During these uncertain economic times I have a few unscientific observations. I have seen or noticed a rise in domestic calls, break ins, robberies both store and person and good old fashioned larcenies. None of these are surprising, but I wonder if the correlation is more due to the economy or the fact that the area is growing and thus a rise of these things is inevitable. Most likely a little of both. Thanks for your time

This has been a friendly Repub presentation

12/29/2008 9:19:13 AM

has the demographic of those committing the crimes changed? for example, are there more white middle class people getting in domestic disputes than there were before? If so it could be a sign of the state of the times.

12/29/2008 10:09:00 AM

I blame sparks and tilt. One sip and you go CRAZY!!! [/won't somebody please think of the children!!!]

12/29/2008 11:37:07 AM

How does it feel to be one of the most despised professions in America?

12/29/2008 11:42:53 AM

^ how does it feel to be a gigantic walking vagina?

12/29/2008 12:58:19 PM

^When stuff like this http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2008/12/galveston_false_arrest.php happens, it supports God's statement more than yours.

12/29/2008 1:05:18 PM

the point is that it has nothing to do with this thread, and as usual, God is just being a faggot for no reason. The OP said nothing inflammatory and posted some interesting anecdotal observations.

12/29/2008 1:13:49 PM

Quote :

"Three weeks later, according to the lawsuit, police went to Dymond's school, where she was an honor student, and arrested her for assaulting a public servant. "

What a PUSSY cop. I don't care if Dymond was a 18 yr old 200 lb UFC fighter chick that knocked my two teeth out during the incident.

If I mistakenly raided the wrong house and grabbed a chick yelling "prostitute" instead of "this is the police puts your hands up" than i would be too embarrassed to even mention this incident much less file charges of attacking a public servent.

Quote :

"Dymond regularly suffers nightmares in which police officers are raping and beating her and cutting off her fingers, according to the lawsuit. "

This is a little bullshit imho. File the lawsuit for getting jumped and arrested on false charges is one thing. Adding the drama about nightmares and psychological "trauma" is kinda bullshit in my opinion. Seems like an added attempt for extra money grabbing.

I have nightmares about getting hurt at work or just being there in general but i'm not going to sue Corning about the psychological stress of my job upsets my sleeping patterns.

[Edited on December 29, 2008 at 1:21 PM. Reason : l]

12/29/2008 1:17:37 PM

^
Apples and oranges. One instance is you doing things voluntarily and them doing nothing wrong. The other instance is her having things done against her will and them doing something wrong. The nightmares could be just as mild, or really bad, but either way, it doesn't matter. What matters is whether wrongdoing caused the nightmares.

Also, the skepticism held by many over allegations of psychological trauma is too common. I suppose the frequency of false claims of psychological trauma is to blame, but certainly we should all agree that it is, in fact, a real phenomenon.

12/29/2008 1:33:41 PM

Quote :

"as usual, God is just being a faggot for no reason."

12/29/2008 1:34:45 PM

What a great thread.

12/29/2008 1:38:25 PM

cops are normal people

which is why most are assholes and idiots.

12/29/2008 1:39:33 PM

12/29/2008 1:39:38 PM

accountants?

that poll is worthless

12/29/2008 1:42:29 PM

lol @ funeral directors

12/29/2008 1:51:55 PM

Nurses? L-O-L.

12/29/2008 1:55:18 PM

At first i was inclined to agree that the nightmares were bullshit until i actually read the article and saw she was only 12 years old. I'm sure she has them, but they're probably not as graphic as they've stated.

There is so much in that article that i find disgusting. I can't believe they actually arrested her for assault. They grabbed her at night, called her a prostitute and were plain clothed. Anyone in that situation would have fought back. its absurd that she would be found guilty under those circumstances and I can imagine why the police department there would be willing to waste the time and the money to fight that case.

Quote :

"Update: This is from the officers' lawyer, William Helfand: Both the daughter and the father were arrested for assaulting a peace officer. "The father basically attacked police officers as they were trying to take the daughter into custody after she ran off." Also, "The city has investigated the matter and found that the conduct of the police officers was appropriate under the circumstances," Helfand says. "It's unfortunate that sometimes police officers have to use force against people who are using force against them. And the evidence will show that both these folks violated the law and forcefully resisted arrest." "

Bullshit like this also pisses me off. What father wouldn't attack men who are grabbing his daughter and putting her in a van for no good reason? Especially if she was yelling for him. Moreover its even more disturbing that the city found the officers conducted in a manner which was appropriate. They were 2 blocks off course. They grabbed someone who didn't even match the description of the three ladies they were supposed to arrest. They were verbally and physically abusive. This is completely ridiculous. There is no accountability and the system has failed.

12/29/2008 2:12:06 PM

One other "fun" thing is that the police were looking for three white prostitutes, and they grabbed a black girl instead, because obviously if you're a black girl outside at night, you're a whore.

Quote :

"cops are normal people which is why most are assholes and idiots."

Yeah, but they're in positions of much greater power than the average normal person. So to be in a country that pretty much worships policemen kinda sucks.

12/29/2008 2:49:04 PM

Quote :

"What matters is whether wrongdoing caused the nightmares. "

sure she deserves to win a lawsuit about being assaulted and wrongfully arrested.

but nightmares whah whah whah boooo fucking hooooo

I think if I was a little Muhammed in Iraq I would sue the US Army b.c their bombings and war has given me nightmares and I CAN"T SLEEP!

12/29/2008 5:37:37 PM

Quote :

"How does it feel to be one of the most despised professions in America?"

lol? you're a fucktard if you think police officers are the most despised in America.

Quote :

"the point is that it has nothing to do with this thread, and as usual, God is just being a faggot for no reason. The OP said nothing inflammatory and posted some interesting anecdotal observations."

it also has a lot to do with the fact that he has trouble following traffic laws AND sucks at driving so his negative experience with cops is all on him.

[Edited on December 29, 2008 at 6:44 PM. Reason : .]

12/29/2008 6:33:15 PM

Quote :

"None of these are surprising, but I wonder if the correlation is more due to the economy or the fact that the area is growing and thus a rise of these things is inevitable. Most likely a little of both."

I disagree. The area has been growing for a decade or more, so it is unlikely to cause a sudden jump in criminal activity. Nevertheless, areas that are growing tend to have lower crime rates than areas that are stagnant or shrinking. Much of this would be property driven, as empty homes and businesses tend to breed property crime which then breeds a general sense of lawlessness. Now consider, with the current downturn in most sectors of production, to the point that illegal immigration from Mexico has plumeted to half its previous rate, I suspect the rate of growth in the area has taken a sudden dip. Therefore, if the tendency holds that growth retards criminal activity, the current drop in growth should be expected to produce a jump in criminal activity regardless of absolute economic conditions such as unemployment.

12/29/2008 6:50:29 PM

Quote :

"It's unfortunate that sometimes police officers have to use force against people who are using force against them. And the evidence will show that both these folks violated the law and forcefully resisted arrest."

It's unfortunate that being a cop somehow makes it okay to commit assault, battery, and kidnapping. It's unfortunate that they didn't get the shit kicked out of them by the girl,s father. The civil suit is going to be a pretty big kick in the nuts for the city of Galveston, and those police deserve to be fired and charged criminally.

With great power and nearly limitless latitude comes great responsibility.

12/29/2008 7:12:40 PM

Quote :

"but nightmares whah whah whah boooo fucking hooooo "

Haha, are you kidding? You are not really in a place to say what would or would not happen in that situation. I can EASILY see a 12 year old being traumatized to the point of having nightmares like what she's describing.

Quote :

"I think if I was a little Muhammed in Iraq I would sue the US Army b.c their bombings and war has given me nightmares and I CAN"T SLEEP! "

IIRC, there is some international "rule" or something that prevents these types of lawsuits from being put forth. This is also part of the reason we end up dumping so much money in to foreign countries we screw up, i'm sure on some level our leaders feel a little guilty.

12/29/2008 7:14:27 PM

back to the OP:

domestic violence ALWAYS increases around the holiday season.

but i don't know about the rest.

your observations are highly anecdotal, but interesting. i wonder if theres some criminological studies that can support or dispel your theory.

12/29/2008 7:58:20 PM

Once again, TWW jumps to conclusions and holds their own trial in a thread when LE is mentioned in the news. This coming from the same TWWers who cry about 'innocent until proven guilty' in every other case.

Its easy to MMQB, especially the police. Thank god for Graham v. Connor. But let the facts come out in trial. Right now, all you have is the plaintiffs attorney trying this case in the media. The dept isn't going to release police reports until trial time and there are also some questions unanswered in this case.

Just don't rush to judge someone, cop or not. And if the Cops did screw up, I'm not just talking policy wise, but criminally, fuck'em. No excuse. They don't deserve to wear that tin.

12/29/2008 8:49:43 PM

like i said, its purely un scientific and anecdotal observations. I majored in crim as well, and yes crimes such as domestics do spike during the holidays, but it seems that a lot of domestics i have been to as of late have been in some way connected to stress due to the economy.

As for the Galveston incident, if the facts are what they appear to be in the article then i absolutely think they fucked up big time. You cant defend those actions if thats the way it really went down. But stories like this are few and far between, and we thankfully live in a country where these stories are pretty high profile so the public can have its opinion as opposed to sweeping it under the rug. I really just dont get the hatred of police by so called average people. i mean if one was a career criminal then yes, i get it, but a normal tax paying citizen. seems like its just sour grapes because some people got a ticket when they thought they shouldnt have or got busted doing some dumb shit they shouldnt have been doing.

[Edited on December 29, 2008 at 9:01 PM. Reason : .]

12/29/2008 9:00:21 PM

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=344e970058ff3262&-session=TheDailyNews:42F943861ddc4009E2qnk39EB3AF

Better article than just a blog about it.


^Put yes, domestics always rise around this time but I think property crimes will begin if they haven't already. Forged checks, ID theft, etc.

12/29/2008 9:09:01 PM

Average people don't like cops because you hear more about the bad cop stories in the press and from friends than you do hear the good cop stories. When cops do good, they're doing their jobs, but when they do bad, it's the bad apple spoiling the bunch.

12/29/2008 9:14:35 PM

these are also the same morons who fight to legalize weed. So i wouldn't take anything they say seriously. TWW has too many pot heads.

12/29/2008 9:18:08 PM

Quote :

"Average people don't like cops because you hear more about the bad cop stories in the press and from friends than you do hear the good cop stories. When cops do good, they're doing their jobs, but when they do bad, it's the bad apple spoiling the bunch."

so true. 99.9 percent of cops everyday do their jobs well and professionally. we do good things on a daily basis far more than we get involved in shootings, or fights or chases. But the good stuff we do daily hardly ever makes the news, so i guess people assume it doesn't happen. the bad stuff is all they hear so i guess people assume thats all we do

12/29/2008 9:28:10 PM

Quote :

"I really just dont get the hatred of police by so called average people."

On average, people DON'T hate the police. There is simply no rational basis for this statement, and it's mildly disturbing you keep repeating it.

12/29/2008 9:43:04 PM

Also, I agree with moron that "hate" is too strong a word and intentionally downgraded my statement to "don't like."

12/29/2008 9:52:40 PM

Quote :

"On average, people DON'T hate the police. There is simply no rational basis for this statement, and it's mildly disturbing you keep repeating it."

By the same token of 'only bad police make the news'. Usually only the people who say they hate cops get all the attention (most people aren't inclined to go out of their way to say they are neutral to positive about the police).

12/29/2008 9:54:03 PM

Quote :

"I can EASILY see a 12 year old being traumatized to the point of having nightmares like what she's describing. "

well sure could be...

but this does not entitle her to a $6 million dollar settlement. At most maybe a couple thousand to pay for therapy and
maybe a few more as punitive.

Quote :

"I really just dont get the hatred of police by so called average people"

I don't really mind cops anymore. I do not really do anything these days that would get me in big trouble
and i have the $$ to handle some power-tripping cop getting his nut by handing me a 69 in a 55mph zone ticket.
So its like whatever i feel better knowing that they are out locking away pieces of shit like my idiot thug neighbor
who started beating on a guy down the streets door with a golf club b.c his parking spot was taken (while there are a zillion open within a 20 ft radius).

Who i do hate are ALE and cops that get off on harrassing otherwise law abiding citizens over bullshit minor offences
"excuse me sir i had to pull you over and give you a ticket for not... using your seatbelt

12/29/2008 10:11:58 PM

Quote :

"these are also the same morons who fight to legalize weed. So i wouldn't take anything they say seriously."

12/29/2008 10:32:31 PM

Quote :

"But stories like this are few and far between, "

Swing and a miss...

Quote :

"99.9 percent of cops everyday do their jobs well and professionally. we do good things on a daily basis far more than we get involved in shootings, or fights or chases."

Haha yes.

Like what? Catch those dag-nabbin' speeders?

I don't think you realize the problem here. The bad apples aren't the problem. The problem is the lack of accountability. Let us say a man gets tazed, beaten within an inch of his life, or shot under questionable circumstances. The officer responsible is put on "paid leave" while the unit investigates itself, and then SURPRISE!!! the unit finds that the officer did nothing wrong. And I'm sure this finding has nothing to do with avoiding bad press or a multi-million dollar lawsuit.



And you know what? We don't need you. People can protect themselves. The only thing you're needed for is the paperwork that normal citizens can't file, like accident reports.

[Edited on December 29, 2008 at 11:31 PM. Reason : ]

12/29/2008 11:28:03 PM

actually the officer is investigated by the SBI, not his own unit...but thanks for trying

12/29/2008 11:33:09 PM

Which are all part of the local government. The governor doesn't want egg on his face.

12/29/2008 11:37:28 PM

thats not true man

12/29/2008 11:39:17 PM

stealing from me before the gov does

thats what i always say

12/29/2008 11:52:28 PM

From the comments on the article:

Quote :

"this is what makes me a Canadian, nervous about visiting your country. you are like the frog in a bowl of water, over a bunsen burner, you just don't feel the heat increasing. your no longer the land of the FREE, HOME OF THE BRAVE. your freedom has been taken away, and the brave are abusing your children, and justifying it by using the very law that was to protect the citizen, against them."

The problem is absolutely accountability.

There is a massive problem with how the police departments in our society operate. Between being underfunded enough that the few people willing to take such a shit-paying job are stretched to breaking, and the training philosophy of "us v. them" that requires dehumanizing "bad guys" (unfortunately narrative ideas of "villains v. heroes" don't actually apply), we are not trying to make a functional police force. Especially since both these problems perpetuate themselves: the people joining the force could be the dregs who couldn't manage to get a better job, or the guys who think "us v. them" violence makes the job attractive.

It's like a lot of cops think breaking the law is a perk to being the enforcers of it.

12/30/2008 2:13:17 AM

I don't know what "stretched to breaking" means, but the worst part about the low pay is that it keeps talented people from applying for that career (just like any industry), essentially filtering out the people they really need to get and leaving the second string behind as the only candidates.


The fact that you have to "pay to play" is something most organizations don't understand. They either settle for lesser talent or hope for the miracle where top-level talent decides to behave altruistically.

[Edited on December 30, 2008 at 3:32 AM. Reason : .]

12/30/2008 3:26:04 AM

some people, like myself, accept the shit pay because they want to do the job for altruistic reasons

12/30/2008 6:15:45 AM

Hey guys,

My name is Shequanda. Police incorrectly arrested me behind my house the other night. I's so upset I be not sleepin at night and havin scaries dreams. So I sue you for $50 million dollas cause I be deserving it from those mean po po causing me nightmare. Thank you people of galveston for workin hard to pay u taxes to the city so taht i can get my settlement check.

<3

Shequanda



[Edited on December 30, 2008 at 7:30 AM. Reason : l]

12/30/2008 7:29:44 AM

^What a retarded obvious troll.

12/30/2008 8:31:30 AM

^^
:idiot:

Quote :

"one of the most despised professions in America"

Quote :

"cops are normal .... assholes and idiots"

Quote :

"Average people don't like cops "

Quote :

"harrassing otherwise law abiding citizens over bullshit minor offences"

I think that much, if not most of the negativity towards cops is a result of the stupid and unnecessary war on drugs, as well as a result of how the war on drugs has shaped both police departments and popular culture.

general underfunding of police departments and low pay for officers
+
(unconstitutional) forfeiture of personal property from drug arrests
+
police advocacy for even harsher drug laws and additional unconstitutional enforcement authority
+
police "us vs. them" attitude and general prejudice against drug users
+
millions of honest, non-violent, property owning and otherwise law-abiding, illegal drug users*
+
the unused freedom every police officer has to quit their job
=
police being viewed as unamerican, family-destroying, lying, thieving and bigoted thugs

It's tragic, really. But there's hope -- more and more active and retired police officers are joining LEAP and other anti-drug-war efforts. I hate to be like: "You're with us or you're against us", but as far as I'm concerned, cops openly opposed to the war on drugs are the only cops worth respecting.


Republican18:

Quote :

"I really just dont get the hatred of police by so called average people. i mean if one was a career criminal then yes, i get it"

*I wonder if Republican18 considers these people to be "career criminals"

12/30/2008 8:57:03 AM

Quote :

"harrassing otherwise law abiding citizens over bullshit minor offences"

guiliani cleaned up NYC by enforcing the low-level laws to their fullest extent...cracking down on grafitti, pan-handling, littering, purse-snatching, prostitutes, etc...

12/30/2008 3:25:29 PM

^
While all five examples you listed are certainly "minor offenses", only two are "bullshit".
"Bullshit minor offenses" would include public drinking, not wearing your seat-belt, drug paraphernalia, open container, throwing dice, pan-handling, prostitution, etc.

Graffiti, littering, purse-snatching, jumping turnstiles, etc. may also be minor offenses, but they are real property crimes, and that's no bullshit.

12/30/2008 4:58:10 PM

Willy Nilly is one of the users I was talking about. thanks for proving my point, kid.

12/30/2008 5:06:39 PM

The only point you made was that you're a fucking moron; and you proved it, not I...

12/30/2008 5:25:54 PM