5 Year Old Cuffed, Arrested

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 5 Year Old Cuffed, Arrested

The Mayor did.

 

Re: cuffed

I wasn't offended. I think the youngest offender I had dealings with was around 11. I totally agree from first hand experience with your statement that attempting not to injure the offender usually causes injury to the officer.

I see from your profile that you made it to retirement. Congratulations - a commendable feat! After 3 years of dealing with mostly hardened offenders in a large and open county jail facility, I decided that it just wasn't for me. All in all, I would have done much better in an investigative role such as an FBI agent -- but I opted to put it all behind me and go back into engineering. (same stress, but I don't think I have much of a chance getting shot or stabbed on the job unless someone goes postal).

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 5 Year Old Cuffed, Arrested

No offense, but I don't think most cops think they are superior to anyone. Power may be the initial motivator for some people to choose the profession, but after a few years you tend to realize how little power you really have, and how much politics that you have to put up with (both internal and external to the department).

I agree, all civil employees have an obligation to serve the public. If they don't, there are avenues for redress (IA for officers and all civil servants, at least in CA, are subject to penalties if a public complaint has been sustained).

Sorry - perhaps my reading skills are a little rusty this afternoon. I didn't understand the last part of your posting. Am I correct in "assuming" that if the cop screwed up he will go to jail? Even if he (she? -- I still haven't seen the actual incident) did screw up, I doubt it could be construed as criminal.

Lets face it, no matter what the officer does, they are deemed wrong - it is a no-win situation. But someone has to make these hard and fast decisions on their feet, usually without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight

 

I just saw the video. Two words: So what? The cops didn't smash the kid down and handcuff her(I had gotten that impression from the postings), they simply restrained an unruley child. No teacher or administrator should have to put up with being hit.

I hate to say it, but in my day (I am all of 43), the fear of Mr. Schmuck's (that was the principals name) paddling you was much worse than the actual physical punishment. Beleive me, it kept me in line. Now, thanks to that idiot Dr. Spock (and I am not talking about the Vulcan), we are raising kids who are taught to "express themselves", even it it means expressing anger and violence towards other children and adults (wrong answer!).

Bring back reasonable corporal punishment. Most reasonable person know where the line is drawn -- perhaps if kids were taught how to act civilized, they would become civilized adults.

 

cuffed

Mr. Engineer,
I was SF prior to being recruited to LE. I could never stand being in an enclosed environment, especially among the criminals you oversaw. In essence, you were in prison. I was fortunate to travel and work with numerous agencies. Of course, deadly force was an option for me, not you. I don't believe I could take three years among the scum. You have my appreciation. I'm sure someone will be offended by my use of the word scum, but that is much better than what I wanted to say. Being an adrenaline junkie, I've maintained my broken body enough to continue most of my habits. Retirement sucks. Consulting does not give the same feeling of accomplishment. Training SF would be the same. So, cranky curmudgeon it is. I wish you good fortune.

 

I was sworn (a Deputy, not a CO) and worked about 60% in a maximum/medium security jail and about 40% on the streets. I enjoyed the street work, but the jail blows.

Scum is too nice a word. I used Scrote. We all had "Scrote-busters" tee-shirts for all of the mid-shift crew.

 

cuffed

Scrote, the universal term I've missed for years. Brings back fond memories of cocaine-monkeys, my.308, pimps, bank robbers,
murdering cowards, and an ahole I talked out of a ceiling by saying I was throwing a snake up to get him. Crawled out looking like a snow man. Middle of summer, scrote in jockey's, covered in insulation. By then the media had arrived. And in front of four cameras he says," I didn't rob no bank! An beside the gun wasn't loaded." There I was, dressed like a Ninja, rolling on the ground, with tears in my eyes. Every station picked it up. My stomach hurt for a week. Even now, on rare occasions, I wake up laughing.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 5 Year Old Cuffed, Arrested

Wrong. His boss is the Mayor, who can't fire him unless he almost has an Act of Congress, because he's a "Strong Chief".

Please point out where I said that I was naturally superior to anyone (I haven't).

What I said was that the public generally has no idea about how to be a police officer, and that's true. If I arrested everyone that a citizen has demanded that I arrest, I'd be up to my eyeballs in false arrest lawsuits, since even most lawyers don't know the rights of arrest.

If being a police officer were as easy as everyone thinks it is, they'd take any schmoe off the street to do the job. Why do you think there is a battery of entrance exams, psychological exams, background investigations, physical fitness tests, and interviews before a recruit is sent to a six-month, full-time police academy?

 

I have a lot of respect for CO's......the most time I have to spend with the people I arrest is usually less than 15 minutes, while the CO's have to live with them for 40 hours a week.