OT: Elijah McClain

[Guest]

@StickyBun said:
So I'm going to say this and I'm sure it won't be popular. And I say this being a fan of police and their job is VERY difficult. But for some, being a police officer is like being in the Army: its a last resort move. A chunk of any police force has members that aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. It also draws others that want to be dominate or be in control of people. Maturity isn't high on their list of personal attributes. So horrible optics like the picture of the officers at the memorial are going to happen unfortunately. 

People who crave power are the very people who shouldn't have any. And I think many people who want to be cops want it because of the power it gives them. I think that's why so many cops transition from protecting and serving to brutalizing so easily.

[Guest]

Can anyone answer this question?  We all know that there are some bad apples in some police departments.  Are police unions part of the reason for that?  We know that it's hard to get rid of bad teachers (for that reason).  Is it the same for police?  In the case of the guy who killed George Floyd, it appears that that cop was known to be a "bad" one.  So, why was he still on the force?  Or, is the problem "recruitment" (i.e., there aren't enough cops, so it's better to have bad ones than none at all)?

[Guest]

@pumpf said:
Can anyone answer this question?  We all know that there are some bad apples in some police departments.  Are police unions part of the reason for that?  We know that it's hard to get rid of bad teachers (for that reason).  Is it the same for police?  In the case of the guy who killed George Floyd, it appears that that cop was known to be a "bad" one.  So, why was he still on the force?  Or, is the problem "recruitment" (i.e., there aren't enough cops, so it's better to have bad ones than none at all)?

Thats a good question and of course we gotta be careful painting with to broad a brush here. I believe Chauvin had 17 priors and depending who you talk with, rules/regulations keep bad apples like him on the force. Not only on the force, but in positions of training younger officers as on the day he murdered George Floyd. 

[Guest]

the rot starts at the head. Unions, union heads, and city councils who want revenue

fear mongering asking for more money while crime has been dropping

these are power games that go beyond party even go beyond race

[Guest]

@Skodin said:
the rot starts at the head. Unions, union heads, and city councils who want revenue

fear mongering asking for more money while crime has been dropping

these are power games that go beyond party even go beyond race

What about the states attorneys that are to gutless to go after those rotten  cops?

But honestly,  who is going to change how they vote over this issue? Because its really on the voters to enact change and it's hard to blame anybody else imo.

[Guest]

A massive problem is taking people straight from military service into the police force. The two jobs are not the same, in fact are very different. One has the job to defeat the enemy on the battlefield and the other is a civillian patrol who serves the people they patrol. 

Need ti stop that imediate pipeline. Especially for people exiting combat operations.