CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Criminals Fighting Crime? Atlanta Police Grads Have Records

LibertySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:36 -0700

Over one-third of police academy graduates in Atlanta, Georgia have a criminal record. The eye-opening number of newly minted law enforcers have either been arrested or cited for crimes ranging from shoplifting to assault.

Just like the US Army, the Atlanta PD has to make some concession if it wants to meet its recruitment goals. The city has had a tough time filling the ranks for the admirable, but tough job of a police officer.

Considering a recent survey found that the average person breaks the law at least once a day, perhaps it's impossible to find perfectly innocent police officers. Still, disobeying traffic lights or talking on a cell phone while driving won't necessarily get you a criminal record. When police officers have a rap sheet is it a sign that our laws cast too wide a net, or that the city needs to revamp its recruitment efforts?

Source

Troopers Riding in Big Rigs to Nab Drivers: Smart or Sneaky?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:30:13 -0700

Over a two days this week, Oregon State Police and sheriffs (perhaps better known by their CB radio code, "Boy Scouts") hitched a ride with big-rig truckers on the hunt for aggressive drivers who wouldn't suspect a "Smokey" ride along and wouldn't have time to "brush their teeth and comb their hair" (shout out for a radar trap ahead.)Leaving the "bubble gum machine" (cop car) at home, the troopers were able to nab 38 drivers in just two days. From their shotgun perches, most of the drivers were ticketed for driving over a "double nickel" (55 mph) and never saw it coming. The ODOT safety manager says "Research shows that most truck vs. car crashes could be avoided if drivers knew how to steer clear of unsafe situations. With this campaign, we hope to increase awareness, encourage safer driving practices and make a positive change in the risky driving behaviors of motorists — all of which will lead to fewer crashes, fatalities, and injuries on Oregon's roadways."Is planting troopers in a big rig a creative solution — or a little bit like a speed trap taken too far? Source

Troopers Riding in Big Rigs to Nab Drivers: Smart or Sneaky?

Smart. What better way to see what's really going on than in the middle of it?

Sneaky. It crosses the line from safe guarding to spying in my book.

Other. I'll tell you what I think in the comments.

Police Chaplains Resign Over Generic Prayer Policy

CitizenSugar — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:00:56 -0700

The line between church and state became a little more blurry when six of the 17 chaplains for the Virginia State Police resigned over new restrictions on prayer. In an effort to comply with the concept of a government free of church recognition, the chaplains were asked to offer only non-denominational services for public events and ceremonies.

According to one chaplain, he believed that this meant that using the name Jesus Christ was forbidden — a claim that a police spokesperson denies: “There was no written directive nor were chaplains specifically told in their meetings with the executive staff and colonel that they could not use ‘Jesus Christ’ in their prayer.” Even though the police issued this statement, many on the force still believed this violated their conscience. Says one chaplain, "There were several of us who felt that because of our convictions about what the Bible says, we couldn't agree to go along with a generic prayer policy."

To see what's being done about it,

Does Civil Disobedience Like "Critical Mass" Inspire Change?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:03:45 -0700

If you live in a city, chances are you know to avoid the streets during the last Friday of every month. That's when the event, Critical Mass, takes over with hoards of bicyclers all gathered together to ride the streets, snarling traffic, and calling attention to the plight of the two-wheeled rider. Some call it a social movement, a celebration, some a protest ride, and others, the mildly creative, "Critical Mess." Whatever the nomenclature, it's a happening that inspires passion — like this video taken at last Friday's Critical Mass ride in New York City. In the video — especially in the slow-motion replay — it appears as though the police officer approaches the bicyclist and shoves him over. The officer has since been placed on desk duty pending investigation of the incident, but the video fully encompasses the conflicting viewpoints of mass disobedience as a means to enact change. The riders intend to disrupt order. That's the means by which they make their message heard — the thought is if enough people, a critical mass of people, follow suit and subjugate the norm, the norm will be questioned. However, from those on the other end of the "conversation," the disruption caused by these methods does more to denigrate the cause than to gain followers. To those questioning why the police don't do more to control the event, and perhaps stop events like the one captured in the video, the Seattle Post Intelligencer had this to say yesterday: "police don't exactly have a hands-off policy, but they're not going to devote significant resources to the regular act of civil disobedience."Is Critical Mass the perfect example of change-inspiring civil demonstration, or is the emphasis really on "disobedience?"

Does Civil Disobedience Like "Critical Mass" Inspire Change?

CM is perfect! It's nonviolent, directly related to their message and changes behavior.

It's ridiculous to think that you'll gain sympathy to a cause by bothering everyone.

It's neither. It's just one of those things that happens in cities — not a big changer.

Other. I'll ride on into the comments.

Sante Fe's "Robin Hood" Tax, Rich to Pay For Police Housing?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:00:16 -0700

If you have a fancy mansion in Santa Fe, NM, you might be asked to foot the bill subsidizing more affordable housing for local public servants like police officers and nurses. The Santa Fe City Council voted this week for a special election next Spring to decide on a one percent fee to be added to house sales that top $650,000. If that sounds like a lot, it's not an uncommon price tag for houses in the area, and it's keeping those who serve the community, from living there.

The mayor says, "More than half of our police force doesn't live in Santa Fe. They can't afford to buy a house in Santa Fe. The thinking is that it's a reasonable fee that helps us meet a very, very important goal in Santa Fe."

The funds raised would help workers make down payments or pay rent. Opponents worry that the extra tax on spendier homes would trickle down to all homeowners later making real estate even more expensive, not to mention that the plan won't generate the revenue the mayor thinks it will. A local realtor says, "We support affordable housing as well as a rich, diverse and sustainable economy."

Is this a great plan to have the wealthiest with the best living conditions directly help those with the opposite problem? Is this Robin Hood run amuck in real estate? Is it important to have local public servants live in the communities they serve?

Source

Denver Police Stock Up on Protest-Quelling Pepper Guns

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:00:33 -0700

Summertime in an election year means convention cities are stocking up on confetti, balloons, and. . . pepper guns? Denver police hoping to prepare against disorder are stocking up on guns that fire a peppery powder instead of bullets in case they need to disperse crowds at the Democratic National Convention.

The department recently ordered 88 Mark IV launchers and projectiles at a cost "in the low six figures," spending a mere portion of the $50 million federal security grant. The hushed details of the budgeting have the American Civil Liberties Union filing a civil lawsuit alleging the city is violating the Colorado Open Records Act.

Denver authorities say releasing the information is "contrary to the public interest" because it could compromise important tactical information hampering security.

Some organizers of protest groups think police are amassing an arsenal of extended-range tasers and weapons that cripple people with high-intensity sound. The bullet balls ordered up are filled with powder "that's like a combination of cayenne pepper and baby powder" and can incapacitate a person like pepper spray.

Should Denver have to disclose how they're dishing out their security dough — or does that defeat the purpose? Do you expect violence or protests at the conventions?

Source

DC Institutes Police Checkpoints to Combat Bad 'Hoods

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:00:18 -0700

Where's the line between keeping people safe and a police state? In Washington DC the line just got a lot finer. They're implementing a new plan to seal off entire troubled neighborhoods and establish security checkpoints to monitor who comes and goes and why.

They're calling them "Neighborhood Safety Zones" and will require those entering the area to prove that they work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there — or they'll be sent away or face arrest. The zones are a last ditch effort to quarantine areas thought responsible for the spiraling crime rate plaguing the city.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier has been implementing out of the ordinary programs hoping to reverse the mayhem, but has had to scale back some — like plans for warrantless door-to-door searches for guns and drugs, and "All Hands on Deck" weekends aimed to bump up police presence. To see who's against the move,

Four Philadelphia Cops Involved in Beating Have Been Fired

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:24 -0700

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has announced that following the May 5 beating of three suspects in a drug-related triple shooting, four police officers will be fired. The beating was caught on tape by a news helicopter and shows 15 officers descending upon the car. Two of the four being fired were new recruits on probation; the other two, more experienced.

The most senior officer present has been demoted to the rank of police officer and transferred to another district for failing to stop the beating, though the tape shows he had no contact with the suspects. Three other officers were suspended for up to 15 days and and have been transferred to other districts. To see why the beating happened, the response, and the tape,

Faster Than a Speeding Donut! LAPD Gets Tough on Fat

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:00:12 -0700

Drop the donut and put your hands in the air!! That's what dietitian, Rana Parker, is telling officers in the LAPD. The police department hired her as their full time diet coach.

The Department is cracking down on overweight officers with the hope that it will make them better at their jobs and potentially save more lives. Fit officers can more easily sprint after criminals, feel better about themselves, and help improve the image of the force.

Instead of hitting up a drive-through, Parker suggests keeping energy bars, fruit, or a peanut butter sandwich in the cruiser. She works mostly with recruits, in hopes of in-multi-graining them with good eating habits.

Since police departments across the country are relaxing recruiting requirements, including body fat percentage, this policy might be necessary.

Do you think the LAPD's plan to make sure everyone in Los Angeles has a nutritionist is a good use of taxpayers' money? Could healthy officers slim down the state budgets, since taxpayers pay for their health care?

Source

Technology Being Used to Fight Street and Web Crime

LibertySugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Ever wish your laptop could do more than just order you up a pair of shoes? How about using it to fight crime? Victims of crimes in Brazil can now log onto Wikicrimes and pinpoint the exact intersection of the criminal attack. Created by a Brazilian professor, the site asks contributors to provide details such as whether the perpetrator was armed or whether a third party can confirm the incident.

The unavailability of police data in Brazil has prompted the public to warn others by amplifying the power of word of mouth with the internet. To see how Google aims to stop sexual predators,