Police, Civilian Oversight and the Media

[KrazyHorse]

to the journos for outsmarting the cops and taking cabs home.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Azazel

Police, Civilian Oversight and the Media

The question is:
What are three things that are not connected in any way?

I keep telling you that things work differently in a real democracy, but you still don't believe me...

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Who watches the watchman?

I do if they pay me enough. Next question!

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Yah.

Do the cops even do stings on drunk driving?

I'd think they'd be more into the prevention aspect of it than sitting outside on a cold night waiting for somebody to break the law...

A retired staff sergeant said the right thing to do would have been to send one constable in and warn the person they had been tipped about that impaired driving is frowned upon, but what does he know.

[KrazyHorse]

I hope some housecleaning gets done up there, NYE.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by notyoueither
City police.

The RCMP would never dream of pulling this sort of **** over their civilian bosses. Their civilian boss is the Prime Minister.

Could you imagine?

[KrazyHorse]

Maybe he'd have to read the War Measures Act. Send in the tanks to disarm the Mounties...

[notyoueither]

This thing is a real mess. The average member of the Police Service is feeling like the service is under attack.

The average member of the public wants to be supportive of the police.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a couple of things wrong. The general feeling within the Police Service that the Police Commission is a nuisance is a big problem. However, the bigger problem seems to be firmly grafted into the senior ranks of the Service. They seem to actually think they are going to 'win' this thing. After police abused their power in the original stake out, they seem to think it is appropriate to investigate the media who blew the coverup and throw around threats of criminal charges.

A city councillor who's been around for about the last 30 years used the term 'police state' today to describe what we are not and why this investigation of the media sources of the transcripts is highly inappropriate.

The province can't be far away from stepping in.

[KrazyHorse]

****.

That's ****ed up. How averse is King Ralph to treading on municipal toes? It really does sound FUBARed enough to have the province come crashing down at this point...

[notyoueither]

I honestly don't know. However, my measure of Ralph has him being smarter than to seem to be being harsh on the Police Service. That would be a big problem among many constituents.

Still, if the situation calls for it, he is a very no nonsense sort of guy. It is the sort of thing that would get sorted in the back rooms, most likely, and with a large number of senior officers and staff being turned over.

[KrazyHorse]

Well, normally I have a fair bit of tolerance for police mistakes, especially when they're by individual officers in the heat of the moment etc. (like I can understand when a cop shoots some dude in a dark alleyway and it turns out the "gun" he was holding was actually half a cheese sandwich), but I have zero tolerance for the cops abusing their power systematically to gain political ends. That's when I really start to get nervous...

[notyoueither]

As do I. I'm a law and order sort of guy, but when I heard that officers had targeted the head of the Police Commission and a member of the media for being critics I started to look at the situation more critically.

[Donegeal]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Seven cops for most of an evening because 2 people might drive after drinking, and neither of those people have a history of impaired driving?

And then pack up the operation after the 'targets' get their cabs?

And targetting a function that was mostly people from out of town who most likely would have been cabbing to their nearby hotels?

This thing stinks to high heaven to my civilian nose.

Like I had said, the size of the operation seemed a bit excessive and the fact that they changed their explanation is where the real cause for concern should be coming from.

Originally posted by notyoueither
A retired staff sergeant said the right thing to do would have been to send one constable in and warn the person they had been tipped about that impaired driving is frowned upon, but what does he know.

This is actually how I would have handled it as well. Perhaps I would have planted a cruiser outside the party until the suspects (generic term for parties mentioned in the tip) had left the establishment, pending on force availability.

Again, I would like to point out that the only thing the line officers did wrong was inappropriate radio traffic, a minor infraction at best. They were just following orders. It is the officers who issued the orders that should be looked at more closely.

[notyoueither]

I agree. That would be why the officers innvolved have all been cleared, but that enqiries are being made up the chain of command.

The only person who has lost his job so far is the chief after he signed off on a report that was a whitewash.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I do if they pay me enough. Next question!

You're applying for Internal Affairs?