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This year, murders have spiked in major cities across America and according to FBI director James B. Comey the additional scrutiny and criticism of police officers that has come in the wake of highly publicized incidents of police brutality may be the main reason for the recent increase in violent crime.
"I don't know whether that explains it entirely, but I do have a strong sense that some part of the explanation is a chill wind that has blown through American law enforcement over the last year," says Comey.
But Mr. Comey said that he had been told by many police leaders that officers who would normally stop to question suspicious people are opting to stay in their patrol cars for fear of having their encounters become worldwide video sensations. That hesitancy has led to missed opportunities to apprehend suspects, he said, and has decreased the police presence on the streets of the country's most violent cities.
The officers told Comey that youths surround them when they get out of their vehicles, taunting them and making videos of the spectacle with their cell phones.
"In today's YouTube world, there are officers reluctant to get out of their cars and do the work that controls violent crime," he said. "Our officers are answering 911 calls, but avoiding the informal contact that keeps bad guys from standing around, especially with guns."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Sunday October 25 2015, @07:21PM
I really believe that you don't understand "the system".
Let's take stop and frisk. It's unconstitutional. That need not even be debated - the consitution guarantees your security in your person, your home, and your possessions. Your security has been impinged upon constantly and repeatedly ever since the advent of the automobile. The states have insisted that driving is a privilege, not a right, and they have made that privilege contingent upon some imaginary implied consent to a form of search. This has been an ongoing process for over a hundred years now. All of us have been conditioned and indoctrinated to believe that we surrender some of our right to privacy by operating a vehicle. We, the motoring public have been so conditioned, and they, law enforcement, has also been conditioned. And, mostly, "the system" works.
It's unconstitutional, but it mostly works.
You and I, as motorists, know full well that if we fail to yeild to a cop, we're going to get burned, either with a ticket, or possibly even being gunned down by that cop. We know it, the cops know it, and the courts support the fact - all despite the fact that the whole damned thing is unconstitutional. A significant portion of most jurisdiction's revenue streams rely upon the fact that we have all been so conditioned.
Yes, YOU have been indoctrinated, and conditioned.
Have you ever attempted to see all of this from a cop's point of view? I have. My sister felt a need to make life better for those around her. She really felt that she had the ability, and felt driven to do what she could do, by chasing after bad guys and putting them in prison. She applied for, was accepted, and was trained as a state police woman. And, she DID do some good. She caught some low life scum who enjoyed beating on their wives and children. She caught some common thieves. She caught some bigger thieves. She caught murderers. She caught rapists. I can't remember how many years she served in patrol cars, before she got promoted to driving desks instead. She was involved in so much crap, most people wouldn't believe it if I could recount it all.
For all the good she did - she was also indoctrinated. It was necessary to work within the system, or not work at all. That's life. Sometimes, you've got to go along just to get along. I can't know ALL of the bullshit she had to put up with, but I can compare it to my experience in the military. Sometimes, it's best just not to notice something. You can't buck the system, and still do your job. To some extent, you take the good with the bad, and make the best of things.
The system. It's one hell of a lot bigger than any individual, or any small group of individuals. If you buck the system, the entire system turns on you, and crushes you.
Is it right? Well, not only "NO", but "FUCK NO!"
There are times when right and wrong don't matter though.
Keep in mind as you consider all of this: YOU HAVE BEEN INDOCTRINATED no less than cops who graduate from any cop academy.
Key to changing how the cops interact with citizens, is making the cops understand that they have been indoctrinated, then altering the emphasis of their indoctrination. Just as important, is that we understand how we have also been indoctrinated.
I've thrown a lot of stuff out in this post - I suppose I should offer at least one citation to support that whole indoctrination thing. How about that moronic "21 feet" rule. Let me find that . . .
http://www.policemag.com/channel/weapons/articles/2014/09/revisiting-the-21-foot-rule.aspx [policemag.com]
Please note that the article itself is an instructional, aimed at altering the indoctrination I mention.
"During the past 30 years since the 21-Foot Rule has become informal doctrine within the law enforcement community, I have heard it misstated, misrepresented, and bastardized by use-of-force, firearms, and police practices experts from all sides. I actually reviewed an officer-involved shooting case where an officer with a carbine shot and killed a suspect armed with a knife from a distance of more than 150 feet and attempted to use the "Tueller Drill" as his defense."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Sunday October 25 2015, @07:43PM
All of us have been conditioned and indoctrinated to believe that we surrender some of our right to privacy by operating a vehicle.
Then their conditioning wasn't very effective, because I do not believe that nonsense. I do not believe that the government has a legitimate authority to force you to surrender your rights in exchange for being able to engage in some completely innocuous activity (such as driving or getting on an airplane). What they are doing now is just exerting force to keep their unjust policies in place.
Yes, YOU have been indoctrinated, and conditioned.
Indoctrinated into thinking or doing... what? If they're trying to indoctrinate and condition me, they should have picked better things to indoctrinate and condition me with. Because unlike most thug officers, I recognize that what is happening is bad and I actually try to stop it to the best of my ability.
Have you ever attempted to see all of this from a cop's point of view? I have. My sister felt a need to make life better for those around her. She really felt that she had the ability, and felt driven to do what she could do, by chasing after bad guys and putting them in prison. She applied for, was accepted, and was trained as a state police woman. And, she DID do some good. She caught some low life scum who enjoyed beating on their wives and children. She caught some common thieves. She caught some bigger thieves. She caught murderers. She caught rapists. I can't remember how many years she served in patrol cars, before she got promoted to driving desks instead. She was involved in so much crap, most people wouldn't believe it if I could recount it all.
For all the good she did - she was also indoctrinated. It was necessary to work within the system, or not work at all. That's life. Sometimes, you've got to go along just to get along. I can't know ALL of the bullshit she had to put up with, but I can compare it to my experience in the military. Sometimes, it's best just not to notice something. You can't buck the system, and still do your job. To some extent, you take the good with the bad, and make the best of things.
Catching 'bad guys' isn't worth it if it means you're also using your position of authority to abuse people's rights, ignore the constitution, and/or defend those who do such things. If you're a cop who refuses to enforce unconstitutional laws, stands up to those who abuse people's rights, and just generally think for yourself, then I say you are a good person. Otherwise, you aren't. I don't care how "indoctrinated" you are; if you're violating the constitution and people's fundamental liberties, you are mere scum. Overcome your so-called "indoctrination" or get out.
I think the same about all those working for the NSA who do not plan on pulling an Edward Snowden, and I also think the same about TSA thugs.
Keep in mind as you consider all of this: YOU HAVE BEEN INDOCTRINATED no less than cops who graduate from any cop academy.
I think you're incorrect, or you're using one of the definitions of "indoctrination" that I do not find very useful, as there are better terms when you mean something else. I guess "brainwashed" is more in line with what I'm thinking.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @03:31PM
Speaking as a US military veteran, I think you are giving yourself a bit too much credit. Seeing what the enemy, in this case criminals can do, makes it easy to dehumanize them. I doubt it is a conspiracy for the government to infringe on rights, but more likely misguided attempts to destroy the $bogeyman. I agree that this does not excuse violating the constitution or violence. I think it is most likely a culture and training issue.
Whether you can resist indoctrination or not, a lot of people won't even realize they are being indoctrinated.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Monday October 26 2015, @05:20PM
I doubt it is a conspiracy for the government to infringe on rights
When did I say anything about a "conspiracy"? Never. It's a simple case of people abusing their powers; there is no mass conspiracy. This is precisely why they should have far less power and be more accountable when they abuse what powers they have.
Whether you can resist indoctrination or not, a lot of people won't even realize they are being indoctrinated.
I'm already getting tired of that word.