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posted by janrinok on Friday October 14 2016, @11:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the only-if-the-police-want-to dept.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice will set up databases that will track instances of death by police shooting, as well as voluntarily reported deaths due to suicide or medical issues while in police custody:

Under the plan, the Justice Department will gather more data on the use of force by federal agents and help local departments report information on a wider range of police encounters. But a number of the reporting steps will rely on local police officials to voluntarily submit data, and some civil rights advocates said the Justice Department had not made clear how it would impose financial penalties set by Congress to encourage the reporting of police shootings.

[...] The most comprehensive records on police shootings have come from the news media, particularly The Washington Post and The Guardian, which have created running databases. James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I., told lawmakers last year that it was "embarrassing" that the news media could produce better data than his own agency on such an important issue. [...] According to the Post database, 991 people were fatally shot by the police last year, and 754 have been so far this year.

[...] Under the Justice Department plan, the F.B.I. is to begin a pilot program early next year to assemble data on the use of force by about 178,000 agents at major federal law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the F.B.I. itself. In addition, the Justice Department plans to begin collecting data from local and state law enforcement departments on "in custody" deaths — not just in shootings, but in cases of suicide and natural death as well.

A measure passed by Congress in 2014 called the Death in Custody Reporting Act required local departments to report only fatal encounters. Justice Department officials said they would rely on local police officials to voluntarily report nonlethal encounters as well. Under a third part of the plan, the Justice Department said it was authorizing $750,000 for a "police data initiative" designed to help local departments collect and publicly release information on a wider range of actions, including stops of citizens, searches, the use of force, shootings and other encounters.

Also at The Guardian and NPR. See also: Fatal Encounters.


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  • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:04AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:04AM (#414481)

    You're right. You aren't in jail, so at best they are incompetent.
    More likely they are protecting you because they are racists too.
    After all, the director of the FBI's codename is KKKomey.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:36AM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:36AM (#414485) Homepage

    Actually, to be pedantic, I'm not a racist but an ethnocentricist - though ethnocentracism can, under certain conditions, become indistinguishable from racism if enough of one race act as bad stereotypes. You have to be kind of an asshole at times anyway, look what happens when you're too nice - Calais, no-go zones, etc.

    Black Lives Matter, unlike the nonviolent resistance movement sparked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is FBI-approved - it gives domestic security an excuse for surveillance, violence-in-kind, and summary execution; all without BLM actually accomplishing anything except providing for media distraction and sowing popular discord -- in short, being useful idiots. But, you gotta admit, there's some excitement in being a rabblerouser breaking shit with the very real risk of being slammed into the pavement by the law.

    I like to think of the recent political protests as rock concerts -- allow all those edgy kids an outlet for their aggression so they won't forment any meaningful change. And, of course, many of the males just show up to those things for pussy.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Saturday October 15 2016, @01:03AM

      by edIII (791) on Saturday October 15 2016, @01:03AM (#414486)

      No, dude. You're a racist, as I've heard your tirades against the Jews on many, many, many occassions. Own it.

      You just described yourself as somebody who believes they're better than others simply because of race. I'm not sure how you make such a distinction here. Just what are we missing about racism and ethnocentricism?

      It's easy to pick on BLM when they act stupidly, and their very platform is as racist as you are. However, the FBI is picking on many more organizations than BLM at the moment. Some of them rather peaceful orgs. The FBI doesn't need BLM as cover.

      I like to think of the recent political protests as rock concerts -- allow all those edgy kids an outlet for their aggression so they won't forment any meaningful change.

      In what way can they foment change now with no protests, no demonstrations again? Meaningful change at this point is only found in extreme violence when thousands rise up and cause enough property damage for the elites to notice.

      What other avenues do they have? The Republican party has been outed, but so have the Democrats. We've not had representative democracy for these kids entire lives. The more they learn about history, the more they learn that their conditions get better the more they rebel. Just like the civil rights movements and the strikes that were associated with it.

      I can't find fault with their chosen method of expression, as there exists no legal or civilized way to change their conditions. Those at the top are willfully ignorant to their plights and exploit and abuse them.

      The only difference between these people and Trump supporters ready to rebel is who they believe is at fault for their horrific conditions. Trump has them convinced it's the corrupt elites being led by Hillary and the establishment, while the other side is wholly convinced it's all corrupt in some other way. Everybody is fucking pissed.

      And, of course, many of the males just show up to those things for pussy.

      That's not fair at all. You really think that they don't care about how easy it is die while being black in America? Difficult to go after the pussy when you're legitimately afraid to walk down the street without being shot. Many of them probably care quite deeply about the arguments at hand and are acting out in the only ways they have available.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @01:32AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @01:32AM (#414492)

        > It's easy to pick on BLM when they act stupidly, and their very platform is as racist as you are.

        Bullshit.
        What items from their platform are even 10% as racist as ethan?
        Start with actual citations and links to line-items from their platform on the BLM website which you consider racist.

        • (Score: 2) by edIII on Saturday October 15 2016, @04:36AM

          by edIII (791) on Saturday October 15 2016, @04:36AM (#414527)

          slave reparations are 100% racist. The name of the organization itself is divisive.

          --
          Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:42PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @12:42PM (#414582)

            > slave reparations are 100% racist.

            How is that? Was Dr King a racist?

            > The name of the organization itself is divisive.

            Oh, you are a racist so you are offended when people say that black lives matter too.
            Got it!

            • (Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday October 19 2016, @07:45PM

              by edIII (791) on Wednesday October 19 2016, @07:45PM (#416307)

              Dr. King to my knowledge was not advocating slavery reparations, but simply equality. Furthermore, in the times he did speak about compensation, *he included disadvantaged white people*. If he did support slavery reparations to be paid to black people, then I strongly disagree with him, even though he is my hero. I donated to his monument in Washington D.C so that there would be one good man celebrated in that twisted city.

              Slavery reparations are intrinsically racist. You cannot go back in time and tax those that were truly responsible, nor can you deliver compensation to those truly affected. You only have ONE demographic to tax for these funds that have nobody to be paid towards anyways, and guess what that is?

              ALL OF US YOU FUCKING IDJIOT!!

              So you end up taking $100 from Johnny, a white man, and you give it to Frank, a black man. How is that not purely racist? Why does Johnny find a moral or ethical obligation to subsidize Frank with free money? What actions did Johnny perform again that required compensation to Frank? For that matter, was Frank truly harmed? I find that hard to believe when Frank is 22 years old and never lived through the civil rights movement, or before it, or through segregation, Jim Crow laws, the Civil War, slavery, or the fucking boats over here. None of it. In fact, Frank is a fairly normal young adult saddling himself with college debt and looking to party.

              It's not that simple either. What about the situation in which you wish to compensate somebody with one white parent, and one black parent? 50% of payout, or do we hire Pantone to calculate skin color and look up the payout rate?

              Slavery reparations only sound good until you need to figure out the logistics of it. I will never support paying taxes simply because of the color of my skin, and I can certainly never support the government giving people money simply because of theirs. It's wrong, and racism cannot cure racism.

              You would do well to remember Dr. King's words if you choose to use him in an argument:

              .Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that

              We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

              I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

              Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

              Oh, you are a racist so you are offended when people say that black lives matter too.
              Got it!

              I'm offended in its context, you bet your ass.

              Black people ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE BEING MURDERED BY POLICE. While it's true that they're being murdered at a greater rate, that does not negate all of the other victims. It's not just a problem with racism, but authoritarianism itself. How you see police treating us, is the same way they abuse others in different not-so-multicultural places.

              Yes. I'm offended when they only choose to represent one group of victims and choose to ignore the rest. ALL LIVES MATTER. Period.

              I could even get past the stupidity of the name, and the foolishly divisive nature of the group, but I cannot get past the slavery reparations they put forth. They advocate racism when they advocate me paying taxes simply because of the color of my skin.

              Now, if you want to talk about social programs designed to help forgotten communities and heal our neglected neighborhoods, I'M ALL FOR IT.

              I don't mind paying a 60% tax rate for those social programs, but that is because they will not be based on race. They would be based on an economic recovery program purely aimed at the poor and the bottom of the middle class. I'm betting that would apply to a large chunk of black America, and be similarly beneficial as slavery reparations would be. Just without the racism.

              I'm willing to help people, but I will fucking rip your eyes out from your anus if you tell me I have to pay 1 penny because of how I was born.

              --
              Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
        • (Score: 2) by Entropy on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:28PM

          by Entropy (4228) on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:28PM (#414617)

          How about using violence to try to influence policy? It's the very definition of terrorism. As to the racist link---Have you seen them whining about the 50x more white-killed-by-black violence that happens, or just when it's a black alleged "victim"?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:56PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:56PM (#414626)

            > How about using violence to try to influence policy?

            Ah, you are one of those assholes who conflate the actions of disavowed whackjobs with official policy. That's an awful lot of responsibility to hang on your own shoulders. Are you sure you want that?

            > Have you seen them whining about the 50x more white-killed-by-black violence that happens, or just when it's a black alleged "victim"?

            Are you unfamiliar with the concept of ratios? Its kind of a stunner that there are innumerates even here on a site like soylent.

      • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday October 15 2016, @04:47PM

        by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday October 15 2016, @04:47PM (#414607) Homepage

        The thing about the Jews is that they're the only collection of people who are allowed to be considered a race, and ethnicity, and a religion all at once. Thus, you criticize one aspect of them, and you're suddenly a racist anti-Semite.

        Oy Vey! Dis is anuddah SHOAH!

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:59PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 15 2016, @05:59PM (#414628)

          Ahhh, poor little misunderstood ethan. His problem is that his bigotry is mislabeled as racism. Its bigotry dammit! Get the name right!
          The world is soooo unfair!

        • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday October 15 2016, @06:45PM

          by RamiK (1813) on Saturday October 15 2016, @06:45PM (#414632)

          only collection of people who are allowed to be considered a race, and ethnicity, and a religion all at once

          Well... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnoreligious_group#Examples [wikipedia.org]

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