Elza
Member
This is not intended to be a “cop bash fest”. I sincerely hope that it won’t turn into one. I would like the opinion of others regarding the topic. What is the topic? I’m glad that you asked.
A lot of people (myself included) are not particularly happy with some (note that I said SOME) of the tactics used by LE agencies today. Back in the ‘20’s and ‘30’s people demanded a stop to crime and murder. The LEO’s responded. Unfortunately, by the '50's the LEO's got to the point of being brutal. I remember seeing this in the late '50's/early '60's. (I’m not talking about using fire hoses and batons on civil rights protestors but to the people at large.) People finally decided that they had had enough and called for police reform. By the end of the ‘60’s the LEO’s were virtually hamstrung. I’m sure that the older folks on here will remember the infamous ‘waning shot rule’. Then, as crime started to rise, the same people demanded that the LEO’s “do their job”. So the restrictions on the LEO’s were gradually lifted and continued to what it is today. Now, people are again unhappy and are calling for police reform. So I predict that as things worsen the LEO’s will again face tightening restrictions. (Of course if Shrub et al get their way and let 20 million Mexicans in it will doubtless have a tremendous impact. Estimates run as high as 50% will be illiterate and/or criminal. This could well run the upward crime swing clear off of the chart.)
My point, verbose though it may be, is that all things are cyclic. They have to get really bad before reforms are carried out be it against crime or LE tactics. The reforms are too drastic because people are P.O.’ed and the whole thing starts over again. Why can we not get the citizens and LE agencies to work together to find an acceptable medium? Perhaps this is a pipe dream but I fail to see why it is impossible. Why is it so difficult to find a middle ground here?
A lot of people (myself included) are not particularly happy with some (note that I said SOME) of the tactics used by LE agencies today. Back in the ‘20’s and ‘30’s people demanded a stop to crime and murder. The LEO’s responded. Unfortunately, by the '50's the LEO's got to the point of being brutal. I remember seeing this in the late '50's/early '60's. (I’m not talking about using fire hoses and batons on civil rights protestors but to the people at large.) People finally decided that they had had enough and called for police reform. By the end of the ‘60’s the LEO’s were virtually hamstrung. I’m sure that the older folks on here will remember the infamous ‘waning shot rule’. Then, as crime started to rise, the same people demanded that the LEO’s “do their job”. So the restrictions on the LEO’s were gradually lifted and continued to what it is today. Now, people are again unhappy and are calling for police reform. So I predict that as things worsen the LEO’s will again face tightening restrictions. (Of course if Shrub et al get their way and let 20 million Mexicans in it will doubtless have a tremendous impact. Estimates run as high as 50% will be illiterate and/or criminal. This could well run the upward crime swing clear off of the chart.)
My point, verbose though it may be, is that all things are cyclic. They have to get really bad before reforms are carried out be it against crime or LE tactics. The reforms are too drastic because people are P.O.’ed and the whole thing starts over again. Why can we not get the citizens and LE agencies to work together to find an acceptable medium? Perhaps this is a pipe dream but I fail to see why it is impossible. Why is it so difficult to find a middle ground here?