories.html

Most US currency has been in contact with drugs. I guess police can confiscate any of it because of that law. Lucky for me I only carry credit and very little to no cash.

Bogota Officer May Be Fired For Stopping Beatdown. It appears that even when somebody knows that other officers are doing something wrong and trys to stop the beating-you are now in big trouble. If this happening in a police force of 20 just imagine in a major city.

http://www.wpix.com/news/wp...down,0,2795580.story

The biggest gang in America.

http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/54162036

The Kelly Thomas video has been released.

http://www.pixiq.com/articl...d-watch-with-caution

*sigh*

What the hell is happening to us.

Someone let me off of this stupid effing rock.

Lawyer says former HMB officer not competent to stand trial


A former Half Moon Bay police officer charged with embezzling money from his union might be mentally unfit to stand trial, according to his own defense attorney.

On Monday, a publicly appointed attorney representing former policeman Askia “A.J.” Johnson requested that the criminal trial be delayed so a team of doctors can assess the mental competency of his client. Attorney Ross Green reportedly indicated that Johnson had previously demonstrated behavior consistent with mental illness.

Attending the hearing with his mother and family, Johnson objected to the psychological exam. Nonetheless, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Lisa Novak ordered the testing to go forward.

The development was a surprise to prosecutors in a criminal case that has already taken many unexpected turns.

“This is a fellow who, not long ago, we said ‘you are an officer and you get a badge and may have a handgun,’” said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. “And today his attorney is concerned he has a mental illness.”

Johnson is charged with taking $5,700 from the Half Moon Bay Police Officers Association when he served as the organization’s president in 2008. He says the money was a loan used to help the Police Athletic League and Explorers programs and that he paid it all back.

Prosecutors dispute that account, saying Johnson used the money to pay for a divorce and that he still owes $1,700. Regardless of the amount, they say his crime was taking money without getting approval from the other union directors. Johnson says he wasn’t the only former Half Moon Bay Police officer to take a loan from the fund.

Speaking before the Monday hearing, Johnson said he disagreed with how his appointed attorney planned to defend him in court. He intended to fire his attorney and represent himself in the criminal case.

“It’s not a Hail Mary pass,” he said. “It’s the only way I can admit the evidence I need to defend myself.”

The former policeman had brought along a box full of bank statements, financial records and letters that he says prove that other police officers were regularly borrowing money from the Half Moon Bay Police Officers Association. He believes he was singled out for prosecution because he questioned where the money was going.

During his years on the police force, Johnson worked as a school resource officer and later as a detective. He left the city police in 2010, just months before the department was dissolved by the city for financial reasons.

Johnson was required to pass a psychological screening before being hired as a sworn police officer in Half Moon Bay.

He will now be required to take a different kind of test to determine mental competency. The exam is administered by two doctors and is meant to prove if a defendant can understand the legal case and cooperate with an attorney. A defendant who doesn’t meet those criteria can’t legally be put through a criminal trial.

The doctors’ evaluation of Johnson is scheduled to be complete in July


http://www.hmbreview.com/ne...cb-0019bb2963f4.html

Wow, really? This guy pass a psychological screening before being hired as a sworn police officer in Half Moon Bay?

Why It Doesn’t Pay To Cooperate With Police
http://personalliberty.com/...e-with-police/?eiid=

quote Police officers are trained manipulators. They take classes to learn how to read people’s body language and how to ask open-ended and innocent-sounding questions in order to surreptitiously obtain information they can use against you. They also have a knowledge of the laws that you don’t possess — and laws differ from State to State, and even from one jurisdiction in a State to another. Police have also been known to invent “laws,” place “evidence” that can be linked to you and twist your words into meaning something you did not intend. For that reason you should never consent to a police search of your vehicle and never volunteer information when being questioned. Of course, not consenting doesn’t mean you won’t be subjected to an unConstitutional and illegal search, as Nancy Genovese learned. But two recent cases drive home the point of why it doesn’t pay to cooperate with police: that of Army Lt. Augustine Kim and that of Diane Avera. Before being deployed to Afghanistan, Kim left his gun collection with his parents in New Jersey. In the summer of 2010, Kim was back in the United States after being injured in a vehicle crash in Afghanistan. He had a medical appointment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and decided to work a trip from his South Carolina home to his parent’s New Jersey home around the medical center appointment. He loaded his guns plus some spare parts in the trunk of his Honda Civic and headed to his medical appointment. He got lost in downtown Washington, D.C., and was pulled over by police. The officer said his license had been suspended, but Kim said he was not aware that it had been. It turns out the suspension was a clerical error caused by the State of North Carolina incorrectly reporting to South Carolina that Kim had failed to pay for a ticket. But because of the erroneous suspension, the D.C. officer called for backup and told Kim he’d have to go to the police station. Then the officer asked if he could search his vehicle. Kim consented because he knew his guns were properly locked in a case, which complied with Federal firearms transportation laws. Kim was handcuffed and made to sit on the curb. He was then booked on four counts of carrying outside the home. Officers told him that he was in violation of registration laws because he admitted to having stopped at Walter Reed. In D.C., having a weapon outside the home is illegal. In Demopolis, Ala., Avera answered a police officer’s question honestly. It landed her in jail for 40 days — including 17 hours strapped in a restraint chair — and a conviction on a drug charge that carries a sentence of one year in jail and seven years of probation. Avera had recently taken up the hobby of scuba diving. Her dive instructor had advised her to take pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) to help her equalize pressure on her eardrums and to help her with other sinus issues she experienced while diving. This is a common practice among divers; and Avera had, under advice from her physician, taken pseudoephedrine many times before to treat allergies. But just weeks before Avera was arrested, a new State ordinance went into effect in her home State of Mississippi that made pseudoephedrine a prescription drug. So Avera drove to Alabama to buy some. In the car with Avera were her adult son, his girlfriend and their three children. The son and girlfriend bought two boxes of Sudafed from a CVS. Avera bought another at Wal-Mart. As she pulled away from Wal-Mart, Demopolis Police Sgt. Tim Soronen pulled her over. (In Avera’s trial it was revealed the CVS pharmacist was a police informant who tipped off police about the Sudafed purchase.) “What brings you to Demopolis?” Soronen asked. “I came over to buy some Sudafed for our scuba diving trip this weekend, since we can’t buy it in Meridian anymore,” Avera replied. Soronen asked Avera if she knew it was against the law to cross the State line to buy Sudafed. Avera said she did not. Soronen ordered her out of the car. Using the threat of kidnapping Avera’s grandchildren and putting them into the hands of the State Department of Human Resources, Soronen extorted a confession from Avera that she was buying Sudafed to manufacture crystal methamphetamine. It did not help that her son — a habitual drug user who had been through rehab several times — had a bottle of methadone and a pouch containing drug paraphernalia that police found during a vehicle search. She was convicted after the trial judge allowed the prosecutor to make entirely unsubstantiated claims. These included that Avera had confessed to having used crystal meth for two years — her former employer, a physician, insisted there was never any indication she was a drug user — and that she had somehow “diluted” drug tests that showed she had no meth in her system. Avera’s conviction is being appealed, and she is free on a $20,000 bond. But Kim accepted a deal that allowed him to plead guilty of one misdemeanor charge of possessing an unregistered gun with the understanding the charges would be dismissed and his guns and gun parts — worth $10,000 — would be returned if he stayed out of trouble for nine months. Now the Metropolitan Police are refusing to release Kim’s guns. “The mistake he made was agreeing to a search of his vehicle,” Kim’s attorney Richard Gardiner told The Washington Times. “If the police ask for consent to search, the answer is ‘no.’ If they ask, ‘why not?’ The answer is, ‘no.’” For most people, encounters with police end with no more than a warning or a ticket. But you never know when you may say or do something that interests the officer enough that he or she wants to take a closer look at who you are and where you’ve been. Privacy expert and lawyer Mark Nestmann writes in his book, The Lifeboat Strategy to never consent to a vehicle search. He reminds that you do not have to answer an officer’s questions if you are being detained. From his book: Say something like, “Officer, I know you want to do your job, but I can’t consent to a search.” A likely response will be, “Why not? What do you have to hide?” You are under no obligation to answer this question. Instead, say something like, “Officer, am I under arrest? If not, I would respectfully ask that you permit me to leave.” If there’s no response, then announce, “Officer, if you’re not detaining me, may I leave?” If the response is “yes,” say “thank you” and leave immediately. If the response is ambiguous, or if your question is answered by another question, repeat your question: “Am I being detained, or may I leave now?” If the response is “no,” you’re being detained. Police may detain you or your vehicle for a brief time… If you’re detained, you’re under no obligation to answer any questions or consent to a search. You should point that out; but again, in a non-threatening way. One way is to make a joke; e.g., “My lawyer would kill me if I consented to a search without him being present.”… Specifically mention the word “lawyer.” This will end many requests for a search or to answer questions. If not, tell the officer that you want to call your lawyer… If you don’t have a lawyer… Just keep your mouth shut and don’t consent to a search. Nestmann also recommends you keep your car free from clutter and conceal everything that you want to keep private. If an officer sees something suspicious out in the open, he can get around the need for consent or a warrant and claim probable cause. Most people now break many laws during the course of their day that they don’t even know exist. The presumption of innocence no longer applies. Over the past several decades, police have become increasingly militarized and increasingly militant and abusive. For years, complaints about abusive police from members of the black community have fallen on deaf ears. Propaganda-induced ignorance will cause many to dismiss this issue still. Some people are concerned there will come a time in the United States when the military will be brought to bear on the regular citizens in a time of riots or civil unrest. But it’s more likely we should fear the police, who are already showing a proclivity to attack and abuse citizens — including children — and are obviously preparing for civil unrest.

Know your rights or get in trouble.

So many people claim cops are bad, are they?

People are people and we are all different, some are good, some are bad. You can’t judge everyone by the acts a few bad eggs. We have a couple of cops in town here that are just plain a waste of oxygen. But others are great.

There are almost a million cops in the US, take that into consideration. Now pick a million people and you are going to find a few bad eggs no matter where you pick them from. Some have their own agendas; some are good some are bad. I have run into all of those kinds but for the most part they are good people just trying to do a very tough job.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

We all know that not all cops are bad. It's only the bad ones that make the news and this makes all of them look bad.
Under Asset Forfeiture Law, Wisconsin Cops Confiscate Families' Bail Money
http://www.huffingtonpost.c...lnk1%26pLid%3D162787

quote When the Brown County, Wis., Drug Task Force arrested her son Joel last February, Beverly Greer started piecing together his bail. She used part of her disability payment and her tax return. Joel Greer's wife also chipped in, as did his brother and two sisters. On Feb. 29, a judge set Greer's bail at $7,500, and his mother called the Brown County jail to see where and how she could get him out. "The police specifically told us to bring cash," Greer says. "Not a cashier's check or a credit card. They said cash." So Greer and her family visited a series of ATMs, and on March 1, she brought the money to the jail, thinking she'd be taking Joel Greer home. But she left without her money, or her son. Instead jail officials called in the same Drug Task Force that arrested Greer. A drug-sniffing dog inspected the Greers' cash, and about a half-hour later, Beverly Greer said, a police officer told her the dog had alerted to the presence of narcotics on the bills -- and that the police department would be confiscating the bail money. "I told them the money had just come from the bank," Beverly Greer says. "We had just taken it out. If the money had drugs on it, then they should go seize all the money at the bank, too. I just don't understand how they could do that." The Greers had been subjected to civil asset forfeiture, a policy that lets police confiscate money and property even if they can only loosely connect them to drug activity. The cash, or revenue from the property seized, often goes back to the coffers of the police department that confiscated it. It's a policy critics say is often abused, but experts told The HuffPost that the way the law is applied to bail money in Brown County is exceptionally unfair. It took four months for Beverly Greer to get her family's money back, and then only after attorney Andy Williams agreed to take their case. "The family produced the ATM receipts proving that had recently withdrawn the money," Williams says. "Beverly Greer had documentation for her disability check and her tax return. Even then, the police tried to keep their money." Wisconsin is one of four states (along with Illinois, Kentucky, and Oregon) that prohibits bail bondsmen. So bail must be paid either in cash, with a registered check, cashier's check or credit card. In fact, Donna Kuchler, a Wisconsin criminal defense attorney based in Waukesha, said police aren't allowed to insist on cash. "I would be suspicious of why they would do that," Kuchler says. "I had a case last year in Fond du Lac County where they tried to say my client could only pay in cash. My guess is that they probably intended to do the same thing that happened here. We brought a cashier's check anyway, and they knew they had to accept it." But the Greers still fared better than Jesus Zamora, whose family and friends continue to fight for police to return their bail money. Zamora was arrested in January on misdemeanor drug possession and a misdemeanor gun charge. A judge set his bail at $5,000. "My girlfriend borrowed some money from her sister and mother and a few friends, and they came to bail me out," Zamora says. "But then they started asking her if she had brought drug money. They took the money away and said they were going to have the drug dogs sniff it. She asked them when I would be let out, and they told her, 'He isn't going anywhere'." The police then seized Zamora's bail money, just as they did with the Greers'. "I stayed in jail for, I think, another 11 days. I lost count. I had never been arrested for drugs before. And this was for a really small amount. Seventeen painkillers, for which I had a prescription, and a small bag they say had traces of cocaine. And they say my girlfriend and I just had $5,000 in drug money lying around." Zamora's girlfriend borrowed more money from friends and coworkers, which she promised to pay back out of her mother's tax return. They waited until Zamora had a court date, and this time posted his bail in front of a judge, with a cashier's check. Wisconsin law enforcement officials also are required to provide a receipt when they confiscate property under forfeiture laws. Beverly Greer and Jesus Zamora both said they were never given receipts. Brown County Drug Task Force Director Lt. Dave Poteat says the dog alerts were not the only factors. According to Poteat, the Greers and Zamora's girlfriend appeared nervous when they brought in the bail money. "Their stories didn't add up. Their ATM receipts had the wrong times on them. And they were withdrawing from several different locations. The times just didn't correspond to their stories." Poteat says an additional reason Zamora's bail money was confiscated was because during calls from the jail to multiple people, he indicated the money was drug-related. "Mr. Zamora made a number of calls in which he appeared to be trying to disguise or hide where the money was coming from," Poteat says. "At one point, he even said to another party, 'of course the money is dirty.'" According to Poteat, all inmate calls from the jail are recorded, and both the inmate and the party they call are warned before the call begins. Zamora says he was merely telling his girlfriend where to get the bail money. "There's a guy who still owes me money from a car I sold to him. And where I'm from, everyone has a nickname. So I was telling her who she could go to that might be able to give her some money for my bail. I used nicknames because I didn't want the police to visit their houses." Zamora says he was not attempting to disguise where the money was from, only telling his girlfriend and sister to find someone else to bring in the money so they wouldn't be interrogated. "I know how police do this. My sister just got her immigration papers. I didn't want them harassing her or threatening to deport her or to change her immigration status. I just wanted to protect them, so I told them to find someone else to bring in the money." Civil asset forfeiture is based on the premise that a piece of property -- a car, a pile of cash, a house -- can be guilty of a crime. Laws vary from state to state, but generally, law enforcement officials can seize property if they can show any connection between the property and illegal activity. It is then up to the owner of the property to prove in court that he owns it or earned it legitimately. It doesn't require a property owner to actually be convicted of a crime. In fact, most people who lose property to civil asset forfeiture are never charged. The laws were created to go after the ill-gotten gains of big-time dealers, but critics say they've since become a way for police departments to generate revenue -- often by targeting lower-level offenders. In 2010, the Institute for Justice (IJ), a libertarian law firm, rated the forfeiture laws in all 50 states, assigning higher grades to states with fairer policies. The firm gave Wisconsin a "C." When there's less than $2,000 at stake, law enforcement agencies in the state get to keep 70 percent of what they take. If more than $2,000 is taken, departments can keep half. But in all states, police agencies can contact the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), making the case federal, and under federal law, local police departments can keep up to 80 percent of forfeiture proceeds, with the rest going to the Department of Justice. The institute reports that between 2000 and 2008, police agencies in Wisconsin took in $50 million from the equitable sharing program with the federal government. According to Williams, the DEA recently filed a claim on Zamora's money in federal court, to take possession of the money through federal civil asset forfeiture laws. But even in the odd world of asset forfeiture, the seizure of bail money because of a drug-dog alert raises other concerns. In addition to increasing skepticism over the use of drug-sniffing dogs, studies have consistently shown that most U.S. currency contains traces of cocaine. In a 1994 ruling, for example, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals cited studies showing that 75 percent of U.S. currency in Los Angeles included traces of narcotics. In 2009, researchers at the University of Massachusetts analyzed 234 bills collected from 18 cities, and found that 90 percent contained traces of cocaine. A 2008 study published in the Trends in Analytical Chemistry came to similar conclusions, as have studies by the Federal Reserve and the Argonne National Laboratory. Zamora says he was referring to the common presence of drugs on money when he told his girlfriend, "of course the money is dirty." "I had talked to my attorney about how all money has some drugs on it," Zamora says. "So I was trying to tell her what to say if they told her a dog alerted to it. That she was supposed to say, 'Of course the money is dirty -- all money is dirty.'" Stephen Downing, a retired narcotics cop who served as assistant police chief in Los Angeles, says it isn't surprising that a drug dog would alert to a pile of cash, since it usually has traces of drugs. "I'd call these cases direct theft. They're hijackings," says Downing, who is now a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an organization of former police and prosecutors who advocate ending the drug war. Downing says he recently consulted a medical marijuana activist in California who was told to bring his bail money in cash, despite the fact that state law allows payment with a cashier's check, a registered check or a credit card. "It makes me wonder if this seizing of bail is a new idea getting shopped around in law enforcement circles." Poteat says he's aware of some studies from the 1980s about traces of narcotics on most U.S. currency, but that he didn't know about the more recent research. "Our dogs are trained with currency that's taken out of circulation. So they wouldn't alert to bills that have the same traces most other bills have." Steven Kessler, a New York-based forfeiture attorney and the author of the legal treatise "Civil and Criminal Forfeiture: Federal and State Practice," said he had never heard of simply confiscating bail. "It's abhorrent. You can reject bail if you suspect the money is dirty. But you don't simply take it and hand it over to the police department." Virginia attorney David Smith, who wrote a book on forfeiture, says he has seen other cases in which authorities have confiscated bail money, but adds, "No courts have ordered forfeiture simply on the basis of a dog alert. There has to be other evidence." Forfeitures like these may not hold up in court, but failed cases wouldn't necessarily discourage police departments from continuing the practice. If the defendant never challenges the seizure, the department generates revenue. If the defendant challenges and wins, the department loses little. Indigent defendants, in particular, may decide not to pursue a forfeiture case due to the expense, particularly if they've already used their savings on bail, or are more concerned with fighting pending criminal charges. In many cases, the amount of cash seized would be exceeded by the costs of hiring an attorney to win it back anyway. In addition, under Wisconsin law, indigent defendants are not entitled to a public defender in civil asset forfeiture cases. "I would think that one of these cases would be the perfect opportunity for a court to impose punitive damages against the police department," Kessler says. "You need to make it clear that it would be damaging for the police to attempt this sort of thing in the future. Considering how appalling these cases are, I don't see why a court couldn't do that." Poteat says it "isn't unusual" for his task force to seize bail money under forfeiture laws. "I'd say we've done it maybe eight or nine times this year."

Moral of the story: Don't pay cash for bail or you may lose it.

Cato To Track Bad Cops
http://personalliberty.com/...rack-bad-cops/?eiid=

quote The Cato Institute has launched an initiative focused on keeping an eye on incidents of misconduct by police throughout the United States. Cato’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project grew out of the police abuse news feed, Injustice Everywhere, which founder and researcher David Packman shut down in April because he could no longer devote time to the project. The project is now being headed up by Cato Director of the Project on Criminal Justice Tim Lynch, a leading voice in support of the Bill of Rights and civil liberties. His research interests include the war on terrorism, over-criminalization, the drug war, the militarization of police tactics and gun control. He has also served on the National Committee to Prevent Wrongful Executions. Lynch writes: “The purpose of the project is to gather news reports about police misconduct in America in a fair and unbiased way. Our objective is to study the scope of the problem and to identify policies that can minimize misconduct.” According to the site, police misconduct is not regularly examined in the United States and — in light of recent highly publicized examples — it is time to take a closer look at the problem. The site also gives visitors the ability to report police misconduct if their stories are “supported by third-party witnesses or other compelling evidence.”

http://news.yahoo.com/da-no...photo-010519348.html

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two Los Angeles police officers won't face criminal charges alleging they leaked a photo of pop star Rihanna's bruised and beaten face after she was assaulted by singer Chris Brown, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said.
An internal report by prosecutors says that after a three-year investigation, they didn't have enough evidence to show celebrity news website TMZ paid the accused officers for the photo, and that became an obstacle in charging them. Officers Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes may still get fired. They are slated to appear before disciplinary panels in August.

The crazy part is: if there was wrong doing among themselves you couldn't pay one of them to leak the story for all would be tight lipped.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: We all know that not all cops are bad. It's only the bad ones that make the news and this makes all of them look bad.

Very true. That goes for pretty much any group of people out there.

Come on. Really? No honor?


Cop accused of stealing driver's iPhone from wreck

BATON ROUGE, La. – A 27-year-old police officer in Louisiana has resigned after authorities say he stole an iPhone from the scene of a drunken-driving crash.

Cpl. Tommy Stubbs, a police spokesman in Baton Rouge, says the phone wasn't in the car when the driver got out of jail. Stubbs says a tracking feature showed that its name had been changed to "Jake Chustz's iPhone," and the driver recognized the name as that of an officer who had worked at the wreck June 2. He filed a complaint.

Stubbs says Chustz (SHOOTS) was booked late Wednesday with felony theft and malfeasance in office, and resigned early Thursday. He had worked for the department for five years.

An online jail listing shows he's free on $10,000 bond. A message left at a listing for Jake Chustz wasn't immediately returned.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2...r-iphone-from-wreck/

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2...wreck/#ixzz20SLPfYaF

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2...wreck/#ixzz20SLLhbXb

Tactical reason therefore you don't announce who you are at 1:30am? Lawsuit.


Deputies shoot, kill man after knocking on wrong door
http://www.wesh.com/news/ce.../euk6tg/-/index.html


AKE COUNTY, Fla. - Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man they assumed was an attempted murder suspect on Sunday, but they now know they shot the wrong man.
In the early-morning hours, deputies knocked on 26-year-old Andrew Lee Scott's door without identifying themselves as law enforcement officers. Scott answered the door with a gun in his hand.

"When we knocked on the door, the door opened and the occupant of that apartment was pointing a gun at deputies, and that's when we opened fire and killed him," Lt. John Herrell said. "Even though this subject is not the one we were looking for when he opened the door. He was pointing the gun at the deputy and if you put yourselves in the deputy's shoes. They were there to pick up someone who was wanted for an attempted homicide."

Officials said the deputies did not identify themselves because of safety reasons.

Deputies thought they were confronting Jonathan Brown, a man accused of attempted murder. Brown was spotted at the Blueberry Hills Apartment complex and his motorcycle was parked across from Andrew Scott's front door.

"It's just a bizarre set of circumstances. The bottom line is, you point a gun at a deputy sheriff or police office, you're going to get shot," Herrell said.

Residents said the unannounced knock at the door at 1:30 a.m. may be the reason why the tragedy happened.

"He was the wrong guy and he got shot and killed anyway. There's fault on both sides. I think more so on the county," Ryan Perry said. "I can understand why he [the deputy] did it, but it should have never gone down like that," Perry said.

Scott's friend, LeMac Blount said he thinks law enforcement acted too quickly.

"I think because his motorcycle was parked in front of Andrew's door, it wasn't safe to assume that that was where he was at. I think they should of took other precautions," said Blout.
Read more: http://www.wesh.com/news/ce...x.html#ixzz20whUqkut

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 07-18-2012).]

quote Originally posted by madcurl:

1. Never assume.
2. Establish a perimeter of the area.
3. Call for additional back-up.
4. Make your presence known.
5. Use police dog, air support, and remote controlled robot.

Innocent victim:

1. FL were stand your Ground rule applies.
2. In his home.
3. Unknown person(s) knocking at his front door.
4. Brings loaded gun to door.

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Deputies shoot, kill man after knocking on wrong door http://www.wesh.com/news/ce.../euk6tg/-/index.html

I hope every one of those responding Deputies finds themselves Andrew Scott's shoes one day soon. (Let a cop kill another cop and *then* maybe they'll think these no-knock warrants are a bad idea)

Even if he hadn't opened the door for whatever reason, they would have kicked it in. Then he has a group bursting into his home at 1:30 in the morning screaming and pointing guns. They should be met with deadly force. It may have been a simple paperwork error, but these cops murdered an innocent man. At the very least they should all be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

It's not "bizarre." It's gross incompetence.

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 07-18-2012).]

And nine times out of ten, you never hear of the bad cops winding up in jail, but you do hear plenty of 'No wrongdoing on the part of the policeman', or 'Policeman not liable in performing his duty'...
SSDD

It's a no-wind situation with the home owner when a LEO waltz right on in unannounced regardless of the time of day. Seriously, the city will go broke on this one and the local tax payers will have to foot the bill. The sad part is that they're saying that the home owner had drugs in the house thus not only killing an innocent man, but trashing his name too. The Police Union will no doubt shield the officers till there's no end.

Safe house:

http://seattletimes.nwsourc...ypdintelligence.html

'What?' Confused 911 caller outs NYPD spying in NJ-It's an audiotape the New York Police Department hoped you would never hear.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. —
It's an audiotape the New York Police Department hoped you would never hear.

A building superintendent at an apartment complex just off the Rutgers University campus called the New Brunswick Police 911 line in June 2009. He said his staff had been conducting a routine inspection and came across something suspicious.

"What's suspicious?" the dispatcher asked.

"Suspicious in the sense that the apartment has about - has no furniture except two beds, has no clothing, has New York City Police Department radios."

"Really?" the dispatcher asked, her voice rising with surprise.

The caller, Salil Sheth, had stumbled upon one of the NYPD's biggest secrets: a safe house, a place where undercover officers working well outside the department's jurisdiction could lie low and coordinate surveillance. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the NYPD, with training and guidance from the CIA, has monitored the activities of Muslims in New York and far beyond. Detectives infiltrated mosques, eavesdropped in cafes and kept tabs on Muslim student groups, including at Rutgers.

The NYPD kept files on innocent sermons, recorded the names of political organizers in police documents and built databases of where Muslims lived and shopped, even where they were likely to gather to watch sports. Out-of-state operations, like the one in New Brunswick, were one aspect of this larger intelligence-gathering effort. The Associated Press previously described the discovery of the NYPD inside the New Jersey apartment, but police now have released the tape of the 911 call and other materials after a legal fight.

"There's computer hardware, software, you know, just laying around," the caller continued. "There's pictures of terrorists. There's pictures of our neighboring building that they have."

"In New Brunswick?" the dispatcher asked, sounding as confused as the caller.

The AP requested a copy of the 911 tape last year. Under pressure from the NYPD, the New Brunswick Police Department refused. After the AP sued, the city this week turned over the tape and emails that described the NYPD's efforts to keep the recording a secret.

The call sent New Brunswick police and the FBI rushing to the apartment complex. Officers and agents were surprised at what they found. None had been told that the NYPD was in town.

At the NYPD, the bungled operation was an embarrassment. It made the department look amateurish and forced it to ask the FBI to return the department's materials.

The emails highlight the sometimes convoluted arguments the NYPD has used to justify its out-of-state activities, which have been criticized by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and some members of Congress. The NYPD has infiltrated and photographed Muslim businesses and mosques in New Jersey, monitored the Internet postings of Muslim college students across the Northeast and traveled as far away as New Orleans to infiltrate and build files on liberal advocacy groups.

In February, NYPD's deputy commissioner for legal matters, Andrew Schaffer, told reporters that detectives can operate outside New York because they aren't conducting official police duties.

"They're not acting as police officers in other jurisdictions," Schaffer said.

In trying to keep the 911 tape under wraps, however, the NYPD made no mention of the fact that its officers were not acting as police. In fact, Lt. Cmdr. William McGroarty and Assistant Chief Thomas Galati argued that releasing the recording would jeopardize investigations and endanger the people and buildings.

Further, the apartment, No. 1076, was rented by an undercover NYPD officer using a fake name that he was still using, New Brunswick attorneys told the AP.

"Such identification will place the safety of any officers identified, as well as the undercover operatives with whom they work, at risk," Galati wrote in a letter to New Brunswick.

The city deleted that name from the copy of the tape that it released.

Reached by phone Tuesday, McGroarty declined to discuss the New Brunswick operation. But the recording offers a glimpse inside the safe house: a small apartment with two computers, dozens of black plastic boxes and no furniture or clothes except one suit.

"And pictures of our neighboring buildings?" the dispatcher asked.

"Yes, the Matrix building," Sheth replied, referring to a local developer. "There's pictures of terrorists. There's literature on the Muslim religion."

New York authorities have encouraged people like Sheth to call 911. In its "Eight Signs of Terrorism," people are encouraged to call the police if they see evidence of surveillance, information gathering, suspicious activities or anything that looks out of place.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the police department's right to go anywhere in the country in search of terrorists without telling local police. And New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa has said he's seen no evidence that the NYPD's efforts violated his state's laws.

Muslim groups, however, have sued to shut down the NYPD programs. Civil rights lawyers have asked a federal judge to decide whether the spying violates federal rules that were set up to prevent a repeat of NYPD abuses of the 1950s, when police Red Squads spied on student groups and activists in search of communists.

"Unfortunately, it goes deep into that department," Hatter said. "

Former Desert Hot Springs police Sgt. Anthony Sclafani sentenced to four years for excessive force

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former Desert Hot Springs police sergeant was sentenced today in Los Angeles to four years behind bars for abusing his powers by using a stun gun and pepper spray on "essentially helpless" suspects in custody.

U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. said the sentence handed to Anthony Sclafani, 42, is part of the "cleansing" of a police department where abuse of authority went "deep."

Such violence against suspects in Desert Hot Springs seemed unremarkable "in the ordinary course of events -- and nobody seemed to think twice about it," the judge said.

Along with the federal prison term, Sclafani was ordered to serve two years on supervised release, which is to include 500 hours of community service, following his release from custody.

Sclafani was convicted in February of using excessive force and violating the civil rights of Jamal White and Angelica Vargas in separate incidents a day apart in February 2005.

Sclafani fired his stun gun at White, who was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car after his arrest for a parole violation, according to federal prosecutors.
The next day, when Vargas -- who had been arrested for suspected drunken driving -- banged on her cell door, Sclafani pepper-sprayed her in the face and eyes, then fired his stun gun at her, prosecutors said.

White said in court today that when he attempted to report the abuse at the time, he was given the run-around by Desert Hot Springs police.

"This has been a long time coming," he told Hatter. "I don't believe I should have to live in fear of police brutality no matter where I come from."

In his statement to the court, Sclafani apologized to White, who was asked by the judge if he could accept it.

"I'm sure I can," was the reply.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Arkow said Sclafani deserved a "substantial" sentence of more than eight years in prison for "an assault on two essentially helpless individuals" who were "restrained and vulnerable."

White, the prosecutor said, was doing nothing more than "mouthing off" when he was shot with the stun gun.

Defense attorney Michael D. Schwartz argued for leniency, telling the court that even one month in custody would be "like a death sentence" for his client.

Sclafani said he had devised an "educational program" for law enforcement on how to avoid the sort of situation he now faced. He told Hatter that he would like to be able to "share that new ... insight" with other officers, rather than spend a lengthy term behind bars.

Before imposing sentence, the judge reminded Sclafani that neither of the victims posed a threat when they were attacked, adding that it was "almost incomprehensible" that there was "not something going on in your life at that time to cause you to ... lose control" twice within a 24-hour period.

"Unfortunately, it goes deep into that department," Hatter said. "The department itself needs to be cleaned. And, unfortunately, this sentence will be part of that cleansing."? Sclafani was indicted two years ago on two counts of deprivation of rights under the color of law.

Also named in the indictment was David Henderson, a former officer of the department. Henderson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor civil rights count and was sentenced last year to probation and community service.
http://www.mydesert.com/art...ears-excessive-force

Here we go again.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs...swers-193729306.html

Navy vet shot by deputy in own backyard—family seeks answers

The brother of a Navy veteran shot by a deputy in her own backyard wants the sheriff's department to admit its mistake and take responsibility for the incident.

Jennifer Orey, 36, was shot Sunday in a surprise encounter with two sheriff's deputies who were searching for a man reportedly in the area wearing a ski mask, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Orey was in her pajamas in her yard around 10:30 p.m. because she heard noises and thought it was her ex-husband, the newspaper reports.

Orey and Deputy Luke Berhalter came in contact and the officer's firearm discharged at point-blank range, her brother James Morgan told local Fox 5 News.

"He fired without warning, saying freeze, or anything. Then just as she saw the black smoke coming out the barrel she turned her body," Morgan said. "The bullet went through her chest and her left nipple, into her shoulder and out her pinkie."

The deputy reportedly told her, "I'm sorry, you startled me," Morgan told the television station.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told local 10News the deputies thought Orey's open gate looked suspicious, so they entered the backyard. When deputies ran into the woman, Berhalter had a "spontaneous reaction."

Berhalter, a San Diego County deputy for 21 months after seven years with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, has been placed on leave. The case has been handed over to the local prosecuting attorney for review.

Orey, whose family told the newspaper she was the first woman in the Navy to earn her wings of gold as a search and rescue swimmer, was released from hospital.

But still her brother wants answers.

"I feel they are trying to cover up their mistakes," Morgan told Fox 5 News. "They know the truth. They just don't want to admit it. All we want is for them to own up to their mistake and be responsible just like anybody else."

quote BRENTWOOD, Md. - Fox 5 has obtained surveillance video of a February 3rd incident involving a Prince George's County police officer that seems to dispute his story about why his gun discharged. A Cottage City 19-year-old spent nearly 4 months in jail after Corporal Donald Taylor claimed Ryan Dorm assaulted him and the gun went off as Taylor struggled with him. The surveillance video is from a business on Perry Street near Rhode Island Avenue in the Brentwood area. Attorney Jimmy Bell, who represents Dorm, says the video shows Taylor out-and-out "lied" when he wrote up a report supporting assault charges against his client. The incident started when Dorm and a friend say they went to the "Lowest Price" gas station convenience store late that night to buy snacks. Dorm says his friend was wearing a ski mask because it was cold, but two police officers thought he looked suspicious and were going to rob the store. Ryan says he wanted to avoid any trouble, so he left.. But he says Taylor and a second officer followed him. The video shows Dorm being approached from behind, then smacked in the head with a gun. The video shows the flash from the gun as Dorm was being struck. Taylor has been indicted and faces a trial in November. Bell has filed a $10 million dollar civil lawsuit in the case.

We don't know what happened before the video, but what the video showed didn't seem to make Dorm look like a threat. It's hard to imagine what could have justified running up behind him and pistol whipping him. Negligent discharge too. Even if apprehending Dorm was appropriate, the cop was reckless and endangered the public. Where did that bullet land?

quote Originally posted by crashyoung: And nine times out of ten, you never hear of the bad cops winding up in jail, but you do hear plenty of 'No wrongdoing on the part of the policeman', or 'Policeman not liable in performing his duty'... SSDD

I don't think that is true at all. Plenty of times there are stories of police being suspended and even convicted. Police are just people with lives and problems and bills like everyone else. By being selective they try to weed out the non hackers but some get through and people change too. There are many times police get suspended pending investigations which drag on and on and get cleared of wrong doing and still have to fight for their positions and back pay. It's not an easy job and most of the time a thankless one.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: We don't know what happened before the video, but what the video showed didn't seem to make Dorm look like a threat. It's hard to imagine what could have justified running up behind him and pistol whipping him. Negligent discharge too. Even if apprehending Dorm was appropriate, the cop was reckless and endangered the public. Where did that bullet land?

Wow! Just imagine the LEO's involved here. There's two officers at the seen, two covered up the lie, and then those who reviewed the video. Like I've said plenty of times. Make sure you're in front of a store, business or have some type of GoPro when being pulled over by LEO. Otherwise, it comes down to your word against theirs and most likely you'll lose.

15 rounds later and the hostage is killed. Seriously, 15 rounds and he was the victim?


An unarmed 19-year-old hostage was gunned down by police after narrowly escaping an armed gunman engaged in a standoff in a hotel in Minnesota.

The StarTribune reports:

Mark Eric Henderson Jr. saw his opportunity to escape from the Woodbury motel room where he and seven other people were being held hostage early Friday, and he took it.

When the gunman who had been tormenting the group told Henderson to go to the window to see if any police were outside, Henderson took his chance and made a beeline for the door. The kidnapper opened fire at him in response but missed. As Henderson bolted out the door toward them, Woodbury police opened fire and cut him down.

The 19-year-old St. Paul man died later that day at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

“He tried to get out to save his life,” said his mother, Tawana Henderson. “When he opened the hotel door to run out, the police opened fire and killed him.”

As you can see in this clip, the police initially reported the innocent hostage was armed and fired on police. A witness, who did not want to be identified, said he was watching everything take place and the man was not armed. Contradicting the police’s story at the time, he said, “I didn’t see a gun, I didn’t see anything. The cops opened up probably 10 to 15 rounds on him.”

The police eventually realized the “gunman” they unloaded on was an innocent hostage and they acknowledged he was unarmed. The three cops who shot the innocent 19-year-old were placed on “paid administrative leave” while the police conduct an “investigation” of themselves.


http://www.infowars.com/hos...ot-killed-by-police/

quote Originally posted by madcurl: *snip*

bla bla bla

Another one. This time the guy is shot 46 times! That's a near record compared to the guy who kicked his wallet towards officers in NYC.

Three days before Independence Day, Milton Hall died in a fusillade of police gunfire outside a strip mall.

He had been arguing with officers in a parking lot next to a shuttered Chinese restaurant when he was shot, in full view of passing motorists and while he was holding some sort of knife. Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael Thomas said later that the squad of police confronting him opened fire “because apparently, at this point in time, he was threatening to assault police.”

Thomas’ office and the Michigan State Police are investigating Hall’s death. Saginaw Police Chief Gerald Cliff said Hall was “known to be an assaultive person” with “a long history” of contacts with law enforcement, “not only with police from our department but with the county.”
http://www.infowars.com/hom...-cops-shot-46-times/

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Another one. This time the guy is shot 46 times! That's a near record compared to the guy who kicked his wallet towards officers in NYC. Three days before Independence Day, Milton Hall died in a fusillade of police gunfire outside a strip mall. He had been arguing with officers in a parking lot next to a shuttered Chinese restaurant when he was shot, in full view of passing motorists and while he was holding some sort of knife. Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael Thomas said later that the squad of police confronting him opened fire “because apparently, at this point in time, he was threatening to assault police.” Thomas’ office and the Michigan State Police are investigating Hall’s death. Saginaw Police Chief Gerald Cliff said Hall was “known to be an assaultive person” with “a long history” of contacts with law enforcement, “not only with police from our department but with the county.” http://www.infowars.com/hom...-cops-shot-46-times/

You really don't get it do you. How many 10's of thousands of police went about their daily job yesterday and didn't do any of this? How many? Do you even have a clue?

Sure there are bad people in every group, that minute percentage does not make the group bad. But then again its easier to bash and have irrational fears of a particular group them than see reality, isn't it? Sad little world you live in.

Just to give you some round numbers to think about, we have over 1200 *state* police here. ( not including county or any cities, only state ) and guess how many 'incidents' that you so love to fill your tiny mind with that we had this weekend? None.. Guess how many we had last all month.. all year...

[This message has been edited by User00013170 (edited 09-09-2012).]

quote Originally posted by User00013170: You really don't get it do you. How many 10's of thousands of police went about their daily job yesterday and didn't do any of this? How many? Do you even have a clue? Sure there are bad people in every group, that minute percentage does not make the group bad. But then again its easier to bash and have irrational fears of a particular group them than see reality, isn't it? Sad little world you live in. Just to give you some round numbers to think about, we have over 1200 *state* police here. ( not including county or any cities, only state ) and guess how many 'incidents' that you so love to fill your tiny mind with that we had this weekend? None.. Guess how many we had last all month.. all year...

IT DOES MAKE THE GROUP BAD WHEN THEY BACK UP THE KILLER COPS
WHEN THEY DO NOT REPORT THE WRONG DOERS IN THEIR RANKS
WHEN THEY LIE TO SUPPORT THE BAD COPS
WHEN THEY DONOT INSIST THE BAD COPS BE FIRED AND NEVER REHIRED AS COP
FAR TOO OFTEN THE BAD COPS RESIGN AND MOVE DOWN THE ROAD
ONLY TO BE REHIRED BY AN OTHER DEPT

quote Originally posted by ray b: IT DOES MAKE THE GROUP BAD WHEN THEY BACK UP ...

...their Democratic brotheren. (Do you see what I did there? )

Tony

quote Originally posted by ray b: IT DOES MAKE THE GROUP BAD WHEN THEY BACK UP THE KILLER COPS

If you don't support your own you are a traitor. Ii know many cases where fellow officers were appalled at the behavior, and while they supported the person, they did not support the crime and acted accordingly to uphold their oath to the people..

Perhaps its different down there in the retirement zone, but here in the Midwest we don't operate like you think we do.

[This message has been edited by User00013170 (edited 09-09-2012).]

quote Originally posted by User00013170: You really don't get it do you. How many 10's of thousands of police went about their daily job yesterday and didn't do any of this? How many? Do you even have a clue? Sure there are bad people in every group, that minute percentage does not make the group bad. But then again its easier to bash and have irrational fears of a particular group them than see reality, isn't it? Sad little world you live in. Just to give you some round numbers to think about, we have over 1200 *state* police here. ( not including county or any cities, only state ) and guess how many 'incidents' that you so love to fill your tiny mind with that we had this weekend? None.. Guess how many we had last all month.. all year...

The problem is less about the number of cops that do bad things, but the tendency for "good" cops to cover for them. It may not represent the majority, but considering when you have a bad day at worst you get fired. When a cop has a bad day, innocent people can die. The stakes are higher so they need to be held to a higher standard.