Today in Law Enforcement

By TChris, Section Misconduct
Posted on Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 06:26:58 PM EST
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Boston police officials are trying to investigate a website, Badgewars.com, dedicated to complaints against and by officers of the Boston police department. Police officials have "launched an internal affairs investigation to find out who is behind the website."

They also want to know whether the bloggers have any evidence to support the allegations they make about Boston officers violating department rules, such as abusing construction details or claiming false injuries to get time off work.

Here's a better idea: investigate the misconduct complaints that appear on the website, not the identities of the website owners.

Speaking of misconduct, albeit in a different city:

The NYPD declined to pursue more than one-third of substantiated complaints brought by civilians against cops last year, according to the Civilian Complaint Review Board. In 2007, the NYPD chose not to discipline cops in 102 out of 296 cases where the CCRB found misconduct by police - an unprecedented 34%. ...
"[The cases] were resolved with no disciplinary action taken against the officer," CCRB Chairman Franklin Stone wrote in a letter summarizing the annual report, to be published today.

Sure, not every substantiated complaint deserves discipline, but consider this:

Most of the complaints that were disposed of by the NYPD were against cops who were found to have illegally stopped and frisked citizens, but some involved cops wrongly using their pepper spray and nightsticks.

Stopping and frisking without legal justification is a civil rights violation. It's conduct that a free society should not tolerate. The unjustified use of nightsticks and pepper spray is even worse. For these acts, NYPD officers are getting a pass?

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Today in Law Enforcement | 7 comments (7 topical)

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The Eugene, Oregon police department's (none / 0) (#1)
by MyLeftMind on Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 06:56:01 PM EST

employee union published a sexist caricature of the City Councilor who was instrumental in creating a citizens oversight board after numerous citizen complaints about the local police. There were also problems with an officer who apparently used the threat of arrest to get sexual favors. She's obviously not liked by the cops, but when the police are allowed to use sexism against a City Councilor, how does the public maintain trust in the authorities? This is the same police department that was cited by Amnesty International for painting Oleoresin Capsicum in the eyes and on the genitals of environmentalists chained to trees. They actually cut the tree huggers' clothing away in order to spray their genital area with OC.

This should come as no surprise (none / 0) (#2)
by fuzzyone on Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 06:57:06 PM EST

The CCRB in New York has long been toothless and abusive stop and frisks were an old story when I was working as a criminal defense lawyer there in the early 90s. Its part of the great Rudy's policing plan. Tough on crime, tough on the constitution.

: For a short while there... (none / 0) (#3)
by weltec2 on Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 07:22:54 PM EST

I actually thought he might do it. The thought of Rudy as president just made me sick with dread.

[ Parent ]
: It's common knowledge.... (none / 0) (#7)
by kdog on Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 09:29:34 AM EST

around these parts that filing a complaint against the NYPD is nothing but a big ol' waste of time.
You are on your own defending your rights...the city, state and country couldn't care less.

[ Parent ]

not at all surprising. (none / 0) (#4)
by cpinva on Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 07:46:27 PM EST

for the same reasons police, when actually prosecuted, are rarely convicted, even when the evidence against them is overwhelming.

citizens live in fear that the police, in retaliation, might refuse to come to their aid.
the victim "had it coming to them".
"we" have no business questioning the judgment of those in blue, since we aren't out there.

we see it time and again.

Another police story (none / 0) (#5)
by eric on Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 09:12:37 AM EST

in Lakeville, Minnesota (suburb of Minneapolis) the police entered a guy's house because he left his tv on and his garage door open.

It seems that it is their practice to go around and see if people's doors are locked. It's to prevent them from becoming "crime victims".

Guess what cops? Entering somebody's house without a warrant, that's the crime. And if I want to leave my garage door open, that's none of anyone's business. We are so far down the road toward a police state that I don't think there is any coming back.

: Thanks Eric.... (none / 0) (#6)
by kdog on Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 09:26:50 AM EST

I gotta stop leaving my doors unlocked and open....thanks for ther reminder.

[ Parent ]