Baltimore

[shocka khan]

The problem with the incident in Baltimore and some other places that involved police brutality of black people that are claimed as racism is that there are a lot of incidents where brutality happens on whites that aren't called racism. Racism is difficult to prove just as proving that the Clintons are involved in corruption with foreign governments without the smoking gun (e-mails that Hillary erased). Here is another incident that doesn't fit the police brutality/racism narrative because it is a white person being beaten.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPvTTmhyB_w

I think it has less to do with color and more to do with social status. My father was relatively prominent in our small town. One of the cops had it out for me, constantly following me around. One night he pulled me over and took me in for no reason. I had to call my father to pick me up. My dad pretty much told him in front of me that he didn't mind if I got in trouble for something that I had done, but the next time he had to come to the station and pick me up for no apparent reason would be this man's last day on the force. It stopped after that.

Poor people don't get breaks like that.

[1979Shocker]

Freddy Gray Protests Spread Nationwide

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/baltimore-unrest/baltimore-protests-100-arrested-new-york-rally-over-freddie-gray-n350951

Protests over the death of Freddie Gray stretched coast to coast late Wednesday, with thousands of people across the country rallying for the 25-year-old Baltimore man who died after suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody.

Police said more than 100 people were arrested in New York, and there were similar rallies in Boston, Seattle, San Diego and Denver.

In New York, several hundred people gathered in Union Square and marched in different directions, picking up demonstrators along the way and growing to more than 1,000, according to NBC New York.

[_kai_]

Here is an article that goes into detail of the socio-economic climate and civil rights violations in Baltimore, as well as just a good read on the makeup of Baltimore.

http://www.vice.com/read/david-simon-talks-about-where-the-baltimore-police-went-wrong-429?utm_source=vicenewsfb

[KC Shox]

As a former law enforcement officer, it was easy to see the never ending cycle the poor get stuck in. As a patrol officer, outside of responding to 911 calls, addressing street level crimes was our bread and butter. I can say that I never practiced or witnessed my colleagues singling out minorities, in fact, we all knew that rampant drug use by middle and upper class whites existed in our fine city. However, identifying probable cause was tremendously difficult with the middle and upper class. Let me explain.

As a patrol officer, car stops is our main method to investigate crime. Since we are constantly on call to respond to 911 calls, we don't have the luxury to park our car, and 'walk the beat'. If I'm patrolling a lower income neighborhood, it was easy to self initiate activity for a number of reasons ranging from busted headlights, cracked windshields, expired license plates or a vehicle having a stolen or wrong tag on it. This was our probable cause to pull the car over. Once we got the car stopped and engaged the occupant(s), it was not uncommon to discover the driver had a suspended or revoked license as a result from prior incidents of being pulled over. If I issued a citation, then this person likely lacks the ability to address the fine or was too lazy to do so and he would end up having that citation I issued turn into a traffic warrant and the individual would end up having more 'paper' stacked on him. Hence, the never ending cycle that person gets stuck in.

If I'm patrolling a upper middle class/wealthy neighborhood, while I'm still in a target rich environment, my ability to find probable cause is almost zero. You never saw improper tags on BMWs, GMC Denalis, MB's, etc., they don't drive with cracked windshields or busted headlights because these folks can afford to maintain their cars. They can afford insurance and never lack the ability to prove they have it. I never pulled a driver over in a BMW and walked up to it and smelled marijuana emanating out the vehicle to give me my probable cause. These folks have higher education, I never saw evidence in plain sight, and the times I asked for consent to search the car, I was politely denied as they knew I had zilch on them. Their driver licenses are clean and they have no outstanding warrants. If I wrote them a citation, they don't let the ticket go stale resulting in a traffic warrant. They have the ability and means to put a check in the mail that same day to pay the fine.

It's a socioeconomic issue that boils down to the haves and have nots. The cops are not to blame for the socioeconomic issues that cause crime and riots, but Policing of the poor, IMO, does contribute to the issues we are seeing on TV as they play a small role to perpetuating the never ending cycle. Right now, cops need body cameras as a short term solution to deflect or refute misconduct or even prevent misconduct. However, it will take the nation to address socioeconomic issues that have polarized and paralyzed cities.

[Kung Wu]

These folks have higher education, I never saw evidence in plain sight, and the times I asked for consent to search the car, I was politely denied as they knew I had zilch on them.

Why exactly were you asking for consent to search their car, if you had zilch?

[another shocker]

6 officers charged in death of freddie gray

[WuDrWu]

I'm skeptical of the dozen time loser not causing his own demise. I'll wait for the facts, but I'm guessing if these cops aren't 'dirty' (bad past etc) and all they have is an angry mob mentality jury and they are found guilty, then Baltimore and perhaps other cities similar could find themselves near lawlessness with a police force refusing to protect and serve. At this point, I'm not sure I see a good outcome.

[Dupe]

I'm skeptical of the dozen time loser not causing his own demise. I'll wait for the facts, but I'm guessing if these cops aren't 'dirty' (bad past etc) and all they have is an angry mob mentality jury and they are found guilty, then Baltimore and perhaps other cities similar could find themselves near lawlessness with a police force refusing to protect and serve. At this point, I'm not sure I see a good outcome.

This is what worries me. At what point will refusing to defend the police start to cause our police to "revolt" in attitude? I always get the feeling we end up throwing some cops under the bus to keep the protesting at bay but I'm not always sure the cops really were murderers.

[SHOCKvalue]

I'm skeptical of the dozen time loser not causing his own demise. I'll wait for the facts, but I'm guessing if these cops aren't 'dirty' (bad past etc) and all they have is an angry mob mentality jury and they are found guilty, then Baltimore and perhaps other cities similar could find themselves near lawlessness with a police force refusing to protect and serve. At this point, I'm not sure I see a good outcome.

I'm open to the idea that law enforcement could be in the wrong in this situation. I am NOT a law enforcement cheerleader, and I find many of their ranks to be generally populated by total assholes. That said, the charging of a total of 6 officers here sure has the makings of a witch hunt for the purposes of appeasement. If law enforcement did cause the injury then I'm really curious how 6 individuals are directly related to the offense.

On another note, I hope the rioters and looters took a long hard look at the racial breakdown of those charged. Half of the officers charged are in fact black.