Re: These are the people we should trust to protect us.

nitespark wrote

Again, I have seen it around here. It is NOT tolerated. It is
investigated and prosecuted. Just recently, a Sheriffs Dept south of me
was the subject of a MAJOR federal investigation. I think something like
TWENTY people were convicted including the sheriff.

I appreciate that, but still have to ask, why did it take a federal
investigation to deal with something at the local level.

I have no sympathy for him or any of the people involved. I only wish the
sheriff had gotten more time (he got 8 months). He violated the public
trust. He was in a position to stop the corruption before the
investigation and didn't. The government argued for more time. It was
the court that decided the punishment. No law enforcement agency had
anything to do with that.

You're right. The sentence was not the fault of the police, but it was the
fault of the court system and the public that let it happen without taking
action.

A majority of whom you know. For that matter, I am willing to bet YOU
drive over the speed limit at times. I know I do. Perhaps 2-3 mph, but
still over the speed limit. Everyone does at some point in time.

Less than I used to, but yes, I do to. Guess what, I'm protected by my badge
too. It's still 100%. I'm just as wrong as anyone else that takes advantage
of the knowledge that that law doesn't apply to him quite as consistently as
it does to others. There's at least some difference. I don't believe I'm
safe from getting a ticket. Although I hope I won't, it's not 100%. If it
were, I'd probably abuse the situation too. As it is, I tend to stay pretty
close to the speed limits. Going fast is no longer the thrill it once was
and I'm rarely in that much of a hurry to get anywhere. Another difference
is, of course, that I don't write tickets for other people for doing the
same thing I expect to get away with.

Given a choice, I would enforce a 100% system for determining who gets a
ticket and who doesn't. I don't care if it's first time a warning, second
time a ticket, or a ticket every time. I'd set up rader with a camera and
mail the ticket to the owner of the car. I'd prefer any consistent system to
the one we have now, where any cop, at any time, can pretty much decide who
gets a ticket and who doesn't.

The last time I got a ticket, I got a feel for how things really worked. I
looked around the room and almost everybody there to pay a ticket was
clearly a working person at the lower end of the economic ladder. My best
guess was, and is, that these were the people without the influence, without
the personality or without the smarts to talk themselves out of the ticket.
They were also the people who could least afford the time or the money
required to pay their fines. That, however, is a different issue.

What makes you think this officer did not go to jail? He was treated no
differently than any other person who wrecked a car while DUI. He was
arrested, held til sober, posted a bond and will appear in court. Of
course there is a high liklihood he will be fired. How was this person
treated differently?

My suggestion was "held to a higher standard."

Express your concerns to the Chief or Sheriff. Write a letter to the
editor. Complain to the Governing council of your city or county.

I resorted to a higher level. I complained on rec.scuba. Actually, I have
commented on this to those in charge of various departments. One mitigates
the effect a bit by insisting that all details be booked through the
department. Others, however, don't have even that much control. All that I
know locally, have a system where the officer that arranges the detail, owns
it. He gets first refusal and, as I recall, a cut of the proceeds.

Is he working as a police officer, or is he working as a security guard?
If the former, then he's being bribed. If the latter, then he should not
be in a police car or wearing a police uniform.

Have to disagree with this. It is common practice. I don't how it is any
kind of bribery or misconduct in any way.

He's using public property for public gain and police authority for the
benefit of the entity paying him to do so. How can you not see the problem?

Is it OK if dechucka pays me to use my official access to records to provide
him with information on you? If it's not OK for me to use my authority,
outside of my public employment, for the benefit of somebody that's willing
to pay me, why is it OK for a police officer to do so?

I know it's a common practice. I see that as a problem.

My agency has certain standards for off duty employment. Prostitution is
illegal in Virginia and arrests would be appropriate. Any off duty
employement by members of my agency must be approved by the Chief of
Police first.

Do you suppose the good old boy included his intent to have protitutes in
his application for a detail?

The incident that made me think of this included the chief of police, and
several high ranking officers on the guest list. Without exception, they
thought the beautiful women, they had just met, who let them take pictures
of all kinds of sexual antics, did so for no reason other than their extreme
sexual attraction for the opposite sex. I'm not sure any of them realized
just how compromised they were.

I don't like them much either. These shows show the high action,
adrenaline scenes for ratings. Higher the ratings, the more advertising
$$$.

My wife loves them or I would never now.

Some departments (my does) offer a Citizens Police academy. Gives
citizens an opportunity to interact with our officers on a closer basis
than otherwise might be expected and in a venue that is neutral. They get
a close up view of our activities. We have had Town Council people,
business people, news media, and people from all walks of life
participate. The most recurring comment I hear at the end of these
academies are "I had no idea what police have to deal with".

I've always wondered, what do they do if there's a confrontational
situation?

Lee


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