NYPD's Twitter Campaign Backfires

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NYPD's Twitter Campaign Backfires

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday April 23, 2014 @12:03PM from the hug-a-cop dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A NYPD community outreach campaign designed to show images of citizens with cops turned ugly quickly when a deluge of images depicting police brutality came in. From the article: 'The responses soon turned ugly when Occupy Wall Street tweeted a photograph of cops battling protesters with the caption "changing hearts and minds one baton at a time." Other photos included an elderly man bloodied after being arrested for jaywalking.' Police Commissioner Bill Bratton says, 'I kind of welcome the attention,' of the #myNYPD project."

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At least it wasn't goatse by mythosaz · 2014-04-23 12:05 · Score: 5, Funny

...well, there were batons.
1. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by kdawson+(3715) · 2014-04-23 12:20 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  4 those not understanding, hear's the concept of goatse.
2. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Lord+Kano · 2014-04-23 13:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  This might be the first time in the history of the internet that a goatse link was actually informative.
  LK
  
  --
  "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
3. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-04-23 13:46 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  ...well, there were batons.
  Justin Volpe, formerly of the NYPD, already has that one covered. So egregiously that he even went to jail, in an atypical twist.
4. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 16:44 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, but it was police batons, it's just wooden sticks to compensate because they don't have the real thing.
5. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:38 · Score: 0
  
  I've seen a goatse redirect get a "+5, Informative" before. The topic was tangentially about redirects, so it was pertinent to the discussion.
6. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Phreakiture · 2014-04-24 00:51 · Score: 2
  
  It seems like it would be one of those degenerate cases that might warrant a -1 Informative.
  
  --
  www.wavefront-av.com
7. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  4 those not understanding, hear's the concept of goatse.
  I'm not sure what's worse. Goatse, or the poor grammar.
8. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 04:41 · Score: 0
  
  ---warning... not work friendly...
9. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by danbert8 · 2014-04-24 04:49 · Score: 1
  
  If you need a warning that goatse is not work friendly, you shouldn't be on the internet. And if you are, you deserve what you get.
  
  --
  Yes it's an anecdote! Were you expecting original research in a Slashdot comment?
10. Re:At least it wasn't goatse by Some_Llama · 2014-04-24 05:56 · Score: 0
  
  ok i get the concept of goatse, but what about the bond that develops between older men in a relaxed atmosphere? Is there anything like that on the internet?
I kind of welcome the attention by wiredlogic · 2014-04-23 12:11 · Score: 5, Insightful

Well now we know of one more sociopath who is gainfully employed.

--
I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
1. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by NoKaOi · 2014-04-23 12:18 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  He also said:
  
  The photos are "old news," Bratton said. "They’ve been out there for a long time."
  Well, Commissioner Bratton, since these photos are old news and you are welcoming the attention they are getting, I'm sure you'd be happy to share with us what sort of investigation into these incidents there were and what punishment the officers received?
2. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:29 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  That was what struck me at first, upon reading the article.
  "The photos are 'old news,' Bratton said."
  "'They’ve been out there for a long time.'"
  That's their public image. That's what the people they serve, and the people around the country, see them as. He's the boss... and he can't be bothered to give a shit. Clearly the problems with the NYPD go all the way to the top. Above Commissioner Bratton. Since this problem spans multiple mayoral administrations we have to just ask... does a politicians political appointees EVER represent the best choices for their constituency, or only the administration doing the appointing?
3. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:49 · Score: 0
  
  He also said:
  
  The photos are "old news," Bratton said. "They’ve been out there for a long time."
  Well, Commissioner Bratton, since these photos are old news and you are welcoming the attention they are getting, I'm sure you'd be happy to share with us what sort of investigation into these incidents there were and what punishment the officers received?
  There was and will be none, because at least 70-80% of the population of NY was cheering the police on when they busted up OWS, and seeing those images again probably makes them happy.
4. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 12:54 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Spoiler: They think it's hilarious. Because they're the good guys. And anyone in those pictures had it coming. And what are you going to do about it anyway?
5. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by knightghost · 2014-04-23 13:10 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  There was and will be none, because at least 70-80% of the population of NY was cheering the police on when they busted up OWS, and seeing those images again probably makes them happy.
  Nooo... because 99% of those images lack context of a situation where force was justified. Do some ride-alongs with cops and see the entire story.
6. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:29 · Score: 0
  
  We will not rest until the criminals responsible for taking these pictures are put behind bars. Meanwhile, we have taken measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. All officers are required to check suspects for cameras before administering beatings on other suspects. Now stop yelling so much, I've only been tazering you for five minutes... That's it, your yelling is hurting my ears and now you've got an assault charge as well.
  - Commissioner Bratton
7. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by fustakrakich · 2014-04-23 13:32 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Do some ride-alongs with cops and see the entire story.
  A few friends of mine have. They said these new patrol cars have very little legroom, and that's it's very hard to sit comfortably with their hands tied behind their back.
  
  --
  “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
8. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by PolygamousRanchKid+ · 2014-04-23 13:53 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  and what punishment the officers received?
  and what promotions the officers received?
  
  --
  Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
9. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:53 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Exactly. Like when Kelly Thompson was beaten to death by police. There was full video of the whole incident showing that 1) the police had no reason to bother him, other than the fact that he was homeless, 2) he was not resisting arrest or refusing orders, and 3) even when they clearly had him detained, they continued to taz, kick, punch, etc..
  Now that all seems rather damning, except you weren't there on the ride with the police! One of them had a bad day earlier, so that makes it acceptable to beat people to death. At least, the judge seemed to think so.
10. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by jcr · 2014-04-23 15:36 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I'm sure all the perps were sternly admonished to avoid cameras before beating people up in the future.
  -jcr
  
  --
  The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
11. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 16:20 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I have done ride alongs. The police assume everyone is a criminal. There are only two types of people. Cops and criminals. We never played "cops and innocent bystanders" as kids. We are trained that there are two sides. Long gone are the beat cops that proactively prevented crime by building relationships with the neighborhood. The cops swoop in arrest everyone, and let the lawyers sort it out. Cops that want to rise will work on beating out confessions to protect conviction rates. After all, if you are talking to a cop, you are a criminal, they just might not have proven it yet.
  
  No, a ride along doesn't give justification as to why the armed cop is beating the unarmed person. The number one reason people are beat is "contempt of cop". If you don't follow orders fast enough, you are resisting. If you are resisting arrest, they can beat you. That's how it's done.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
12. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 19:43 · Score: 0
  
  Why are people acting this angry over this? Everyone acts as if the pigs never got away with this stuff before. This is a country wide problem, why complain about the NYPD! The NYPD had to know this was coming, and its commissioner probably said what he said as a message to the officers, a source of embarrassment, the message if you dont like this outrage from citizens exposing your short comings on a massive scale, then stop being asshole.
  Pigs have never been held to the same standard as criminals which makes them worse then criminals, they know they get away with it and receive slaps on the wrist keep their pensions, and still live comfortably.
13. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 22:17 · Score: 1
  
  They're not long gone. They're not common in the densest, toughest urban neighborhoods. But the campus police at my local university are the nicest cops I ever met: I teach them CPR, they really are out there to protect and serve, and they're shining examples of how a cop can *defuse* a tense situation with calmness and authority. I only know of one person they handled violently, and that was a semi-suicidal doped out kid who got a baton used against his knife wielding limb to disarm hims as quickly as possible.
14. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Antique+Geekmeister · 2014-04-23 22:28 · Score: 1
  
  There are good cops, like this officer, on a video titled "I Love This Cop, Best Open Carry Stop Ever":
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
15. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by ultranova · 2014-04-23 22:49 · Score: 1
  
  There are good cops and there are bad cops. The question is, is the law enforcement system itself good or bad? With all the plea bargaining, "anonymous tips" justifying searches, and even outright forging of evidence, it would seem that the system itself is corrupt.
  The people in the US and Nazi Germany were the same, some good, some not so; but the systems they lived in were vastly different, and that mattered more for the overall outcome than individual preferences. Or think of a stock market, or even individual stock: blibs matter less than the general trend.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
16. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by MitchDev · 2014-04-24 00:00 · Score: 1
  
  So many sheep actually think the police can do no wrong....
17. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by MitchDev · 2014-04-24 00:05 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Because thanks to camera phones, it's a lot more visible that a lot of cops are not "good cops" they are brutal thugs who even the good cops protect.
  We have a corrupt government, bought and paid for by the rich, and a police force that often acts like they run a police state, and yet some are so blind or intellectually dishonest they actually wonder why people don't trust the police.
18. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Ash+Vince · 2014-04-24 00:09 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I have done ride alongs. The police assume everyone is a criminal. There are only two types of people. Cops and criminals. We never played "cops and innocent bystanders" as kids. We are trained that there are two sides. Long gone are the beat cops that proactively prevented crime by building relationships with the neighborhood. The cops swoop in arrest everyone, and let the lawyers sort it out. Cops that want to rise will work on beating out confessions to protect conviction rates. After all, if you are talking to a cop, you are a criminal, they just might not have proven it yet.
  No, a ride along doesn't give justification as to why the armed cop is beating the unarmed person. The number one reason people are beat is "contempt of cop". If you don't follow orders fast enough, you are resisting. If you are resisting arrest, they can beat you. That's how it's done.
  I think one solution to this is for us to remind them they are actually our public servants as often as possible. If you are lost, then go up and ask them for directions if they seem to be standing around doing nothing. Hell, maybe even ask them if you are not lost just so they get to talk to a law abiding citizen for a change. Then, if they are helpful, be polite and courteous and make sure you say thanks.
  They will still have to deal with utter some scumbags, but maybe if they spent more time dealing with people who are not then they might find it easier to not treat everyone like they are.
  
  --
  I dont read /. to RTFA, I read /. to offend people in ignorance.
19. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:21 · Score: 0
  
  Well, Commissioner Baton, since these photos are old news and you are welcoming the attention they are getting, I'm sure you'd be happy to share with us what sort of investigation into these incidents there were and what punishment the officers received?
  FTFY.
20. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:58 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. If it wasn't for the NYPD, we'd all be overrun by the 84-year-old-jaywalking hordes.
  The octogenarians hate us for our freedoms.
21. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:23 · Score: 0
  
  Also the destruction of evidence (the deleted video of that bullied kid's harassment) and measures to prevent evidence (missing or damaged antennas for wearable cameras on LAPD patrol cars).
22. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:31 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Sorry, there is just too much risk involved in that approach. You never know what might set a cop off. Maybe his wife left him, maybe he has a hang-over, you just don't know. Even if 99% of the time the interaction is going to be just fine, do you want to take the risk that you will end up in that 1%?
  I know that is exactly how they think about interacting with the public too, which has lead to them being overly aggressive and assuming everyone is a criminal. The difference is that they have near immunity for any bad behavior, so the risk to them for abusing you is nil. I'm not even saying you are going to get a beat-down. I'm just talking about abuse by process - like deciding to give you a pat-down because they don't like how you look, or detaining you until you give permission for him to search your car (but they claim you smelled like weed, so totally justified) etc.
23. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by matbury · 2014-04-24 02:26 · Score: 1
  
  If US PDs are welcoming the attention from the public, then why do they want to outlaw filming cops? It looks like ubiquitous cameras and the ability to copy and distribute evidence of police wrongdoing is one of the best things to happen to the police. They just haven't realised it yet: No need for cops to "rat on" each other, more effective oversight (directly by the public), and cops understanding that anything they say or do can be photographed, filmed, documented, often from multiple sources, and taken down in evidence against them. Plus, the more priviledged members of society, who generally never see any police brutality, get to see exactly what it is and why it's a problem.
  BTW, search for "police brutality" + your country or city's name, and you'll more than likely find enough videos and photos to paint a pretty ugly picture.
  All this publicity is the start of something good. The people responsible for police behaviour will have to change the way they do things, e.g. stop dressing them up as soldiers and teaching them how to fight.
24. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Ambiguous+Puzuma · 2014-04-24 03:30 · Score: 2
  
  I think one solution to this is for us to remind them they are actually our public servants as often as possible. If you are lost, then go up and ask them for directions if they seem to be standing around doing nothing. Hell, maybe even ask them if you are not lost just so they get to talk to a law abiding citizen for a change. Then, if they are helpful, be polite and courteous and make sure you say thanks.
  They will still have to deal with utter some scumbags, but maybe if they spent more time dealing with people who are not then they might find it easier to not treat everyone like they are.
  I have done this several times (not for this purpose but because I needed directions or other minor assistance). Each time the officer seemed to genuinely appreciate the chance to help and be seen as the "good guy" in the eyes of the person he was interacting with.
  Not that my experiences are any more than anecdotes, but they line up with your thoughts. How many police officers assume the worst of us because we assume the worst of them and treat them accordingly?
25. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 03:41 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I don't know anyone who thinks the police "can do no wrong". Police are people just like the rest of us. The vast majority of them are stand up individuals who are honestly trying to help. The problem with these videos, is that they show a small fraction of everything police do, but have the effect of making it appear that all police are corrupt power hungry violent tempered men. So, as I've said before....comdemn those who misbehave and get them off the force, but stand behind those who risk their lives to make this a better and safer place to live.
26. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 03:43 · Score: 0
  
  You go first
27. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Grishnakh · 2014-04-24 04:20 · Score: 1
  
  If you are lost, then go up and ask them for directions if they seem to be standing around doing nothing.
  I did that once; the cop was extremely rude and acted like I was wasting his time. After seeing how cops treat people who annoy them on YouTube, I'm not going to try that again.
28. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 04:25 · Score: 1
  
  Not only do you have NO leg room but you can't even buckle your seat belt... the belt is there but not the buckle.
29. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Drgnkght · 2014-04-24 04:43 · Score: 1
  
  For anyone who might be wondering why the buckles are missing, there is an old trick that uses a belt buckle to break certain types of handcuffs.
30. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 04:50 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, Police are like motorists, the bad 99% really shame the good name of the rest of the crowd.
31. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Some_Llama · 2014-04-24 06:03 · Score: 1
  
  " After all, if you are talking to a cop, you are a criminal, they just might not have proven it yet."
  if you look at any city's municipal and criminal code you'll quickly see that in fact there are so many laws covering so many different things, that at any time and place we are all guilty of violating one law or another.
32. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by drainbramage · 2014-04-24 06:14 · Score: 2
  
  Jeez, that would have been good to know.
  
  --
  No brain, no pain.
33. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 06:20 · Score: 0
  
  Who are these rich that pay thugs to beat people up?
  George Soros sure, Warren Buffett on the occasional binge.
  But who else and why?
34. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 07:53 · Score: 0
  
  My brother did this when lost looking for his car after a concert in New Orleans. After getting completely turned around he saw a patrol car and explained his situation, and asked the two officers if they could direct him.
  They flat-out ignored him at first. When he asked again, one glared at him and then pointed him in the exact opposite direction from where he should have been going. They sent a lone white 18-year-old towards some of the worst parts of New Orleans in the middle of the night. He wasn't high, he wasn't drunk, and he was polite towards them. Interactions like this are fuel for the fire.
35. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by AK+Marc · 2014-04-24 08:17 · Score: 2
  
  I have done this several times (not for this purpose but because I needed directions or other minor assistance). Each time the officer seemed to genuinely appreciate the chance to help and be seen as the "good guy" in the eyes of the person he was interacting with.
  I don't ask cops anything (too many cops as friends to be deluded into thinking they are out to help, the fact that departments prefer ex-military and screen out intelligent cops seems to support my opinions), but I know of more than one person taken to jail for asking a cop directions. The cop was helpful at first, then took something in the question as suspicious (why would you need directions to the Interstate? Are you running from something? Why are you in a place you aren't familiar with?), and ran them through the system, resulting in an arrest, though usually for something mostly innocuous, like an old unpaid traffic ticket that was long forgotten. Much safer to ask a shopkeeper.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
36. Re:I kind of welcome the attention by RyoShin · 2014-04-24 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  maybe if they spent more time dealing with people who are not then they might find it easier to not treat everyone like they are.
  Long ago, when I was still a member of TotalFark, one of the "open" threads started talking about anime. TotalFark is more general (though usually silly) news and so is equal parts jock/average joe/nerd. Here on Slashdot I probably don't have to explain what anime is to anyone, but on TF you might run into the odd person who does.
  Anyway, so we're discussing our favorite Anime and giving recommendations, and one guy comes into the thread and just goes apeshit at everyone participating, asking how we could possibly enjoy that filth and accusing us of all sorts of things. After questioning him about just why he thought it was all horrible, we found out that his only experience with Anime was as part of some anti-child-porn group or task force (I believe it had to do with FBI investigations, but this was quite long ago...) and he had only ever seen lolita/CP hentai. Perhaps he was older or somehow managed to avoid any utterance of Dragonball Z in high school, but since that was his only experience with Japanese Animation he thought it was representative of all Japanese Animation. As I recall, it wasn't hard to make him realize that what he experienced was a only small portion of hentai, which was only a small portion of anime in general.
  If the police only spend their time dealing with human filth, and the only decent people they meet are police, it could easily explain how many get the us vs. them mentality. It doesn't excuse it, but it does give a starting point to remove it. It might also help explain the "Blue Code of Silence", because they think that even if a fellow cop does something bad it would be worse to turn them over to the criminals (i.e. everyone who is not or was not a cop.)
  As with your idea, requiring police to rotate between "enforcement" and "public service" roles would probably do a lot to mellow out the antagonizing ones and be far easier than any current attempt to actually bring them to justice when they abuse their position. It wouldn't solve all the problems, but would go far to bridge that gap.
If they were interested in upholding the law... by NoKaOi · 2014-04-23 12:15 · Score: 5, Insightful

...then they wouldn't consider this a failure. Truth and evidence should never be considered a failure. Identifying police brutality so that those individual cops can be punished, and thus hopefully prevent other cops from doing the same, should be considered a success. But obviously that's not how it works.
There are plenty of good cops out there, but by not punishing the bad cops it makes them all look bad.
1. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-23 12:17 · Score: 1
  
  should be considered a success.
  Isn't that what they did? The police commissioner said he welcomes the attention, so it doesn't seem like NYPD is objecting to it.
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
2. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:22 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  There are plenty of good cops out there, but by not punishing the bad cops it makes them all look bad.
  Uh, no. By not punishing the "bad cops" those "good cops" become "bad cops". It's really that simple. It's also why as a species, humanity is fucked.
3. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 12:27 · Score: 1, Flamebait
  
  There are plenty of good cops out there,
  No, there are bad cops, and cops that cover for bad cops (and are thus, bad cops). There are no good cops. Well, maybe some rookies that are particularly dumb. But that's not hard, when there is a screening to get rid of smart cops, but none to get rid of dumb ones.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
4. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:27 · Score: 0
  
  No you are wrong the cops do not turn each other in and that is why they are all bad cops.
5. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:37 · Score: 0
  
  When you have learned who and what they are with your own eye. You will avoid them all to not chance what kind of one you will get.
  Unless you are a fool.
6. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-04-23 12:47 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  There are plenty of good cops out there, but by not punishing the bad cops it makes them all look bad.
  Does it merely make them look bad? A bad cop is a more dangerous criminal than most of the people the cops are there to deal with. If the 'good cops' aren't enthusiastically hunting them down, I'd say that they are ineffectual at best and complicit at worst, not merely sullied by unfortunate proximity.
7. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:59 · Score: 0
  
  No you are wrong the cops do not turn each other in and that is why they are all bad cops.
  Making a general statement like that isn't true. It never is. For example, I know of highway patrol cops / employees that were followed to the station by a county officer and ticketed.
8. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 13:01 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  No, there are good cops. They can be found in good PDs where bad cops aren't tolerated. But when you have bad cops, you can be pretty sure their PD, its culture, and their union are all part of the problem.
  
  And naturally the bad ones get the most publicity, which isn't fair even though it's to be expected.
9. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by timeOday · 2014-04-23 13:17 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, look at the article: "NYPD spokeswoman Kim Royster told The New York Times the department was "creating new ways to communicate effectively with the community" and that Twitter provided "an open forum for an uncensored exchange" that is "good for our city."
  Oh, but they didn't mean it! They didn't expect this, we subverted it! It's a backfire, really!
  What else could either side possibly say? Anyways, the Police comment is closer to the truth, this is good for the city.
10. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by ArchieBunker · 2014-04-23 13:19 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Look what happened to this guy when he tried to blow the whistle on all the bad cops http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...
  They abducted him and had him admitted to a mental hospital for six days!
  
  --
  Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
11. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Lord+Kano · 2014-04-23 13:32 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  There are plenty of good cops out there
  I suppose that's arguable but if the majority of cops were good, how could bad cops continue to exist?
  Good cops are the minority.
  LK
  
  --
  "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
12. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:42 · Score: 1
  
  Look what happened to this guy when he tried to blow the whistle on all the bad cops http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...
  They abducted him and had him admitted to a mental hospital for six days!
  And people wonder why Snowden went public with his evidence...
13. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 13:42 · Score: 1
  
  Ah yes, it's the unions that cause bad cops.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
14. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:45 · Score: 0
  
  Well, I don't think anyone was claiming the NYPD was one of the PDs.
15. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by NoKaOi · 2014-04-23 13:53 · Score: 2
  
  Does it merely make them look bad? A bad cop is a more dangerous criminal than most of the people the cops are there to deal with. If the 'good cops' aren't enthusiastically hunting them down, I'd say that they are ineffectual at best and complicit at worst, not merely sullied by unfortunate proximity.
  Very good point, but I suppose "good" and "bad" is a spectrum. The problem is, if a cop with the best intentions knows about bad/illegal behavior of another cop, what are they going to do? If they report them (at least if they're not the bad cop's superior), then the bad cop will still not be punished, but the otherwise good cop will be harassed and hazed until they have no choice but to quit or be fired (or in the case previously mentioned be thrown in a mental institution). So, would it do more "good" in the world to get shoved out the door and not effect change, or to continue doing what you can to bust the criminals that you can? I suppose the answer to that depends on how idealistic you are, but the real world tends not to be boolean.
16. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 14:10 · Score: 1
  
  I'm assuming that's sarcasm? And hence, a straw man? I stated correlation, you turned it into causality.
17. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 14:11 · Score: 1
  
  Yup, good example of what I referred to in my third sentence.
18. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by thedarb · 2014-04-23 15:29 · Score: 2
  
  "No, there are good cops."
  
  Yeah. We call them Firemen.
  
  --
  This sig intentionally left blank.
19. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 15:32 · Score: 1
  
  If you aren't trying to imply any causality, why mention a correlation? It was commentary on your inability to fail to take a stab at unions. So many people are insane about hating anything that might reduce the power gap between the employers and the employees.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
20. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by BiIl_the_Engineer · 2014-04-23 15:57 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Nor did she leak information the government considered confidential. What's with all the pro-government retards bashing Snowden? Just because Snowden isn't suicidal or masochistic doesn't mean he did anything wrong. We now have all the information we need, and we need to act on it.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
21. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 15:59 · Score: 0
  
  Nothing wrong with avoiding impending doom while still doing the right thing. Taking a beating just because doesn't make the revelations better or worse. Comparing this to Rosa Parks is different since Rosa Parks had to be physically present in the seat to create the situation of civil disobedience - Snowden could do that from the other side of the globe.
22. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by BiIl_the_Engineer · 2014-04-23 16:01 · Score: 2
  
  I suppose the answer to that depends on how idealistic you are, but the real world tends not to be boolean.
  Nor does it have to be, as that depends on individual preferences. If you want to never change a damn thing, then don't do anything about bad cops. It's a good way to ensure that they'll forever be able to do as they please.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
23. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 16:17 · Score: 0
  
  and has everyone involved in persecuting him been executed by now? probably not.
  I say: the more people you have power over the more legal ways there should be to exterminate you if you abuse your power. we'll start with no death penalty for the average non-authority figure citizen.
24. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Entropius · 2014-04-23 16:55 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Good cop story: I was accosted by four cops in squad cars one night in Tucson about midnight. I'd gotten hungry and decided to go to the local burrito joint. I wanted to read while I was there, so I took my netbook. It was cold, so I jogged the few blocks to the Taco Shop.
  'Course, the cops see a guy running down the road with a laptop, and go "huh, we'd better see what the hell is going on here."
  Cop says "Eh, what're you doing?" I tell him I'm headed to the Taco Shop for a burrito, and ask him what the problem is. He says "Is that your computer?" I tell him "Yeah ... now that I think about it, I do look suspicious, I guess. Look, can I boot the thing and show you documents with my name on them, and that it matches my driver's license?"
  The cop tells me to go ahead, so I do. He says "Well, looks like it's your computer -- have a nice night" and they leave me alone.
  Unfortunately, in a lot of places trying to do what I did (talk to the cops, rather than say "I do not consent to any searches and would like a lawyer") ends badly. But Tucson PD is pretty relaxed. I just wish police in more places could be trusted to treat citizens like citizens rather than "criminals they haven't caught yet"; I imagine they'd be better at preventing crime if they did.
  (For those not well-versed in Arizona geopolitics: the place with the out-of-control xenophobic sheriff is Phoenix, north of Tucson. There Hispanics are regularly harassed by the police. In Tucson a big chunk of the police *are* Hispanic; it's a city that is far more tolerant.)
25. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 16:56 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  In this case all but one were bad. How can they not get the most publicity when the entire department is rotten to the core? The only honest one among them was abused and tossed out in disgust. The fact that there are police departments like that and no good cop comes forward to arrest them all means that there are no good cops in that jurisdiction at all. Local, county, state, and federal are all rotten for such a thing to take place and not one single law enforcement officer did their job.
26. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 18:45 · Score: 2
  
  http://archive.9news.com/dontm...
  http://www.coloradofop.org/ind...
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
  
  Just one example. tl;dr: Officer shoots someone's dog after it was already restrained as shown on video, gets brought up on charges for it, union summarily declares him innocent of all charges and rallies all available LEOs to "show support" by turning up en masse to pressure the court. But they're totally not part of the problem amirite?
  
  Seems some people are insane about excusing unions no matter what. But I appreciate that you believe I'm unable to fail. :)
27. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-23 18:54 · Score: 1
  
  Heh. But I've run into my fair share of good cops, and I appreciate them all the more with every new report on the bad ones.
  
  http://www.salon.com/2013/07/0...
  http://www.salon.com/2013/07/1...
  
  The good ones may be a dying breed. I'd rather not hasten that by mislabeling them.
28. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 19:09 · Score: 1
  
  I hate unions, but they are better than the alternative.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
29. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 19:59 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Comparing Snowden to this NYDP officer does the officer a great deal of injustice.
  Rosa Parks sat on a bus and got arrested for it. She didn't move to the soviet Union to tell us how great their buses are.
  Snowden did not "move to the Soviet Union". The U.S. government illegally pulled his passport (he was not under accusation and still isn't) and stranded him in the Soviet Union. And now filthy and documented liars and perjurers like Clapper and Holder put on crocodile tears over Snowden having to cope with the situation they are responsible for.
30. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 22:58 · Score: 0
  
  Good thing you weren't "running while black".
31. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Suchetha · 2014-04-23 23:01 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  no offence intended ... but are you white/caucasian/member of the majority race?
  i am a sri lankan living in sri lanka, and i am (officially) sinhalese .. the majority race .. i know that my being part of the majority has got me out of a lot of grief ... and because of that i go out of my way to help people that are getting grief because they are the minority ..
  i am not blaming you, far from it. but saying that a white person running with a laptop would probably be treated far FAR differently from a POC doing the same thing
  
  --
  
  learn from yesterday, plan for tomorrow, party tonight
  or one out of three ain't bad
32. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 23:03 · Score: 0
  
  > There are plenty of good cops out there, but by not punishing the bad cops it makes them all look bad.
  “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” - Edmund Burke
33. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:25 · Score: 0
  
  So you're busy getting al the crap programmers/sysadmins in your team fired are you? Come on, they're making your whole department look bad - including you. Welcome to reality.
34. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:48 · Score: 0
  
  This is the only good cop I know of.
35. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Entropius · 2014-04-24 01:01 · Score: 2
  
  I am white, but two or three of the four cops were Hispanic, as is almost half of Tucson. (Many billboards are in Spanish, for instance: not only are there a lot of folks who speak the language, they are wealthy enough that it's worth selling them things.) That's why I included that coda about racial politics in Arizona to my post: it's a) the Border Patrol, and b) the nutters in Phoenix that make a habit of haranguing folks for "driving while Mexican"; the Tucson PD, keeping watch over a city with a large Hispanic population with a force comprised of many Hispanic people itself, tends to treat folks rather more fairly.
36. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Entropius · 2014-04-24 01:02 · Score: 1
  
  Two, and maybe three, of the cops were Hispanic. This isn't unusual, since it's a city not far from Mexico.
37. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:47 · Score: 0
  
  So you're busy getting al the crap programmers/sysadmins in your team fired are you? Come on, they're making your whole department look bad - including you. Welcome to reality.
  Is it his job to get the crap employees fired? It is literally the job of the police to catch people who are breaking the law.
  Your reality sounds stupid.
38. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by kilfarsnar · 2014-04-24 02:24 · Score: 1
  
  Nor did she leak information the government considered confidential. What's with all the pro-government retards bashing Snowden? Just because Snowden isn't suicidal or masochistic doesn't mean he did anything wrong. We now have all the information we need, and we need to act on it.
  There is a quasi-acknowledged organized campaign afoot to manipulate the comment sections of web forums to give them a more pro-establishment bent and combat "wrong" information. See here. Ironically it was Snowden who confirmed this for us. It's always hard to tell when someone is voicing their true opinion, and when they are doing their master's bidding. But some of the rise in pro-establishment, anti-Snowden, anti-Wikileaks opinion is due to a concerted effort by government agents.
  
  --
  "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
39. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by kilfarsnar · 2014-04-24 02:39 · Score: 1
  
  Very good point, but I suppose "good" and "bad" is a spectrum. The problem is, if a cop with the best intentions knows about bad/illegal behavior of another cop, what are they going to do? If they report them (at least if they're not the bad cop's superior), then the bad cop will still not be punished, but the otherwise good cop will be harassed and hazed until they have no choice but to quit or be fired (or in the case previously mentioned be thrown in a mental institution). So, would it do more "good" in the world to get shoved out the door and not effect change, or to continue doing what you can to bust the criminals that you can? I suppose the answer to that depends on how idealistic you are, but the real world tends not to be boolean.
  If they haven't, everyone should see the movie Serpico. Not only is it a good movie made back when Al Pacino actually acted, but it shows the dynamic that an honest cop has to deal with in a corrupt precinct. It is fictional, but it is a good depiction of the options available.
  
  --
  "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
40. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Grishnakh · 2014-04-24 04:24 · Score: 1
  
  What's with all the pro-government retards bashing Snowden?
  It's no coincidence that the pro-government retard above is posting anonymously.
41. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Grishnakh · 2014-04-24 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  In Tucson a big chunk of the police *are* Hispanic; it's a city that is far more tolerant.
  Hispanic doesn't mean "tolerant of illegal immigrants". Lots of Border Patrol agents are hispanic.
42. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by deadweight · 2014-04-24 04:43 · Score: 1
  
  Just FYI - PG County in Maryland had famously violent and racist cops. They did a big affermative action push and now the Blacks are getting beat and abused by Black cops instead of white cops It is entirely likely the hispanic cops give you the same preference as the white cops. OTOH if I was a cop and I saw someone running at night with a computer, I might ask what was going on too ;)
43. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Guest316 · 2014-04-25 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  They can be good in some situations, where the worker is someone with no real power and is easily abused. I'd rather not go on too much of a tangent here though, so it suffices to say the topic of unions is not a black-and-white situation.
44. Re:If they were interested in upholding the law... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-26 00:00 · Score: 0
  
  the soviet union ceased existence in 1991.
Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-23 12:15 · Score: 1, Troll

One of these shows a police officer pinning a guy to the ground with his knee so that he can cuff him (presumably after the guy already did something wrong and tried to resist arrest.) That is hardly what I'd call brutality.
Also another one of these shows a guy laying on the ground screaming near a police motorcycle. I remember hearing about that, the motorcycle barely nudged him on accident and he deliberately dropped on the ground screaming like a 5 year old, way over-reacting to the incident. The guy (looked to be in his 50's or 60's) was acting like a baby trying to get attention and it was so cringe worthy that if I was there I would have been tempted to slap him and tell him to grow up for once in his life.
I understand that the police can go too far, but protesters and rioters certainly can and do go too far as well.

--
Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
1. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Charliemopps · 2014-04-23 12:29 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I understand that the police can go too far, but protesters and rioters certainly can and do go too far as well.
  We hold the police to a higher standard for a very good reason. If the occupy people did that crap to me, I'd probably stop so I could kick the guys ass. But I'm not a cop, I'm not on duty, and it's not my job to put up with that kind of crap. Annoyed with protesters? Don't get a job as a cop dead center in the protest capital of the country.
2. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AK+Marc · 2014-04-23 12:33 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  One of these shows a police officer pinning a guy to the ground with his knee so that he can cuff him (presumably after the guy already did something wrong and tried to resist arrest.) That is hardly what I'd call brutality.
  I've seen full video for something like that. The person was compliant, but the police treated him roughly anyway, knowing that the abuse apologists like you would justify it.
  
  --
  Learn to love Alaska
3. Re:Some of these are overreaction by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-04-23 12:53 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  The nice thing about the knee-pin move is that, while it lacks the drama and blood of a good mag-lite to the face and thus plays comparatively well for the cameras, there is a relatively thin line between 'pinning' and 'compressive asphyxia'. Just a matter of how much weight you put on that knee...
4. Re:Some of these are overreaction by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2014-04-23 12:55 · Score: 1
  
  I'd recommend getting a job playing campus cop at some California state school instead. Much nicer weather.
5. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Khyber · 2014-04-23 13:48 · Score: 2
  
  "The guy (looked to be in his 50's or 60's) was acting like a baby trying to get attention and it was so cringe worthy that if I was there I would have been tempted to slap him and tell him to grow up for once in his life."
  And what if he had a bone disease? Bone spurs? Even a tiny bump can cause the most excruciating pain, you ill-educated person. I should know, I have lumbosacral arthritis and if I even so much as tap my spine/pelvis area I'm on the ground crying.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
6. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-23 14:40 · Score: 0
  
  The guy in the picture had no shirt on, yet he also had no visible scratches either. If he was treated roughly on bare concrete, there would be signs of it. In fact given that he resisted, I'm surprised there are none at all anyways.
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
7. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-23 14:46 · Score: 1
  
  It's kind of obvious when that's happening because the person's eyes will appear to swell. In this case the guy just had a rather blank stare on his face.
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
8. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-23 14:55 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  What you're essentially asking for is to have a job where you're expected to get rocks and garbage thrown at you (yes, this is common at occupy events) and for you to just stand there and take it. That is exactly what happens prior to these incidents.
  Cops are humans, and as such they don't want to have to be denigrated like that any more than you do.
  Think about this: If you deliberately provoke a reaction, do you think it's possible that you just might succeed in getting one?
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
9. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Dereck1701 · 2014-04-23 15:08 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  "presumably after the guy already did something wrong and tried to resist arrest."
  Is that anything like the below case, where a passenger in a car where the driver did run stayed in the car and waited for police to return. After they came back he slowly exited the car with his hands up and made no attempt to flee or resist and they still chucked him to the ground, pinned him down, tased him, punched and kicked him multiple times and then heaved him face first into the back of a police cruiser with his hands cuffed behind his back?
  http://www.bringmethenews.com/...
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
10. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Dereck1701 · 2014-04-23 15:16 · Score: 2
  
  Even better, Just stumbled across this when checking ABC news. Apparently one officers idea of "crowd control" is to trip and shove high school girls at a football game.
  http://abcnews.go.com/US/video...
11. Re:Some of these are overreaction by uvajed_ekil · 2014-04-23 15:47 · Score: 1
  
  One of these shows a police officer pinning a guy to the ground with his knee so that he can cuff him (presumably after the guy already did something wrong and tried to resist arrest.)
  
  Presumably!?!? So, you are claiming to know the truth, and admit in the same sentence that you don't. Police actions not only may be questioned, they must be questioned. If they do nothing wrong then they have nothing to be worried about when we question them, right? That's the same approach they often take with us, no?
  
  --
  This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
12. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 19:51 · Score: 0
  
  One of these shows a police officer pinning a guy to the ground with his knee so that he can cuff him (presumably after the guy already did something wrong and tried to resist arrest.)
  
  Given that you presumably think you've made a reasonable assumption above — "that guy is under arrest; he's guilty ofsomething... plus resisting arrest" — I presume you spend the bulk of your days servicing your local cops' throbbing members, which over the years has rendered you an unquestioning, cum-drooling servant to the truth and moral righteousness handed down from armed authoritarian thugs.
  
  That is hardly what I'd call brutality.
  
  I'm sure you know rough stuff when you feel it; no doubt a gang of unskilled killers in uniform can get pretty brutal when they're getting their rocks off in exchange for your blind obedience and loyalty.
13. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 22:27 · Score: 0
  
  The other nice thing is how cops killed a guy at a movie theatre in front of his wife and kids because he didn't show them his papers.
14. Re:Some of these are overreaction by ultranova · 2014-04-23 23:29 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Think about this: If you deliberately provoke a reaction, do you think it's possible that you just might succeed in getting one?
  
  Yes. Now, would that excuse let me walk away with a not guilty verdict, or better yet avoid a trial entirely, after I'd beaten someone bloody with a baton? Because I don't think it would.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
15. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AmiMoJo · 2014-04-23 23:40 · Score: 1
  
  What you're essentially asking for is to have a job where you're expected to get rocks and garbage thrown at you (yes, this is common at occupy events) and for you to just stand there and take it.
  Yes, that is exactly what is expected. In a crowded area where it is usually pretty hard to see how threw something out of a large group of people the only option is to either put up with it or wade in and start hitting everyone. If you take the latter approch you start to look at everyone as a criminal, peaceful protester or not. It also makes protest practically impossible because a single arsehole throwing something is a green light for the police to smash everyone's skull in.
  The real solution is to make mass protest less necessary by giving people more of a stake in their democracy, and giving them real choices. Of course that isn't going to happen, and instead pressure is put on the police to make protesting less effective and more risky to participate in.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
16. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:29 · Score: 0
  
  Cops are humans, and as such they don't want to have to be denigrated like that any more than you do.
  Police go through extensive training to give them the mental tools not to react out of emotion, but to respond to circumstances and provocations rationally, proportionally, and within the bounds of law. That is what distinguishes them from vigilantes and thugs. Sure, they're human and they make mistakes, but they have extraordinary powers because they are expected to meet extraordinary standards. Excuse their failings, and you're really just saying you prefer the band of thugs in blue uniforms to the thugs with red bandanas.
17. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 00:55 · Score: 0
  
  Yea, it sure looks like he was resisting arrest. That bitch was just as psychotic as the other cops. I guess on a long night there's nothing like kicking the shit out of some defenseless citizen to make you feel good.
18. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:03 · Score: 0
  
  they have armor and shields exactly to allow them to stand there and take it
  since they can't generally tell for sure who threw what from within a crowd, the alternative is a general melee beating up innocents and perps alike.
19. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AthanasiusKircher · 2014-04-24 01:11 · Score: 2
  
  Cops are humans, and as such they don't want to have to be denigrated like that any more than you do.
  Of course they don't. But they chose a profession that requires them to uphold a higher standard. Why? Well, for the idealistic rationale: because someone who chooses to be a policeman, they are presumed to prefer order and law over chaos. Thus, they are expected to be the guy who walks away from an insult rather than starting a barfight. If they don't have those sorts of ideals, they shouldn't become a cop.
  The more practical reason? Because they usually carry deadly weapons or other arms that could seriously hurt people. The general public does not generally carry such weapons everywhere (except in Texas**). To be trusted to carry a deadly weapon and to act on behalf of the state, and person has to be able to contain his/her emotions and not allow those emotions to cause a random violent outburst... otherwise, innocent people could be seriously harmed or killed.
  
  Think about this: If you deliberately provoke a reaction, do you think it's possible that you just might succeed in getting one?
  Sure. But as a cop, you're not acting on behalf of your personal "honor" or emotions or whatever. You're an officer of the state, and you must be trained to follow orders and procedure, even when confronted with emotional or tense situations.
  [** That was a joke.]
20. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Charliemopps · 2014-04-24 01:24 · Score: 1
  
  >
  Think about this: If you deliberately provoke a reaction, do you think it's possible that you just might succeed in getting one?
  That's exactly what the protesters are aiming for. So they can get photos like this. So who won again?
21. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 03:31 · Score: 0
  
  Why the hell would compressive asphyxia increase intra-ocular pressure? You've been watching too many cartoons.
22. Re:Some of these are overreaction by crtreece · 2014-04-24 04:04 · Score: 1
  
  I love how they tase the passenger, which causes loss of voluntary muscle control. This is then written up as "resisting arrest" for not putting your hands behind your back or not following whatever other orders are given. Now they have "justification" for further beating. You could spend all day on youtube watching similar examples.
  
  --
  file: .signature not found
23. Re:Some of these are overreaction by david_thornley · 2014-04-24 06:35 · Score: 1
  
  Police actions should be questioned. Thing is, we may not have good answers.
  A shot of an officer pinning a guy with a knee and cuffing him doesn't itself allow a conclusion. It could be done as a minimum-force way to cuff a violent offender. It could be done as a painful way to deal with an innocent. It isn't evidence of any wrongdoing, on either the arrester's or the arrestee's side.
  
  --
  "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
24. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-24 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  Right, because clearly beating somebody bloody with a baton is the only way they've ever handled it.
  Most of these photos don't even depict abuse, rather they depict some derp acting like a jackass and then resisting arrest, and getting a knee to the neck. That's hardly what I'd call abuse, meanwhile the caption is "oh the humanity!"
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
25. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 08:07 · Score: 0
  
  Well, the obvious question is... what are they being arrested *for*?!?
  I mean, it should be legally obvious that you can't be arrested *only* for "resisting arrest" - because they have to be arresting you for something else *before* you can be "resisting arrest"... so the first question you should ask is "what am I being arrested for?"
26. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Khyber · 2014-04-24 13:32 · Score: 1
  
  "In fact after he hit the ground, he pushed his foot under the bike to make it look worse than it was."
  I can only pray you get the same degenerative bone disease I have so you can understand how full of crap you are.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
27. Re:Some of these are overreaction by crtreece · 2014-04-25 02:51 · Score: 1
  
  it should be legally obvious that you can't be arrested *only* for "resisting arrest"
  Logically, that makes complete sense. However, police officers and District Attorneys, and the legal system in general, do not operate on a purely logical basis.
  "Resisting arrest" should probably be renamed "Contempt of Cop"
  
  --
  file: .signature not found
28. Re:Some of these are overreaction by ultranova · 2014-04-25 09:08 · Score: 1
  
  Most of these photos don't even depict abuse, rather they depict some derp acting like a jackass and then resisting arrest, and getting a knee to the neck.
  
  How does a picture depict a series of events? It can't. It's showing you one moment in time; it's your imagination that's supplying the previous and next moments, based on your preconceived worldview.
  
  --
  Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
29. Re:Some of these are overreaction by AlphaWolf_HK · 2014-04-25 19:37 · Score: 1
  
  Usually there are other indications along with these, such as scratches, abrasions, lacerations, etc, (RARELY bruising, as bruising usually occurs after the fact) that are normal when you struggle on the ground. In most of these pictures, you see no such indications. Typically that means the person was very quickly brought to the ground and cuffed as that picture was being taken. If that is the case, then it's very hard to argue that there was any kind of abuse. Abuse is when they beat on them either before or while they're on the ground, and you'd see marks show up rather quickly.
  
  --
  Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
30. Re:Some of these are overreaction by Dereck1701 · 2014-04-26 01:18 · Score: 1
  
  The New York Post one is my favorite, and a prime example of how idiotic this belief that "if you were arrested the police must have had a reason" mindset. The officers hit a parked car with a guy in passenger seat going the wrong way and they blame it on him! And without video evidence he likely would have been convicted of destruction of public property, resisting arrest & disorderly conduct.
The problem is the pictures? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

I keep seeing this referred to as "bad PR" or (as here) "ugly images" as though that's the problem. NO, YOU FUCKS! THE PROBLEM IS COPS BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF PEOPLE!
1. Re:The problem is the pictures? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:22 · Score: 0
  
  In a society that prioritizes feelings over results, things like facts, reason, logic, and consequences do not matter. Hell, even empathy takes a back seat. The feelings of ignorant people can be managed quite easily.
  In short, as far as our society is concerned, the problem isn't that cops beat the shit out of people, nor anything of the like. The problem is that someone is making the public unhappy by rubbing their face in it. If they where ignorant of it, everything would be fine. ...got a problem? ...must be your fault. ...just the way things are. ...stop whining or else.
This was news like 3 days ago... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:36 · Score: 0

It's just now making it to Slashdot?
Jeez...
1. Re:This was news like 3 days ago... by uvajed_ekil · 2014-04-23 15:49 · Score: 1
  
  It's still important and worthy of conversation. The US constitution was enacted a long time ago and has been reported on numerous times, so should we not worry about it anymore? Jeez...
  
  --
  This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
Sorry to say, but by FuzzMaster · 2014-04-23 12:49 · Score: 0

. . .cops lie. They will lie to secure a conviction, but crowd-sourced photographic evidence is what will counter their culture of concealing misbehavior. Dash cams might help, too, but not as long as cops are in control of the on-off switch (see here and here).
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 12:54 · Score: 0

> start asking why we're not all wealthy...
we would all be equally poor then. I'm wealthy because I have something you don't. It's that simple.....
no evidence for that statement by dltaylor · 2014-04-23 13:03 · Score: 2

"There are plenty of good cops out there, ..."
I have heard of no evidence for there being ANY good cops. If there were any, it would be in the news that instead of various projects uncovering criminal behavior, it would be the cops, themselves, and it never seems to happen. There are cops who are murderers, rapists, thieves, and just plain thugs, and the rest of them are guilty of covering for the criminals. What happened to the NYPD officers who gang sodomized that Jamaican? The POLICE OFFICERS UNION pressured the city not to throw the SOBs in jail.
1. Re:no evidence for that statement by Kittenman · 2014-04-23 14:39 · Score: 1
  
  "There are plenty of good cops out there, ..."
  I have heard of no evidence for there being ANY good cops. If there were any, it would be in the news that instead of various projects uncovering criminal behavior, it would be the cops, themselves, and it never seems to happen. There are cops who are murderers, rapists, thieves, and just plain thugs, and the rest of them are guilty of covering for the criminals. What happened to the NYPD officers who gang sodomized that Jamaican? The POLICE OFFICERS UNION pressured the city not to throw the SOBs in jail.
  Nonsense. Bad news sells papers. "Cops beat defenceless grandmother" will get a lot more people buying newspapers, than "Cops help little old lady cross busy street safely". There are good cops and there are bad cops. The good cops outnumber the bad ones - vastly, I trust, as the selection process will help in that respect.
  
  --
  "The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
2. Re:no evidence for that statement by dltaylor · 2014-04-23 17:37 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Nonsense.
  The "bad cop busted" is still news, and the "hero cop does the bust" just makes it better news. I have NEVER heard of a "bad cop" bust (and there have been many over my lifetime) where it was a "good cop" on his force that did it. It has always been outsiders.
3. Re:no evidence for that statement by Princeofcups · 2014-04-24 04:18 · Score: 1
  
  Nonsense.
  The "bad cop busted" is still news, and the "hero cop does the bust" just makes it better news. I have NEVER heard of a "bad cop" bust (and there have been many over my lifetime) where it was a "good cop" on his force that did it. It has always been outsiders.
  You are young then. I try to keep explaining to people that things were NOT always this bad. From Wiki. I could see this station from my front porch growing up:
  1980s - "Marquette Ten": 10 police officers in Chicago's Marquette District were convicted of taking bribes from drug dealers. Among those was Chicago police officer Thomas Ambrose, the father of former U.S. Marshall John Ambrose, who was convicted 20-years later of leaking information to the Chicago Outfit about federal informant Nick Calabrese, who testified against top Chicago mobsters in the "Family Secrets" trial.
  
  --
  The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
UAT by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 13:22 · Score: 0

Union Asshole Thugs...
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 14:00 · Score: 0

"I'm wealthy because I have something you don't. It's that simple....."
You have nothing. It's naive to believe that you, (or any other human for that matter) take ownership of anything.
This idea that your "wealth" is relative to what others lack is a very dysfunctional mindset. In fact, I would say that greed is more virtuous than your ideology.
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by ClioCJS · 2014-04-23 14:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

By that logic, the Nazis who killed Jews were just doing what they were hired for. Fuck you and your fallacious logic.

--
-Clio
Karma: Bad (mostly from not giving a fuck)
Blog: http://clintjcl.wordpress.com
Fox News Again? by edibobb · 2014-04-23 14:18 · Score: 0

Why all the Fox News links all of a sudden? Did Fox News buy Slashdot? I wouldn't bet a lot of money on the accuracy of this fine piece of journalism.
1. Re:Fox News Again? by AHuxley · 2014-04-23 18:43 · Score: 1
  
  A lot of strange AC stories seem to make it and then get flooded with more AC comments trying to have a smart "debate" or change "views" on sets of gov or legal topics.
  It might be one person or a few people but the tone and flow is usually the same with the style of links.
  
  --
  Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
the future in the past by zephvark · 2014-04-23 14:51 · Score: 1

Can slashdot not find something better to do than repost news that we read two days ago on reddit? If I wanted another re-re-repost, reddit's already got me covered.
1. Re:the future in the past by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:59 · Score: 0
  
  If you are looking for breaking news, you probably should remove /. from your bookmarks. If not, at least don't click on stories then bitch about them. Relax a bit, take a deep breath. Increase your lifespan.
2. Re:the future in the past by idontgno · 2014-04-24 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  In the immortal words of the Prophet, "You must be new here".
  Just wait until the story gets reposted here. And again, a couple of days later.
  After all, this sin't madness, it's Slashdot. Dupes of old news are not an option. They're standard equipment.
  
  --
  Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 15:35 · Score: 0

To an extent, yes. You can't just pull a cord and get off the Nazi bus.
Re:willfully ignorant by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 15:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

No, but you apparently intend to remain willfully ignorant of the whole point of what I was saying. Maybe you should start by taking a look at the case I mentioned?
Police corruption is a real thing. Even when there is incredibly strong evidence, detailing everything that happened, police still band together and cover each other when they fuck up. Sometimes, the result is that they get away with a minor offense such as a traffic violation, and other times it directly results in the death of another person. If you honestly think it is acceptable for police to behave in that sort of fashion, then there's something wrong with you.
Re:willfully ignorant by jcr · 2014-04-23 15:38 · Score: 1, Insightful

willfully ignorant
He's obviously far better informed than you are.
-jcr

--
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Propaganda by uvajed_ekil · 2014-04-23 15:43 · Score: 1

Nice try revising history, NYPD. But clearly you underestimated us. I welcome honest attempts at community outreach, but your propaganda will have to be a lot better to be effective.

--
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
1. Re:Propaganda by russotto · 2014-04-23 15:55 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  To the NYPD, "community outreach" means a longer baton.
Ha Ha by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 16:43 · Score: 0

What will he say when NYPD Officers are photographed and videoed butt fucking dogs !
Choice
Wrong by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 16:49 · Score: 0

Every Police Officer from NYPD to LAPD and Miami PD to Seattle PD hunts for the hour, day and moment when he can butt fuck a civi.
Get this straight: Police hate civis i.e. civilians. Every Police Offices who kills a civi has done his job for the shift.
Get over it.
Police are to maintain FEAR. That is the prime directive. Nothing more nothing less.
In other news by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 17:48 · Score: 0

Photographing cops on the street is illegal?
1. Re:In other news by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 08:18 · Score: 0
  
  Photographing cops on the street is illegal?
  In some states, yes, because the state has a law where it's illegal "wiretapping/surveillance" unless *both* parties give consent.
  Here's a (non-cop photographing/video) example:
  Special Ed student records other student's bullying him, accused of felony wiretapping
  The kid is being bullied in school, he uses his iPad to record them bullying him, and the school calls the cops and he's arrested for "felony wiretapping" because he didn't have the bullies "consent" in a state where both parties have to consent. So the bullies get off with no punishment, and he winds up being found guilty on a reduced charge of "disorderly conduct" (which one might think would be better applied to the bullies?).
  This is our "justice" system hard at work.
Why even have quotas?! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 17:59 · Score: 0

It's silly that they even have quotas! The amount of people they arrest should directly represent the amount of crimes witnessed in progress!
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 20:22 · Score: 0

You can emigrate to a different country and protest. But I guess that's out of the comfort zone for most people. Changing your moral is much easier, that only needs some alcohol/pills.
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 20:27 · Score: 1

Too bad for your retarded logic that for most Nazi soldiers the result of not doing what they were "hired" for was getting thrown in the prison camps as a Jew sympathizer.
Also, by his logic you should be blaming Hitler and other Nazi leaders for hiring soldiers and forcing them to kill the Jews. Way to fuck up a simple analogy, idiot.
Eh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 21:32 · Score: 0

If your five year old behaves like that when denied something you haven't done very good job raising him. Sorry, but that's the truth. You better let them kids get disappointed a lot from the very early age, so they know how to cope wit hit.
Explain it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-23 23:25 · Score: 0

A bad cop is a more dangerous criminal than most of the people the cops are there to deal with
That's absolutely true, but you didn't explain why. The reason is that a bad cop not only has the inclination to employ physical force against innocents, but the legal basis to do so. A criminal of the same inclination has no legal basis.
Unions to blame for police brutality (snort) by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:05 · Score: 0

AK Marc: 'Ah yes, it's the unions that cause bad cops.'
Guest316: 'I'm assuming that's sarcasm? And hence, a straw man? I stated correlation, you turned it into causality'.
You're either a moron or a shill apologist for corrupt cops, either way I don't care ..
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:41 · Score: 0

Congratulation! Your Godwin point is in the mail.
Actual Link by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 01:53 · Score: 0

So how about an actual link
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mynypd&src=typd
Instead of Fox and Verge...
NSFW by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 02:52 · Score: 1

Seriously not safe for work... or life. Highly recommend not clicking it.
Respect must be earned by Baki · 2014-04-24 03:42 · Score: 4, Insightful

Times that policemen got respect automatically are over. The enforcement of unjust laws, such as most related to the war on drugs, undermines public respect for the police, at least amongst a large minority. I think that it the greatest danger of unjust or ineffective laws.
The best thing the police could do to improve its image, would be to advocate the abolotion of unjust laws, even if these provide them with easy money.
1. Re:Respect must be earned by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-25 06:23 · Score: 0
  
  ....Add to that the hysterical over-reaches in the name of "terrorism" and "security".
  “It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.”
  --Machiavelli
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by Bryan+Ischo · 2014-04-24 05:06 · Score: 1

You so completely missed his point that it's actually comical.
Re:Ug, wrong target people. by david_thornley · 2014-04-24 06:39 · Score: 1

Actually, Gerhard Weinberg did some studying and found that, if a soldier refused to be brutal to Jews, they'd find him a new assignment and bring in one who would brutalize Jews. He found no cases where somebody was actually punished for refusing. (A surprising number of Germans willingly participated in such acts. A large number sent home photographs showing them guilty of war crimes.)
Of course, when the reassignment is to the Eastern Front, there's going to be some pressure there.

--
"When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
Cry me a river by Anonymous Coward · 2014-04-24 08:24 · Score: 1

Good Cop: Oh no. It's scary to standing up to my fellow officers. I'm so helpless! You just don't understand.
How do those "good" officers think your average citizen feels when they run afoul of "bad" cops? Most US citizens, short of video shot by a third party, have literally no means to refute testimony of a police officer. No matter how absurd that testimony is. If police officers want to be respected by the public and seen as the "heroes" they think they are, they need to man up and fight corruption, police brutality, and protect ordinary citizens from the bad cops. Otherwise most people won't see them as anything but thugs with a badge.
Re:Maybe if all your friends weren't criminals and by AK+Marc · 2014-04-24 18:15 · Score: 1

Ah yes, the cop "assholes deserve to be physically assaulted" excuse. Why are you equating "asshole" with "dangerous"?

There are lots of people with warrants out that don't know it. My "proof" of that is the number of sites that do public record searches so you can see if you are "wanted". If wanted people were better informed, there wouldn't be a problem. But the only "notification" of a warrant is a sheriff knocking on your door and arresting you if you answer. Taking phone numbers, addresses, and sending out more warnings and notices would work much better. As it stands, most felony arrests are made from incidental contact with police (usually traffic stops, but statistics aren't clear how many of those are "innocent" passengers, and how many "illegal" drivers.

And yes, getting a traffic ticket and not following up properly can get you sent to jail. Yes, a $100 ticket can land you in jail and $2000+ in fines. And you'll never be notified of anything. The system assumes you know what to do to follow up properly, and heavily punishes you if you don't.

--
Learn to love Alaska
Why are police terrible in general by dudeX · 2014-04-25 12:45 · Score: 1

Why are cops in cities terrible?
Is it because of bad apples? ( Maybe, but even good cops still do jerk things)
Is it because they have a lot of legal protection for bad behavior (maybe, but in the US you can get some restitution, and they can get punished)
It's really because police are just giant revenue generating machines for the city.
In order for a police officer to advance in his career, he is measured by the number of citations, summons, and arrests he has achieved.
And if performance is based on the number of bad things happening in your area, all of a sudden you see bad things happening everywhere.
A police officer does not get promoted for the number of old ladies he or she helps cross the street, the number of kittens retrieved from trees, or having effective patrols that result in zero incidences. They only get promoted for getting the high stats of bad actions.
And if police departments institute quotas, then you feel compelled to find a sucker (usually a minority or poor person because they lack the resources to fight back) to harass and induce them to break a minor infraction to get them into the station or write a citation.
Take away the performance metric of citations, summons and arrests, and you will have a much better police force who is delegated to truly being servants of the community rather than the rich and powerful.