For the past eight years, the Los Angeles Police Department has been under a federally-monitored and mandated Consent Decree. It has caused the implementation of WAY more activity at Parker Center. It has made line officers beholden to many more levels of review. And for the whole of my career, I have had to operate under the rules and oversight of the Consent Decree. You had to hear that word everyday. And you know what it's done for me?
Not a fucking thing.
If anything, the Consent Decree (same letters as Crushingly Draconian or Can't Deliver or Critically Damaged or Controlled Diplomacy) took a highly bureaucratic, paperwork-laden big-city police agency and made it . . . . much more highly bureaucratic and paperwork-laden. But now - NEW AND IMPROVED - with everyone looking over everyone else's shoulder like Caucescu's Romania.
I've been accused in more nonsensical bullshit complaints by two-bit gangsters trying to get me off the street than I ever would have been subjected to at Torrance or Manhattan or Newport Beach Police Department. And even though some of them were BULLSHIT on their face, it went to full investigation. Thanks Consent Decree!
I've been responsible for more penny-ante paperwork than I ever thought possible. The slogan on the door should read: "LAPD, We Do More With Less! But Not Less Paperwork!" That means less manpower, less public support and less, less, less officers in the street. Citizens, when it takes forever for an officer to show up, say "Thanks, Consent Decree!"
I have to do the job of the Jailer, the Property Clerk, the butcher, the baker and the friggin' candlestick maker because I spend about 6 hours of a 12 hour day just trying to outthink all these knuckleheads while I do what SHOULD BE their job. Hell, the jailers don't have to worry about the body until the last possible moment. I am responsible for these maggots from minutes 1 through 59 per hour. Then I'm off to label, list, account for, issue a receipt for and book evidence and property. Then I have to transport my sick arrestee all over the city for a medical service and on and on and on ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Thanks, Consent Decree!
And then, at roll call the next morning, the poor Lieutenant has to pass down the directive. We are all behind on traffic citations and the How can we save lives at these major intersections unless we write speeders and slow people down to prevent accidents? speech comes out. Even though he or she knows that we have so many pogues and slugs sitting downtown monitoring the consent decree that we could field a whole other division of officers. Thanks, Consent Decree!
The Consent Decree did help me buy a new house, what with all the overtime for paperwork and crap you have to fill out. I have a detective friend who used to joke that a robbery or homicide meant a new pair of shoes, because, Daddy, that callout to the scene is overtime! Of course, we are not really that cynical, but you have to stay motivated to do the excellent police work we do.
I think it will be a great time again here in La-La Land with no Consent Decree. Not everyone agrees with me, as this excerpt from Zach Behrens July 21, 2009 http://www.laist.com/ article shows:
“We’re disappointed by the judge’s decision. The department has made substantial progress under Chief Bratton, but there’s still too much evidence that skin color makes a difference in who is stopped, questioned and arrested by the LAPD,” said Mark Rosenbaum, legal director of the ACLU/SC. “We look to the Police Commission to work diligently to help keep the department focused on the goal of removing racial bias from its policing.” Last year the organization released a report titled "Racial Profiling & The LAPD: A Study of Racially Disparate Outcomes in the Los Angeles Police Department."
Chief William Bratton basically told them to go suck on an egg. “I resent their continuing intent to try to infer that this department engages in racial profiling,” Bratton said. “The ACLU needs to basically get off it and move on, because this city is moving on and we’re going to leave them behind.”
(See the article http://laist.com/2009/07/21/consent_degree_lifted_off_lapd_now.php :)
Well, the ACLU never did like us anyway, so they can cram it with walnuts.
See you on the streets, unless you see me first.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Obama, Stay Out of This One.
OK, I'll admit it. I am a person of color, an African-American, a Black man. I don't know if that affords me a certain cache on this issue, or if it will make anyone take my opinion seriously. But there it is and it's out there.
RE: Cambridge, MA July 16, 2009 Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
TO: President Barack Obama
Dear Mr. President,
We all know Mr. Gates, Jr. is your buddy, but please shut the hell up. I think it is high time to acknowledge you are better with a teleprompter than you are as an extemporaneous speaker. Don't feel bad, the last president had the same problem. But you are a LAWYER. You were a senator and a state legislator. You were elected to lead ALL the people of this great nation, not just minorities, not just people who agree with you, not just your buddies - EVERYONE.
Let me run it down for you in this fashion. Did you seriously think it was the best thing in the world to call police officers, even just a select few "stupid"? To say that "the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home" shows how little the public, even the president, know about police tactics and officer safety. Is he aware how many times officers receive a Burglary In Progress or Hot Prowl call, only to find the ex-husband or ex-wife lurking around the house. And of course their identification says they live there when they were just ordered out by a restraining order two months ago. It doesn't mean they aren't breaking the law. It doesn't mean we don't check the house for any other suspicious activity or possible intruders about which the homeowner is unaware. Our safety and that of the people we serve is paramount.
President Obama repeatedly said he did not know all the facts of the case during the course of the July 22, 2009 news conference. (Best Matlock-style Southern drawl here) Well, your Honor, I believe that dog don't hunt. The president has spoken out of school.
If you don't have anything nice to say, say NOTHING. Who wrote this speech for him, that ham-fisted Press Secretary Robert Gibbs? Hahaha. My goodness, Mr. President, you sure can pick 'em. You don't know the facts of the case, so guess what? I'll give you a free lesson. Your reply to questions on the issue could be, "Well, as you are probably all aware, Mr. Gates and I are old friends, good friends. I have spoken with him about the matter and offered him my support as a friend. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I know he is a decent, honorable and learned man, with the admiration of many students, scholars and friends. I also know that our police officers here and everywhere have a tough job to do. As citizens we need to offer them our support in their endeavors to keep the peace and help maintain the system of justice that gives us so much pride."
And leave it at that! When he opens up his mouth on this, he can't get some of those idiotic statements back. It's like herding cats; there is no way to organize this chaos.
Now, I know that race is a national and international issue. I LIVE WITH IT. I live with people looking at me, then looking at my kids, then doing a double-take. But there is much less of that than there was when I was a child. The world has changed and we have witnessed it. What we need to do is be honest about what we think, and yes, sometimes we have to watch what we say. But more than anything, we need to have an open dialogue about it. Do Blacks inherently have better rhythm? Are Asians and Indians somehow better engineers? Are Jewish people better with money? Or is it safe to say that we can all excel at whatever we put our minds, hearts and passions into, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity? Think about that, Mr. President.
RE: Cambridge, MA July 16, 2009 Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
TO: President Barack Obama
Dear Mr. President,
We all know Mr. Gates, Jr. is your buddy, but please shut the hell up. I think it is high time to acknowledge you are better with a teleprompter than you are as an extemporaneous speaker. Don't feel bad, the last president had the same problem. But you are a LAWYER. You were a senator and a state legislator. You were elected to lead ALL the people of this great nation, not just minorities, not just people who agree with you, not just your buddies - EVERYONE.
Let me run it down for you in this fashion. Did you seriously think it was the best thing in the world to call police officers, even just a select few "stupid"? To say that "the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home" shows how little the public, even the president, know about police tactics and officer safety. Is he aware how many times officers receive a Burglary In Progress or Hot Prowl call, only to find the ex-husband or ex-wife lurking around the house. And of course their identification says they live there when they were just ordered out by a restraining order two months ago. It doesn't mean they aren't breaking the law. It doesn't mean we don't check the house for any other suspicious activity or possible intruders about which the homeowner is unaware. Our safety and that of the people we serve is paramount.
President Obama repeatedly said he did not know all the facts of the case during the course of the July 22, 2009 news conference. (Best Matlock-style Southern drawl here) Well, your Honor, I believe that dog don't hunt. The president has spoken out of school.
If you don't have anything nice to say, say NOTHING. Who wrote this speech for him, that ham-fisted Press Secretary Robert Gibbs? Hahaha. My goodness, Mr. President, you sure can pick 'em. You don't know the facts of the case, so guess what? I'll give you a free lesson. Your reply to questions on the issue could be, "Well, as you are probably all aware, Mr. Gates and I are old friends, good friends. I have spoken with him about the matter and offered him my support as a friend. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I know he is a decent, honorable and learned man, with the admiration of many students, scholars and friends. I also know that our police officers here and everywhere have a tough job to do. As citizens we need to offer them our support in their endeavors to keep the peace and help maintain the system of justice that gives us so much pride."
And leave it at that! When he opens up his mouth on this, he can't get some of those idiotic statements back. It's like herding cats; there is no way to organize this chaos.
Now, I know that race is a national and international issue. I LIVE WITH IT. I live with people looking at me, then looking at my kids, then doing a double-take. But there is much less of that than there was when I was a child. The world has changed and we have witnessed it. What we need to do is be honest about what we think, and yes, sometimes we have to watch what we say. But more than anything, we need to have an open dialogue about it. Do Blacks inherently have better rhythm? Are Asians and Indians somehow better engineers? Are Jewish people better with money? Or is it safe to say that we can all excel at whatever we put our minds, hearts and passions into, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity? Think about that, Mr. President.
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