How do we deal with police brutality and police culture?

[white_wolf]

I've been doing some research lately on police brutality and abuses of power within law enforcement offices and it has raised the question of what to do about these issues? I'll admit there have been times I've said, possibly on DU, that we should just disband the police, but obviously that isn't realistic since we do, for now at least, need some kind of law enforcement body. That being said the necessity of the organization doesn't excuses the abuses that happen. I think a lot of the problems come from the culture police departments foster. This "us vs them" mentality that makes them view every citizen with suspicion. It's gotten to the point where the police have a borderline military culture. As an example of this culture read over the link at the bottom of this page. It is about various T-shirts sold by law enforcement agencies in the country and it gives a glimpse into the overall mindset and culture of the police.

So, what do you all think should be done about these issues? Honestly, I'm not sure. There are times when I think it will take a major reform to our justice system and will require us to fire a lot of the old guard in law enforcement to get rid of a lot of the problems in cop culture. The biggest thing that needs to be fixed is this "us vs. them" mentality among the police that seems to make them think they are better than the communities they are supposed to serve. They need to be reminded that they exist to serve the community not the other way around.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/what-cop-tshirts-tell-us-_n_3479017.html

[Tumbulu]

1. Well, I think people running around with guns and automatic weapons

polarizes the whole thing.

I see no hope until firearms are under control, or elliminated. In the meantime, the police have to deal with very outrageous matters frequently and it is not surprising to me that more and more of them flip out.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

2. Making excuses doesn't help.

A lot of those gun nuts are police officers, and I think if you polled them an overwhelming majority of rank and file police officers would probably support gun rights.

1) End the war on drugs

2) All major cities should have independent police auditors. Police haven't done a sufficient job of policing themselves.

3) End asset forfeitures (reduce incentive to steal and rip people off)

[damnedifIknow]

3. Agreed

End the war on drugs and citizen review boards in every state. I think these two things combined would be a major contribution in the battle of curbing police abuse.

[Chan790]

12. Not in my experience.

One of my best friends from college is a DC police officer. Most of his close friends are DC cops. His father was a Chicago, then a DC cop, later a member of a federal police force here in DC. His extended family is mostly cops. More than a few friends and family members have fallen in the line of duty. He's a life-long conservative and a staunch Republican.

He'd be the first person to tell you how much worse his job is post-Heller versus pre-Heller and how many of the scenarios he deals with daily could be avoided if gun possession were more strictly regulated. I've found that to be fairly consistent among cops...guns in the hands of private citizens make their job harder and more dangerous; they're not fans of the NRA.

(This may be an inner-city thing. I'm a city kid and have never lived outside a metropolitan area of 1M or more people. All the cops I know are city cops.)

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. keep shining a light on the issue, camera phones and internet have opened the eyes of many

I remember pre.internet , pre.camera phones. Whites would express disbelief to claims of abuse

[gopiscrap]

5. well first of all, ban all guns

[Archae]

6. That's the dumbest idea I've seen so far.

[gopiscrap]

7. other countries have done it and they have WAY less crime than we do!

[Archae]

8. Like Canada?

Oops, they have almost as many guns as we do, but far less crime.

How would you enforce this "ban?"

Have ATF agents going door-to-door, with metal detectors, confiscating hunting rifles, target pistols?

Get real.

[gopiscrap]

9. make no more guns, when one is involved ina crime melt it

it would take time, but it could be done. Most European nations have far less violent crime than we do.

[Tumbulu]

14. Yes! good idea

melt them all!

In 20 years this guns gone mad thing will have ended, it is clearly a mental health issue, those wanting them are mentally ill.

[scottx2]

10. Stop Supporting and re-electing thugs like Sheriff Joe Arpaio

SUPREME COURT NEWS - FIRST AMENDMENT ATTACK UPON ARIZONA HARASSMENT STATUTE - Sheriff Joe not happy



Scott Huminski v. City of Surprise, Arizona
Washington D.C.


In a filing received by the U.S. Supreme Court, government is portrayed fervently defending a state criminal harassment statute that makes any speech contrary to the government's goals a crime under. AZ Rev. Stat. § 13-2921 (criminal harassment)


Speech that tends to "alarm, annoy or harass" anyone, including government officials and police, is a crime in Arizona. Silencing dissent is the hallmark of a police state.


Petition for Writ of Certiorari here...



http://www.scribd.com/doc/178501012/Supreme-Court-Certiorari-Petition-and-Appendix-First-Amendment-attack-upon-Arizona-Harassment-statute



No surprise that this statute exists in Arizona. Under the patently unconstitutionally vague and overbroad harassment statute, this Supreme Court litigation is a crime as is this article when read by a resident of Arizona, say … Sheriff Joe Arpaio. No doubt that the litigation and this article tends to "annoy" the Sheriff and like-minded residents of Arizona.



- Scott Huminski

[TheKentuckian]

11. Change our worldview. We absolutely do not need any law enforcement body.

What is required is peace keeping and the two are not the same.

The former is a proactive effort to motivate adherence to the law by punishment of detected violations and the latter about the law starting at the next person's nose.

[white_wolf]

13. How do we do that?

Yours is the best solution, but I don't know how we'd get there so where would you start?

[TheKentuckian]

15. I suggest starting with changing incentives and using the power of the budget to shift emphasis.

End forfeiture, require that traffic fines be paid as either community service or charitable donations (aka non-revenue), stop buying the toys of law enforcement and give big bonuses to peace officers that stop the break ins, or provide that presence that allows folks to feel safe in the urban Park after dark, our bring in the domestic abuser.

All the money is on vice, speed traps, and looking for tags and insurance right now, playing "gotcha" while the predators go about their business.

Next, a requirement for an individual victim for prosecution of any crime to move forward and the states can only represent the dead and minors under specific circumstances. The state would also be allowed to represent the people in threats to the general peace, discharging a weapon at random in a densely populated area, planting explosives on a bridge, dumping chemicals into the water supply. Situations of broad obvious risk of imminent harm.