It has become painfully, even fatally, obvious we have a police problem in this country......

[RandallFlagg]

.....However, you still have to understand the psychology of the situation. Police are far too used to encountering "attitude" when approaching black people. That is wrong and will ONLY change with extensive training.

You're exactly right. Once these minorities are trained how to properly deal with police officers, things will improve.

I'm suggesting a simple program, similar to what all kindergartner are taught about fires.... Stop, Shut Up, Do What You're Told. That's how you avoid lead poisoning.

Actually, I was talking about training for LEOs.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I get your point but in this case I think regulations are needed in order to ensure the safety of the public.

I'm more concerned with the safety of the LEOs than the criminals (aka public)

Have you ever been pulled over? Does that make you a "criminal"?

 

[Anathema]

Have you ever been pulled over? Does that make you a "criminal"?

I've been pulled over twice. Never ticketed. Everyone is a potential criminal.

 

[Anathema]

Actually, I was talking about training for LEOs.

This isn't a cop problem. It's a stupid citizen problem.

 

[paulitician]

Think of the meatheads you went to high school with only to find out years later that they became cops !

Think of the meatheads you went to high school with only to find out years later that they became cops !

Usually dumb jock bullies.

Heh. It's not necessarily always the jock bullies and meatheads. Look closer, and you'll find that it's actually almost the opposite...guys who were bullied as kids and grow up seeking to have a level of power and control over others as a sort of unconscious response.

You have to look at the psychological makeup of a person who wants to become a cop in the first place. Why does someone want that job? What's the payoff? They aren't doing it for the pay and pension plans. I went to school with a guy who was a great friend for many years and he became a cop. I never saw that coming. Hell, I learned more about cop culture and the type of people who become cops from him than anything else. He told me about the things they do that people just wouldn't believe. The stories he has are un-fucking-believable. For every incident where an officer gets caught doing something wrong, there's 10 more that get away with it. He works in a southern california pd (not LA), and he told me that they would routinely beat the living shit out of gang members in the area. He loves it when people resist arrest. Loves it.

Another major problem is that police officers tend to have a very black & white, authoritarian mindset, and they almost have to because it's about survival in the field. This mindset is what leads to excessive violence in some cases in my opinion. Some cops are vulnerable to thinking they are judge, jury and executioner -- Judge Dredd style in the heat of the moment, and this is a problem that might not ever go away. They seem to forget that it isn't their job to issue punishment, that's up to the courts. Better training is needed in this particular area.

My friend also told me that virtually all cops are conservative. Never any liberals. Interesting observation, though hardly surprising.

Good points. And the Militarization has only made things worse. The U.S. is now imprisoning more Citizens than any other nation on earth.

I think they should stop recruiting ex-soldiers to be domestic police. They don't have the mentality for it. They're too used to resorting to violence as a first response. We need to reverse this Militarization process.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Actually, I was talking about training for LEOs.

This isn't a cop problem. It's a stupid citizen problem.

Stupidity =/= death sentence

 

[Weatherman2020]

What we need is more government to solve the problem of an oppressive government!

I get your point but in this case I think regulations are needed in order to ensure the safety of the public.

What regulations would that be?
Against the law to shoot people not a threat?

 

[Anathema]

Stupidity =/= death sentence

To quote my grandfather.... "We'd all be better off if stupidity was more often FATAL for those who promote it"

 

[RandallFlagg]

I get your point but in this case I think regulations are needed in order to ensure the safety of the public.

I'm more concerned with the safety of the LEOs than the criminals (aka public)

Have you ever been pulled over? Does that make you a "criminal"?

Good question. As a black man - I used to be pulled over on a regular basis. When I worked late into the night in Kansas City, I would be routinely pulled over, right after getting on I-35 to go home (usually on a Friday night). Same thing every time. License and registration and proof of insurance. I would give it and the LEO would go to his car and stay there for up to ten minutes. By then, there would be three or four patrol cars behind him. Then, he'd come back to the car, order me out, and ask if I minded if they search my car. Each time I gave the same response. "No Sir - you do NOT have my permission". Then the questions would come. "Why not" You have something to hide?" I'd answer "No Sir, But I know my 4th Amendment rights and you have no reason to search my vehicle" That would always piss them off.

After about 20 minutes they would get tired of it and let me go - usually to follow me for the next 5 miles or so. Finally, one late night, after being pulled over again (for the fifth or sixth time) I asked the officer to check my background while he ran my plates. He came back, apologized and told me to have a good evening. Monday morning, I called the police department and spoke to the Chief. I asked him if it was policy to harass former federal agents. Never got pulled over again.

So, yeah, I know first hand, what it is to be black and driving.

 

[Weatherman2020]

And I believe congress needs to get involved.

First & foremost this is not an excuse for thuggish or criminal behavior. Nor is it a condemnation of police in general.

In the past I have created threads saying that the black community needs to get control of the culture in their inner cities.

Now it is time to recognize that we have a problem in the police community. It has become terribly obvious that temperament & judgment is an issue that the police departments across our nation are not paying a lot of attention to with regard to their hiring practices. So many police shootings seem to be questionable and it usually boils down to judgment. It makes me wonder if the screening process for selecting candidates is adequate. I also wonder if the pay is too low? So low that it attracts too many of the wrong individuals? It's like we just hire whomever applies as long as they pass a back ground check with little regard to their psychological well being or ability to function under extreme stress.
If you watch the video posted to Facebook after this latest shooting you can hear the sheer terror in the officers voice AFTER he had already killed the individual. He sounded like a child who was scared shitless.
Perhaps some nation wide standards could alleviate some of the problems with bad hires. We give these men and women a great deal of power over our daily lives so why not create some rational standards by which we determine who receives that power?

There is, indeed, a problem with the "police". And, as a black man, I'm going to explain what it is. The problem lies (not all cases) with "attitude". Black people have, for years, shown attitude - rather than complying with officers. I'm no fool. If a Cop approaches me and directs me to lie down - you can bet your ass - I'm going to lie down.

Now - white police officers are far too quick to draw their weapons and fire. That is a FACT.

The video in LA (in my opinion) clearly shows the police murdering this man. The video in Minnesota CLEARLY shows the officer murdering the man.

AS a former federal agent, and, a CCW permit holder, I can say with certainty, this young man was ABSOLUTELY correct in his actions. He told the officer that he as a CCW permit holder and that he was armed. EXACTLY what you are taught to do when interacting with the Police. He did nothing wrong. This police officer fired before thinking.
Hopefully, he is charged with murder. This man SHOULD have been riding a desk - rather than patrolling streets. You are correct in saying that he acted as a "child scared shitless". No business being on the street and, if they still had the Psychology based testing - they might have caught this.

However, you still have to understand the psychology of the situation. Police are far too used to encountering "attitude" when approaching black people. That is wrong and will ONLY change with extensive training.

You forgot one thing - the girlfriends story is the only story out there.

It could very well be factual. A few years ago cops had a guy face down, then told him to get up. As soon as he started to get up the cop shot him. Cop is prison, fortunately the guy lived.

 

[SYTFE]

Think of the meatheads you went to high school with only to find out years later that they became cops !

Think of the meatheads you went to high school with only to find out years later that they became cops !

Usually dumb jock bullies.

Heh. It's not necessarily always the jock bullies and meatheads. Look closer, and you'll find that it's actually almost the opposite...guys who were bullied as kids and grow up seeking to have a level of power and control over others as a sort of unconscious response.

You have to look at the psychological makeup of a person who wants to become a cop in the first place. Why does someone want that job? What's the payoff? They aren't doing it for the pay and pension plans. I went to school with a guy who was a great friend for many years and he became a cop. I never saw that coming. Hell, I learned more about cop culture and the type of people who become cops from him than anything else. He told me about the things they do that people just wouldn't believe. The stories he has are un-fucking-believable. For every incident where an officer gets caught doing something wrong, there's 10 more that get away with it. He works in a southern california pd (not LA), and he told me that they would routinely beat the living shit out of gang members in the area. He loves it when people resist arrest. Loves it.

Another major problem is that police officers tend to have a very black & white, authoritarian mindset, and they almost have to because it's about survival in the field. This mindset is what leads to excessive violence in some cases in my opinion. Some cops are vulnerable to thinking they are judge, jury and executioner -- Judge Dredd style in the heat of the moment, and this is a problem that might not ever go away. They seem to forget that it isn't their job to issue punishment, that's up to the courts. Better training is needed in this particular area.

My friend also told me that virtually all cops are conservative. Never any liberals. Interesting observation, though hardly surprising.

Good points. And the Militarization has only made things worse. The U.S. is now imprisoning more Citizens than any other nation on earth.

I think they should stop recruiting ex-soldiers to be domestic police. They don't have the mentality for it. They're too used to resorting to violence as a first response. We need to reverse this Militarization process.

The militarization of the police is easily one of the scariest aspects of life in the USA today. And it's only going to get worse.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

I get your point but in this case I think regulations are needed in order to ensure the safety of the public.

I'm more concerned with the safety of the LEOs than the criminals (aka public)

Have you ever been pulled over? Does that make you a "criminal"?

Good question. As a black man - I used to be pulled over on a regular basis. When I worked late into the night in Kansas City, I would be routinely pulled over, right after getting on I-35 to go home (usually on a Friday night). Same thing every time. License and registration and proof of insurance. I would give it and the LEO would go to his car and stay there for up to ten minutes. By then, there would be three or four patrol cars behind him. Then, he'd come back to the car, order me out, and ask if I minded if they search my car. Each time I gave the same response. "No Sir - you do NOT have my permission". Then the questions would come. "Why not" You have something to hide?" I'd answer "No Sir, But I know my 4th Amendment rights and you have no reason to search my vehicle" That would always piss them off.

After about 20 minutes they would get tired of it and let me go - usually to follow me for the next 5 miles or so. Finally, one late night, after being pulled over again (for the fifth or sixth time) I asked the officer to check my background while he ran my plates. He came back, apologized and told me to have a good evening. Monday morning, I called the police department and spoke to the Chief. I asked him if it was policy to harass former federal agents. Never got pulled over again.

So, yeah, I know first hand, what it is to be black and driving.

As an ex convict when I first moved to KC I was harassed extensively when pulled over. The demands & questions placed on me were quite absurd at times. Often demands to search my vehicles and always a presumption of "guilt of something". They obviously knew my info before ever questioning me and I can only guess they were looking for something, anything to escalate a routine stop into something else. I always cooperated. I dunno what it's like for blacks but if that's any indication I can relate.

 

[Vigilante]

Yes, The Officer Down Memorial Page reports 53 deaths in the line of duty as of July 7, 2016 for this year....YET not a fucking soul gives a shit about them, knows their name, or even says "That officer could have been my son!" ( The Obomanations Quote, just changed slightly for that black THUG, Trayvon Martin!)....Instead all we hear is the sparse instance when a man of BLUE kills a man of black....something is definitely WRONG with this picture!

 

[Synthaholic]

Perhaps some nation wide standards could alleviate some of the problems with bad hires. We give these men and women a great deal of power over our daily lives so why not create some rational standards by which we determine who receives that power?

I agree with your OP Gramps, but let's be clear: another name for 'nationwide standards' is regulations.

And yes - we need new regulations for the police.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Yeah the ugly reality is, you can be killed over a broken tail light. Dark times for sure.

or for stepping on a brutha's new Pumas

 

[francoHFW]

Everyone should have a handgun. lol. ALWAYS good to have them around.

 

[paulitician]

One of the sadder appalling aspects of these incidents, is the callous nature exhibited by the Police after the shootings. They sure aren't in any hurry to help the person after they're shot. They're just left to lay there and bleed out. We do have a Police problem folks. Don't live in denial.

 

[Skull Pilot]

One of the sadder appalling aspects of these incidents, is the callous nature exhibited by the Police after the shootings. They sure aren't in any hurry to help the person after they're shot. They're left to just lay there and bleed out. We do have Police problem folks. Don't live in denial.

Yeah I think every single cop should quit their jobs immediately

Then let's see you whine a different tune

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Yes, The Officer Down Memorial Page reports 53 deaths in the line of duty as of July 7, 2016 for this year....YET not a fucking soul gives a shit about them, knows their name, or even says "That officer could have been my son!" ( The Obomanations Quote, just changed slightly for that black THUG, Trayvon Martin!)....Instead all we hear is the sparse instance when a man of BLUE kills a man of black....something is definitely WRONG with this picture!

What's wrong with this picture is a man is dead for no reason.

 

[paulitician]

Yeah the ugly reality is, you can be killed over a broken tail light. Dark times for sure.

or for stepping on a brutha's new Pumas

You'd make a fine racist Gestapo thug. Bravo.