Posted on Jan 18, 2015
COL Ted Mc
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From "The Deseret News"

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865619857/More-question-police-tactics-but-solutions-arent-easily-apparent.html?s_cid=Email-1

More question police tactics, but solutions aren't easily apparent

SALT LAKE CITY — On one side, members of the public question why police officers often have to resort to using deadly force. On the other, police question why members of the public attack officers.

There have been three homicides in Utah since the beginning of the year. All three men were shot and killed by police officers within less than a week. The incidents come on the heels of a deadly 2014, when 14 men were fatally wounded in officer-involved shootings in Utah. Those and several high profile shootings across the nation have prompted many to question the tactics police officers use and the type of training they receive.

But solutions aren't easily apparent.

Deeda Seed, a former Salt Lake City councilwoman and one-time chief of staff for Mayor Rocky Anderson, launched an online petition just days ago following the Jan. 8 death of James Barker. He was shot and killed by a Salt Lake police officer in an Avenues neighborhood after a seemingly benign confrontation escalated. Barker quickly became angry when the officer kept asking him for his name and he attacked the officer with a snow shovel.

[EDITORIAL COMMENT:- Indeed, it is (almost) always possible to (almost) eliminate (almost) all "police violence" by subserviently complying with each and every demand from a police officer no matter how outrageous, uncalled for and/or illegal, but is that the type of country you want to live in?]
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Responses: 5
SFC Randy Hellenbrand
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Not laughing. All of that target practice money spent on cops and they can't hit an arm or leg.
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SGT William Howell
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You read it first right here. Mark my word this is going to happen.

Crime rates next year are going to skyrocket! The police are not going to be proactive, but reactive. They don't have a choice. If you Terry Stop somebody of the wrong race, religion, sex, economic status you will be considered for termination. Guess what, if the police can't do their job criminals can do theirs.
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SFC Randy Hellenbrand
SFC Randy Hellenbrand
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Bull!
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MSgt Robert Pellam
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This is an interesting subject that as gone through a roller coaster ride in the Media lately.

Unfortunately both sides of this debate seem to like to highlight the smallest infraction and blast it out for the world to see. Well here is my take on it.

Am I worried about Police Violence.. mmm yes and no. Honestly I don't commit crimes, I am a straight up citizen who doesn't do crap. I was raised that the Law is the Law. No if's and's or but's. If I am pulled over for anything, or any check point. I comply. I usually have a decent conversation with the trooper, and if I did something wrong (Speeding, miss a stop sign on accident) I admit to it. The Officers never escalate anything. Some have even left me off with a warning.

But then I read the propaganda, and see the videos. Yes there are bad cops out there. There are bad people in the military, we have run into them all. I do fear running into that bad cop and having stuff escalated on me for no other reason than I was trying to comply. Now what is my chances of that happening.... About the same as winning the lotto, or being bitten by a shark. Next to Zero. Police are not going around beating people up or shooting people daily. They are there doing a job to the best of their ability. Lets talk about all the high profile shootings this last year. Martin, Brown, heck I will toss in Garner too. This is how the Mike Brown Scenario should have gone down.

Officer: Excuse me.. You guys need to get out of the street, its not safe. Don't want to visit your parents house telling them there boys got hit by an idiot in a car.

Brown: Sorry Officer.. just taking a short cut.. We will be careful (Suspect leaves street to nearest side walk)

Officer: Thanks guys... (At this point I was not able to figure out if the Officer had been told about the robbery or not.. I am assuming not.) (Officer moves on to next call)

You can interchange names in this.. my point is.. Lack of respect. Lack of respect ALL the way around. Martin should not be dead, but the problem the wanna be Thug Martin ran in to was a wanna be Cop/tough guy in Zimmerman. And you get a Clash of people trying to prove their manhood.

Garner.. Seriously.. How many times was he arrested prior? Did he really think the cops were gonna just leave him alone?

Brown... attacked a cop. Same as the man in this Article. He is dead because he attacked a cop with a Shovel.

Respect the cops.. they respect you. I am pretty sure almost everyone on this board, if you had a gun and a man attacks you with a Shovel, they are going to pull the weapon. Did the cop handle the situation in the best manner.. Probably not.. but you know, Police officers have bad days too. They are human.

I know many on this board know what it is like when you feel your life is in danger. this cop felt as his life was in danger. That is all I am saying.
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
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MSgt Robert Pellam MSgt; You have hit one of the nails squarely on the head.

I have no idea if the incidence of interpersonal violence in police/civilian interactions has increased or not (and I rather doubt that anyone else does either). However there are two things that I can see that are exacerbating the situation and those are [1] publicity and [2] range of violence.

Without the publicity - either way - no one would be running around crying "The Sky Is Falling! The Sky IS FALLING!!!"; and without society's acceptance of a level of incivility, violence, and brutality which was simply "NOT ON" when I was growing up the level of severity in the police/civilian interactions wouldn't be anywhere near as high as it is now.

I doubt that we are ever going to be able to convince the media to stop doing things which make great gobs of money for it, but we can stop teaching our children that the SECOND step in dispute resolution is mindless violence (teaching them that the first step in dispute resolution is NOT a demand for unconditional surrender coupled with the threat of mindless violence unless that demand is instantly complied with wouldn't hurt either).
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