Here we go again .. And they wonder why we don't respect them ...

[jbombelli]

Agreed - R.I.P. Officer Long


But that has not ONE thing to do with this thread. I have the same question, Benny...

Irahm - what's your point?

The OP was about a new development in the Katrina aftermath. Admittedly it was a bit inflammatory. Duncan is _known_ for being a regular bucket o' cheer around here. Then in the middle of the thread somewhere, j706 piped in with the "I won't issue infractions to other officers" / professional courtesy thing. One could argue that that is sort of related. But I fail to see how Officer Long had anything to do with this, other than the fact that the OP posted it the same day he was unfortunately killed in the line of duty. In a later post - the OP said he had no idea that an officer had been killed that day. I have yet to see ANYONE here feel anything but sorrow for the Officer that was killed and his family - but that has ZILCH to do with the topic at hand.

Except that the OP was blasted mercilessly left/right/sideways by some people around here, because Officer Long was killed the same day this thread was made. This thread had nothing to do with Officer Long, yet certain posters insisted on making this thread an insult to Officer Long, and then blamed the OP for it.

 

[lrahm]

The Katrina officers have long been know for corruption. That does not mean that they are corrupt in Indiana. Best I can remember only about a fourth showed up for work post Katrina. I can remember several times when officers showed up here (without pay) on several severe storms. We aren't great and don't walk on water. When we have an internal problem, it isn't covered up. But sterotyping officers from New Orleans and your officers is absurd.

We are bashing police officers but on the other hand the family of officer Long is in a state of sorrow.

 

[Sgood]

I just wonder what would happen if a drunk police officer plowed into, say, a group of motorcyclists, maiming and killing some of them. Would any responding officers let that slide, spoil evidence, fail to take the proper steps so that he would get off. Hopefully, nothing like that happens around here.

As CarmelHP said...........this would not happen here, would it????

And shame on you for once again dragging officer long's name into this thread.....I can't believe that someone would constantly bring a fallen good guy into a thread about bad cops, it amazes me.

 

[Sgood]

And as far as dirty cops....they are rampant in this neck of the woods too!!!!

I smoke (but don't inhale) and personally know 3 different street pharmacist that have been robbed by our fine IMPD officers......all three are hispanic and know very little english......crooked cops are everywhere.....

We need more good ones and not ones like J706, that has said...cops get preferential treatment and are not held to the standards that us citizens do.

 

[lrahm]

I have been an officer too long and have seen too much. There are things that you cannot turn your back to. I have written numerous "negative" counselings, booked in an officer who murdered a jailer and arrested others. Did I like it, no, it was an embarrassment for me and the department. I have given traffic breaks to other officers and to the citizens I serve. But certain times an officer has to step up and do his/her job. I've had drug dealers try to bribe me but I still can go to sleep at night comfortably.

 

[NYFelon]

Irahm, as has been said, professional courtesy isn't the issue. Not writing a ticket to an officer for a mundane infraction like speeding isn't really a problem. I'd venture to guess there isn't a member on this board that hasn't been cut a break by an officer who's pulled them over. I recounted a tale of my own in which just such a thing happened earlier on in this thread. It's the blanket statement that one particular officer made that he would never, regardless of circumstance, write another officer a ticket that has the hair on many a backside up.

I'll use the same example I used earlier. You stop a motorist for going 12 over. When you ask for the motorists paperwork, you see he's an officer himself. You cut him some slack. No big deal. Now, on the other hand, you pull over a motorist who's going 25 over, is weaving in and out of traffic, making unsafe lane changes with no signals, and nearly causes two accidents by cutting off other motorists. Is that not reckless driving? Would you honestly not ticket that person, just because they too, are an officer? Because if you say no you wouldn't, that's not discretion, that's an untenable shirking of your oath to uphold the law.

 

[tnek]

Except that the OP was blasted mercilessly left/right/sideways by some people around here, because Officer Long was killed the same day this thread was made. This thread had nothing to do with Officer Long, yet certain posters insisted on making this thread an insult to Officer Long, and then blamed the OP for it.

Amen. Without trying to make a racial statement a comparison can be made. When in the black community a person of color does wrong, be it murder or corruption, when the heat gets to much the old race card comes out. And the likes of jesse jackson crawl out from under the rocks.

Kind of like when bad cops, and I think they are few, show thier backside the rest of the pack will defend them regardless for the most part.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

I have been an officer too long and have seen too much. There are things that you cannot turn your back to. I have written numerous "negative" counselings, booked in an officer who murdered a jailer and arrested others. Did I like it, no, it was an embarrassment for me and the department. I have given traffic breaks to other officers and to the citizens I serve. But certain times an officer has to step up and do his/her job. I've had drug dealers try to bribe me but I still can go to sleep at night comfortably.

I don't know you sir, but you sure sound like a respectable and reasonable officer. Thank you for your service.

My heartfelt condolences and best wishes to the family of Officer Long.

I have not got a lot of respect for the position that j706 takes in not being even handed under the law. In fact I think he's in the wrong.

The Katrina situation is a blatant example of abuse of power.

Respectfully, sir, I don't think that I bashed _anyone_. If I did, I sure didn't intend to. While there are those here who do, I guess.... may I submit that there IS a difference between bashing the police and disagreeing with some of their practices?

 

[lrahm]

I don't know you sir, but you sure sound like a respectable and reasonable officer. Thank you for your service.

My heartfelt condolences and best wishes to the family of Officer Long.

I have not got a lot of respect for the position that j706 takes in not being even handed under the law. In fact I think he's in the wrong.

The Katrina situation is a blatant example of abuse of power.

Respectfully, sir, I don't think that I bashed _anyone_. If I did, I sure didn't intend to. While there are those here who do, I guess.... may I submit that there IS a difference between bashing the police and disagreeing with some of their practices?

I have no problem with disagreeing what so ever.

It's a bad thing when anyone is killed on the job, anyone. For me, it becomes a little more personal when you lose a fellow officer. That would be the same for anyone. If you look at people with job specialities in law enforcement, it becomes obvious that people in these jobs (K-9, SWAT, undercover) takes there job a little more serious. They place a litlle more into training and their job. He was a good person

 

[dross]

I have been an officer too long and have seen too much. There are things that you cannot turn your back to. I have written numerous "negative" counselings, booked in an officer who murdered a jailer and arrested others. Did I like it, no, it was an embarrassment for me and the department. I have given traffic breaks to other officers and to the citizens I serve. But certain times an officer has to step up and do his/her job. I've had drug dealers try to bribe me but I still can go to sleep at night comfortably.

Respectfully, it's not an embarrassment to you or to any good officer. If you guys bust bad cops or run them out of your organization ruthlessly then when bad cops get busted it changes from an action that brings shame to an action that brings honor.

Think of how the public might view you guys if rather than think you stick up for each other even when you're wrong they knew that you guys hated bad cops worse than anyone. What if it was bad cops who turned up with cuts and bruises from resisting? What if it was bad cops who showed up on Youtube getting beatdowns because they hit some guy who didn't have it coming? What if an officer was afraid to cross the line for rudeness out of fear his partner would turn him in or refuse to work with him?

Tell me that wouldn't make all the difference.

 

[lrahm]

Irahm, as has been said, professional courtesy isn't the issue. Not writing a ticket to an officer for a mundane infraction like speeding isn't really a problem. I'd venture to guess there isn't a member on this board that hasn't been cut a break by an officer who's pulled them over. I recounted a tale of my own in which just such a thing happened earlier on in this thread. It's the blanket statement that one particular officer made that he would never, regardless of circumstance, write another officer a ticket that has the hair on many a backside up.

I'll use the same example I used earlier. You stop a motorist for going 12 over. When you ask for the motorists paperwork, you see he's an officer himself. You cut him some slack. No big deal. Now, on the other hand, you pull over a motorist who's going 25 over, is weaving in and out of traffic, making unsafe lane changes with no signals, and nearly causes two accidents by cutting off other motorists. Is that not reckless driving? Would you honestly not ticket that person, just because they too, are an officer? Because if you say no you wouldn't, that's not discretion, that's an untenable shirking of your oath to uphold the law.

In my position, I won't let the faults of others place my job in jeopardy. We have 288 officers. Sooner or later the story of the reckless officer will make it to the top. I am fair to the people that I work with and they know if they screw up, it's their fault not mine. I have the ability to (and do) take discipline through the chain of command. The chain can and are more harsh than I am. I am not a head hunter, that's not me. I talk to officers on a daily basis about their driving (chief citizen complaint). I also receive informal complaints on a weekly basis that I investigate. No cover-up here.

 

[NYFelon]

That's a quality response. It's good to see that an officer in a position of command over others takes civilian complaints seriously. Again, the abuses by some in uniform help to foster the attitude that police view themselves as above the law. If these officers are taken to task for the gross disregard for their oaths, it should and will stand as an example that abusive actions by those in uniform will not be tolerated. but this must take place within the halls of law enforcement. It's fairly clear that many officers do not take the possibility of reprimand based on civilian displeasure very seriously. If and when we can show the officers who do view themselves as untouchable that they are indeed responsible for their actions, and the view the public takes of them, the better citizen/officer relations will become.