Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by LaminatorX on Saturday January 31 2015, @07:05PM   Printer-friendly
from the officer-friendly dept.

Lily Hay Newman reports at Future Tense that the police department in Columbia, Missouri, recently announced that its lobby will be open 24/7 for people making Craigslist transactions or any type of exchange facilitated by Internet services following a trend begun by police stations in Virginia Beach, East Chicago and Boca Raton. Internet listings like Craigslist are, of course, a quick and convenient way to buy, sell, barter, and generally deal with junk. But tales of Craigslist-related assaults, robberies, and murders where victims are lured to locations with the promise of a sale, aren’t uncommon, an item being sold could be broken or fake, and the money being used to buy it could be counterfeit. "Transactions should not be conducted in secluded parking lots, behind a building, in a dark location especially when you’re dealing with strangers. Someone you’ve never met before – you have no idea what their intentions are – whether they have evil intent or the best of intentions,” says Officer James Cason Jr. With surveillance cameras running 24 hours a day, plus the obvious bonus of a constant police presence, meeting in the lobby of the police department can help weed out people trying to rip others off. "People with stolen items may not want to meet at the police department," says Bryana Maupin.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 01 2015, @01:11AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 01 2015, @01:11AM (#139940)

    That's ridiculous. Police are supposed to be professionals who are capable of handling these situations rationally, rather than peeing themselves and unloading their gun when a mentally disturbed and unarmed child raises a hand at them. In this case, one of the policemen had already tackled her and subdued her once. There appears to be no reason why he could not have cuffed her and kept her under control from that point. But afterwards, failing that for whatever reason, having let her back to her feet, and with two more officers having arrived on the scene, surely the three of them together were capable of doing what the solo cop had done moments before without any backup. And failing that, even if we assume this little girl was Bruce Lee reincarnated and the three cops were getting their tails beat (which was pointedly NOT the case) - they had tasers. Yet at least two of the three, having so many other good options, chose to draw their weapons and end this little girls life.

    There is no rational defense of their actions here - that was murder.

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +4  
       Insightful=4, Total=4
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   4