Police are rarely forced to talk about what they actually do. This is a failure of journalism and of governance. I put together a short list of questions that any journalist or any public official could ask any police chief in any city at any time in
These questions are fantastic and as a PhD student studying criminology - specifically policing practices - I can answer most of them and I can also predict what most chiefs will say. As a Black woman, my goal is to find the best public safety framework to serve the nations citizenry because what we have doesn't benefit all. There is a misconception that police chiefs are tuned into the nuances of the rank and file, let alone engaged in the national conversation surrounding these concerns. I'd be curious to see if any journalist will take up the helm and ask any of these. I think the academy has done a phenomenal job of investigating these inquiries but a poor job at transferring that knowledge to practitioners. Keep the wheels turning!!!!
Excellent questions. I have been thinking about the Highland Park IL shooting and the shooting in Akron OH. Even though the largest portion of most municipal budgets go to the police departments and sworn officers carry around lethal weapons, the police seldom prevent violent crime and in fact often cause violence. The well-ordered militias talked about in the 2nd Amendment were probably giving the states the excuse to keep their slave patrols and those evolved into the police forces we have today. The underlying paradigm is hate-filled and full of scorn for the citizenry. Not surprising, anger and destruction are bursting up everywhere in this country and easily expressed because guns are ubiquitous. Our culture is saturated with hatred and contempt and the means to express that hatred and contempt with easily obtained guns.
My most recent article UNHOUSED, UN-ALIVED, UNSOLVED interrogates LAPD for failing to solve homicides last year, particularly excess homicides of unhoused people. Homicides with homeless victims increased 5000% over 12 years. 1/4 homicides and 1/3 unsolved homicides in LA has an unhoused victim.
I think a lot of people who maintain optimistic perspectives about police have never interfaced with police directly over anything major like the homicide of a loved one. When they realize they can’t do the most basic task of identifying and arresting a suspect, they tend to become disenchanted quickly.
I believe the First Amendment allows me to be an independent journalist on equal footing as far as the right to video and record anything in public or visible from the public right of way; and redress of government. No law, statute, code or policy may infringe upon this right or supersede the First Amendment. Also ask the COP if he knows the five or so elements of the First Amendment and whether he realizes he took an Oath to uphold it! LOL! Then ask why droves of police vehicles and their vocal operators must descend on any interaction with the citizenry? It's impossible to comprehend or listen to their copsplaining (which is expressly intended to confuse, irritate, provoke and demean, with the goal of trying to get the sub to accidentally provide incriminating evidence); then, the trampling of personal space and rights in general begins. Officer safety versus the public good? Guess who the Constitution favors???
These questions are fantastic and as a PhD student studying criminology - specifically policing practices - I can answer most of them and I can also predict what most chiefs will say. As a Black woman, my goal is to find the best public safety framework to serve the nations citizenry because what we have doesn't benefit all. There is a misconception that police chiefs are tuned into the nuances of the rank and file, let alone engaged in the national conversation surrounding these concerns. I'd be curious to see if any journalist will take up the helm and ask any of these. I think the academy has done a phenomenal job of investigating these inquiries but a poor job at transferring that knowledge to practitioners. Keep the wheels turning!!!!
Excellent questions. I have been thinking about the Highland Park IL shooting and the shooting in Akron OH. Even though the largest portion of most municipal budgets go to the police departments and sworn officers carry around lethal weapons, the police seldom prevent violent crime and in fact often cause violence. The well-ordered militias talked about in the 2nd Amendment were probably giving the states the excuse to keep their slave patrols and those evolved into the police forces we have today. The underlying paradigm is hate-filled and full of scorn for the citizenry. Not surprising, anger and destruction are bursting up everywhere in this country and easily expressed because guns are ubiquitous. Our culture is saturated with hatred and contempt and the means to express that hatred and contempt with easily obtained guns.
My most recent article UNHOUSED, UN-ALIVED, UNSOLVED interrogates LAPD for failing to solve homicides last year, particularly excess homicides of unhoused people. Homicides with homeless victims increased 5000% over 12 years. 1/4 homicides and 1/3 unsolved homicides in LA has an unhoused victim.
I think a lot of people who maintain optimistic perspectives about police have never interfaced with police directly over anything major like the homicide of a loved one. When they realize they can’t do the most basic task of identifying and arresting a suspect, they tend to become disenchanted quickly.
❤️🩹
I believe the First Amendment allows me to be an independent journalist on equal footing as far as the right to video and record anything in public or visible from the public right of way; and redress of government. No law, statute, code or policy may infringe upon this right or supersede the First Amendment. Also ask the COP if he knows the five or so elements of the First Amendment and whether he realizes he took an Oath to uphold it! LOL! Then ask why droves of police vehicles and their vocal operators must descend on any interaction with the citizenry? It's impossible to comprehend or listen to their copsplaining (which is expressly intended to confuse, irritate, provoke and demean, with the goal of trying to get the sub to accidentally provide incriminating evidence); then, the trampling of personal space and rights in general begins. Officer safety versus the public good? Guess who the Constitution favors???