NYC Cops To Be Re-trained In Use Of Force:

[MikeK]

As the result of highly publicized videos of New York City cops' fatally violent take-down of Eric Garner, a Staten Island Black, for the petty offense of selling loose cigarettes, and the unnecessarily violent, mistaken-identity take-down of tennis star, James Blake, the City's Police Commissioner, William Bratton, has announced that his cops are now constrained by new use-of-force guidelines and will be re-trained to ensure compliance.

NYPD improperly trained officers on use of force for years: report

This is a textbook example of how a few loose cannon cops can make the job harder for the rest. In my opinion the blame for the problem of increasing misuse of force and generally offensive conduct by cops is improper supervision, i.e., bosses who want to be thought of as one of the guys and go well out of their way to avoid disciplining subordinates for excessive use of force and generally offensive conduct. This circumstance is the result of an increasing us vs them relationship perceived by many (most?) cops and the public they no longer serve but feel at odds with.

Having been around for nearly eighty years I've been able to observe many social changes take place. In my opinion this change in the very nature and substance of America's civilian police has come about as the direct consequence of the utterly counterproductive War On Drugs.

If anyone disagrees with that opinion I would welcome the opportunity to discuss it.

 

[waltky]

Cop-killer diverted to drug treatment program...

Bratton: Diversion for Cop-Killer Was Bad Call
Oct 23, 2015 - The latest killing of an NYPD officer has renewed criticism by some in law enforcement about the way certain violent defendants are diverted from prison to take part in drug treatment programs.

Officials Wednesday disclosed that Tyrone Howard, 30, suspected of killing Officer Randolph Holder, 33, on Tuesday night was put in a drug-treatment program earlier this year as part of his plea in a large East Harlem drug investigation. "If there ever was a candidate not to be diverted it would be this guy. He is the poster boy for not being diverted," Police Commissioner William Bratton told reporters Wednesday, alluding to Howard's rap sheet, which investigators said had 28 arrests since age 13, including 23 as an adult. Chief William Aubry, head of Manhattan detectives, told reporters that Howard was believed to have carried out a gang shooting Sept. 1, some 10 months after he was placed in a drug diversion program. Cops had searched for Howard on 10 occasions through Oct. 16 but couldn't find him, Aubry said.

Wednesday night Bratton visited officers at the 23rd Precinct in East Harlem and said the Sept. 1 incident involved several shots fired. Bratton has previously criticized the use of drug treatment in gun cases. But Manhattan State Supreme Court Judge Edward McLaughlin, who allowed Howard to enter a drug program, defended his decision Wednesday. He said the Manhattan district attorney's office never presented him with evidence that Howard had a violent past. "You don't get a crystal ball when you get the robe," McLaughlin said in a telephone interview. "You have to make independent decisions as best as you can . . . I made my decision and stand by it."

The case the judge sentenced Howard on was a nonviolent drug conspiracy, and Howard seemed ready to get off PCP, McLaughlin said. In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said Howard was part of a drug ring and that his office had opposed defense requests for drug treatment. State court system spokesman David Bookstaver backed McLaughlin's explanation and indicated that the issue about drug diversion was something of a red herring. Howard had made $35,000 bail in the drug case and would have been on the street awaiting trial in October if he hadn't pleaded and taken diversion, Bookstaver said.

Bratton: Cop-Killer Shouldn't Have Been Diverted | Officer.com

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Not the worst idea. Been toying with the notion myself of holding police to military standards and not allowing deadly force unless receiving it. 'Do not fire unless fired upon' in effect.

 

[MikeK]

Not the worst idea. Been toying with the notion myself of holding police to military standards and not allowing deadly force unless receiving it. 'Do not fire unless fired upon' in effect.

Back in the 1960s and beyond there was a rule in NYPD/SOP that called for a police officer to actually see a weapon in an adversary's hand before discharging his firearm. Since that rule was changed there has been an increasing progression of police shooting incidents in which the justification is some variation on the, "He was reaching for his waistband," theme.

More recently we've been hearing the, "He was going for my gun," justification. The problem with these excuses for police officers shooting unarmed subjects is unless there is evidence to the contrary there is no choice but to accept these stated justifications. Thus the pressing need for dashboard and body cameras.