The US policing crisis thread

[omaghjoe]

On a side note surprised to see Santa Clara county in there, maybe Eammon could shed some light on this?

Santa Clara is close to San Jose.  I remember years ago coming out of the bar at closing time in San Jose and it was like entering a warzone.I had never seen anything like it.  There were cops everywhere. Generally speaking the bay area is safe as houses but (at least back then..mid 90's) certain areas still had a wild west feel to them.

Yeah San Jose is in Santa Clara county. Its Silicone valley and Ive been around there a few times recently, massive amount of money there and comes across as boring and docile. Certainly didn't get the impression there is a crime problem that a stat like that would suggest.

Its fine and it was fine when I was there as well...but the US is like that. When the sun sets a whole new country emerges.

LOL I know wat you mean!

Im like Will Smith in that film I am Legend

[imtommygunn]

On a side note surprised to see Santa Clara county in there, maybe Eammon could shed some light on this?

Santa Clara is close to San Jose.  I remember years ago coming out of the bar at closing time in San Jose and it was like entering a warzone.I had never seen anything like it.  There were cops everywhere. Generally speaking the bay area is safe as houses but (at least back then..mid 90's) certain areas still had a wild west feel to them.

Dempsey used to be like that on the dublin road!!

[periere]

I was in Idaho when the OJ Simpson trial judgement came in. I have vague memories of being hammered drunk and saying "well lads maybe he really was innocent" just for the craic. Not sure how I survived that one   

[whitey]

caveat: I didn't live in Phoenix itself and I understand the issues with gangbanging/kidnappings/cartels etc so If he lives in Phoenix proper then he is dead right to get out ! phoenix metro area is grand though.

He lived in the city-zip 85021

I usually attend work conferences in Scottsdale and he would always come out and meet me there rather than me coming into see him

[periere]

caveat: I didn't live in Phoenix itself and I understand the issues with gangbanging/kidnappings/cartels etc so If he lives in Phoenix proper then he is dead right to get out ! phoenix metro area is grand though.

He lived in the city-zip 85021

I usually attend work conferences in Scottsdale and he would always come out and meet me there rather than me coming into see him

Sounds southeast. That area is grand. .....for example Intel are based there. Lots of Irish connections.

[whitey]

He worked his whole life at the Airport so that makes sense.

[periere]

That's tempe. Reasonably decent area. Downtown is great craic. Its primarily a university area... however it borders Phoenix so if he lived in the border area then I can see his point.

Anyway, Sedona is nice. Good luck to him.

[periere]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VmSkm8NrZ2k

It's a thankless job....I definitely wouldn't want to do it

The police did a great job there I thought. Very calm and professional. The idiots wanted to provoke a reaction and the cops were above that.

But you must realise there are many jobs that people have to confront whack-jobs from the general public on a regular basis. Go to A&E in any city on a Saturday night/Sunday morning in any city in Ireland and you will meet d**kheads like those in the video above. Go to certain football games in the UK or Europe. Tag along with the fire brigade in Dublin when they are called to one of the really bad areas.

Tough jobs, but they don't have these instant executions by rogue cops.

In fairness, I don't think those comparisons are fair. US cops, for better or worse, have to deal with all the ugly history of the US...race, gun laws etc. They  are the front line in a cultural war. I'm not sure any police force has had to deal with so many issues at one time.

[armaghniac]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3369394/Moment-cop-shoots-dead-mother-three-toddler-son-misses-family-s-German-Shepherd-dog.html

here a policeman drew his gun when a dog growled at him, slipped on the ice and shot a woman dead.
This seems to be trigger happy, there were people around, including a toddler and the cop's life was in no sense in danger. If required, he should have belaboured the dog with his baton or pepper spray and not drawn the gun at all and any reasonable set of procedures should not allow discharging guns in a public place at a dog.

[stew]

What happened in Chicago makes no sense at all. The guy was not an immediate threat and could have easily been immobilized by a taser or some other non lethal weapon. None of the other 10+ cops who were there saw the need to open fire. If I were to guess I'd say that maybe it was a case of roid rage, combined with booze and the cop had become completely volatile (pure speculation on my behalf.  The stress these guys are under is off the charts and I'd guess he just cracked

Violent neighborhoods are policed more aggressively than low crime neighborhoods....that's just a fact of life and it happens the world over.  Given the prevalence of firearms in the big US cities, what would normally be routine calls...traffic stops, noise complaints, domestic disputes, public intoxication.....take on a whole different dynamic VERY QUICKLY.  What may be a minor encounter in a low crime neighborhood, can very quickly escalate into an all bloodbath in a high crime neighborhood.

Case in point:   http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/shot-playground-party-parade-35364110

In order for them to protect themselves and react quickly to very dangerous situations, their actions can seem heavy handed to the outside observer

Chicago is run by liberals, Obama hails from there, crime is rife, killings are off the charts and the cops are taking the brunt of the blame when in fact the blame, the majority of the blame lies within the black community, you know, the people who are actually doing the vast majority of the killing.

[screenexile]

Jesus you couldn't make it up!! Cop who shoots and kills two people sues the kids parents for $10m for emotional distress??

The kid's holding a baseball bat why can't these useless fcukwits carry a tazer for non gun related confrontations??!! It would save lives!!!

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2016/02/why-the-officer-who-killed-quintonio-legrier-is-suing-him/460443/

[foxcommander]

First day on the job as well. No comment from Al or Jesse as yet.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rookie-killed-day-job-virginia-shooting-article-1.2546227

[J70]

First day on the job as well. No comment from Al or Jesse as yet.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rookie-killed-day-job-virginia-shooting-article-1.2546227

Very tragic. Poor girl.

[foxcommander]

First day on the job as well. No comment from Al or Jesse as yet.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rookie-killed-day-job-virginia-shooting-article-1.2546227

Very tragic. Poor girl.

4 words from you on the subject. Is that it?
You'd have more to say if it was a drug dealer shot by a cop. We'd be hearing the #'s bleating away.

[J70]

First day on the job as well. No comment from Al or Jesse as yet.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rookie-killed-day-job-virginia-shooting-article-1.2546227

Very tragic. Poor girl.

4 words from you on the subject. Is that it?
You'd have more to say if it was a drug dealer shot by a cop. We'd be hearing the #'s bleating away.

Of course, as usual, you have absolutely nothing to support that statement.

Tell us what we are supposed to say about a young girl on her first day on the job being murdered by a fucked up soldier (apparently the son of a cop himself)?

"Tragic" is what comes to mind for me.

But go on... educate us.