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srothstein wrote:Both of you caught one problem, the other problem is that there is no real disciplinary authority.

A police force is a paramilitary organization. There must be a single chain of command that sets standards and demands accountability for meeting them.

A person can be skeptical about law-enforcement authority (as I am) and still see that officers can't deal effectively with critical situations if they have to worry about an appointed board second-guessing them. I am equally skeptical of appointed boards having the power to ruin careers for their own idiosyncratic reasons.

I accept as a fact of life that the police are not going to be perfect. Most of the time the police hierarchy can deal with minor infractions, and the justice system can deal with criminal acts such as brutality, obstruction of justice, and bribery.

That was pretty much the point of starting this thread. Recall all these incidents happened in one week last year.

- Jim

In theory "civilian" review boards offer a non-LEO point of view on incidents. However, these boards either can be packed with compliant people or dominated by someone with a chip on his or her shoulder.

Ultimately juries are the civilian review boards. All homicides go before grand juries, and some non-homicide use-of-force incidents without charges.

- Jim

March 2010, New Orleans: A former police officer was charged with conspiracy for covering up police shooting of unarmed people after Hurricane Katrina:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... wD9ECLSC00
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25orleans.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One former and one current New Orleans officer who had been found guilty in federal court were sentenced to 25 and 17 years in the slammer yesterday:
http://www.fbi.gov/news/news_blog/katrina_033111" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://neworleans.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/p ... 033111.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/164297 ... urder-case" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This was a very complicated case. I cannot do justice to the details.

- Jim

I think Man is clear enough.

- Jim

The Annoyed Man wrote:Since journalistic impartiality is a myth (on both sides of the aisle), I believe that journalistic standards taught at journalism schools ought to require reporters to reveal their party affiliation whenever they report on political matters, ...

Keeping in mind the fact that this thread is about police misconduct, does one political party approve or disapprove of police misconduct more than another?

How about disclosing sex, race, religion, citizenship, and national origin? All these personal characteristics can lead to bias.

(The sex of reporters in not always obvious from their names. Some use initials, and some use ambiguous names like Chris.)

- Jim

I have two questions:

• How would you compare the current level of journalistic and police integrity to the situation that existed in 1890 to 1930?
• Do you have any achievable recommendations for improving the current situation?

- Jim

Sure, and I'll give you Jason Blair for free and not mention Jeff Gannon (oops, sorry).

There are bad apples in every profession. Most organizations, including the police, find them and get rid of them. The fact that individuals are imperfect doesn't condemn the entire profession.

- Jim

Can you come up with something that happened less than 70 years ago?

- Jim

As examples of what journalists can accomplish, see some of the recent Pulitzer awards:

• 2008 Walt Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of The New York Times. For their stories on toxic ingredients in medicine and other everyday products imported from China, leading to crackdowns by American and Chinese officials.
• 2008 Staff of Chicago Tribune. For its exposure of faulty governmental regulation of toys, car seats and cribs, resulting in the extensive recall of hazardous products and congressional action to tighten supervision.
• 2007 Brett Blackledge of The Birmingham (AL) News. For his exposure of cronyism and corruption in the state's two-year college system, resulting in the dismissal of the chancellor and other corrective action.
• 2009 [Finalist] Paul Pringle of Los Angeles Times. For his meticulously researched stories that, in the face of threats, exposed financial abuses by the head of California’s largest union, leading to investigations, the leader’s departure from office and repayment of misappropriated funds.

http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Investigative-Reporting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:Has there ever been a satisfactory answer to
"Who guards the guardians?'

To the extent that police are answerable to elected officials and independent courts, I think so.

We also have multiple levels of checks and balances:

• Local police can be investigated by sheriffs and DAs.
• County officials can be investigated by state police and the attorney general.
• The state police are answerable to the governor and legislators.
• The federal Justice Department can investigate everybody.
• Federal law enforcement is answerable to Congress.
• Civilians can sue officials in federal courts.
• News media can investigate and stir up public opinion, which elected officials respond to.

It's not a perfect system, but no system is. It's a lot better than countries that have national police forces and prosecutors and courts that are not independent.

- Jim

C-dub wrote:Oops. The New Orleans link and the San Antonio link are the same one.

Sorry, I fixed it.

- Jim

NJ: A former police officer pled guilty to conspiracy in a case that may have sent 185 people to prison on false charges:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homep ... 14622.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New Orleans: A former police officer was charged with conspiracy for covering up police shooting of unarmed people after Hurricane Katrina:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... wD9ECLSC00" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25orleans.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


San Antonio: Two officers were suspended for using their patrol cars for purposes other than assigned duties:
http://www.kvue.com/news/state/Two-San- ... 25492.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

IA: A police officer stopped a woman on suspicion of drunk driving. She said she would "do anything" to avoid being arrested. He thought of something. He was subsequently fired:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... al-assault" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

KY: A police captain is accused of misdemeanor assault of a minor:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/19/1188 ... ed-of.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CA: An officer is suspected of propositioning the wife of a criminal suspect. It would not be his first unprofessional relationship with someone involved in a criminal case:
http://www.sgvtribune.com/crime/ci_14703885" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PA: One current and one retired officer are accused of stealing firearms from the evidence room:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index. ... ed_of.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RI: A police officer is on trial for allegedly committing rape while on duty:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9EH3VF00" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

IN: A former police officer and city council member is accused of taking a bribe in an FBI sting:
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/22890577/detail.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim
[Fixed incorrect New Orleans link]