For the final article in my series on how policing could change under President Trump, I’m going to look at the Department of Justice practice of using consent decrees to push for reform in local police departments. In this context, a consent decree is a binding agreement between a police department and the DOJ that is reached as a settlement after the DOJ sues the police department for an alleged pattern of civil rights violations. This is something that is widely expected to decline under Jeff Sessions’ leadership. Continue reading “Trump’s presidency: A hiatus in consent decrees”
Trump’s presidency: The 1033 program
This continues a series of articles looking at different ways Trump’s election might have an impact on law enforcement.
As I noted in my last post, the transfer of military equipment to local police departments has been a subject of scrutiny and controversy in recent years, and the Trump presidency looks to be conducive to that transfer.
Military Equipment and the Police
A common criticism you hear coming from progressive circles these days is against the “militarization” of police. This criticism goes deeper than just equipment, and deserves (and will ultimately get) more treatment than what I’ll say in just this article. But the face of the argument is in police equipment: most visibly, rifles, armored vehicles, and more BDU-like uniforms.
Ask, tell, make: The United Airlines video and conflict management
By now, if you’re the sort of person who reads a blog about policing, you’ve likely seen the video taken by a passenger on a United Airlines flight, showing another passenger being dragged out of his seat and down the aisle of the plane, his glasses askew and his lip bloodied. This video has provoked outrage (both in the US and in China), calls for a boycott, and (of course) parody videos. Continue reading “Ask, tell, make: The United Airlines video and conflict management”
Trump’s Presidency: What’s coming in immigration enforcement
Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president by railing against the criminals coming in from Mexico, promised to build $14+ billion wall on the southern border, proposed banning immigration from Muslim countries, and has signed two executive orders (both of which have been stalled by the courts) to halt immigration from several Muslim majority countries. I will skate past all the political arguments and make the hopefully uncontroversial claim that he is not for open borders.
Since the election, there have been a slew of news stories about immigration raids and stories about a general climate of fear in immigrant communities. I remain a little skeptical of there being a trend. The stories so far are isolated and/or anecdotal; I’ve yet to see a (reputable) news source with a headline proclaiming that immigration raids are skyrocketing. Plus, we have yet to see our country run on a Trump administration budget–I am unaware of any sudden windfall of funding for ICE to pay overtime for increased work loads.* Here are some ways immigration enforcement, and our perception of it, may change under President Trump (and may already be changing): Continue reading “Trump’s Presidency: What’s coming in immigration enforcement”
Trump’s election won’t change the conversation over policing
An overwhelming number of police officers–something in the order 90 percent, by some polls–supported Donald Trump for President in the past election. And that shouldn’t come as an overwhelming surprise; police tend to break conservative in comparison to their surrounding communities in general. But beyond that, at a time when there is increased attention in media (progressive and social) to anti-police protests and sentiments, Donald Trump was a vociferous supporter of law enforcement.
But the President being a vociferous supporter of law enforcement won’t change the conversation. And let me be clear: I do not think loud, complete, and unqualified support is what law enforcement needs.
Continue reading “Trump’s election won’t change the conversation over policing”
Rule Number One
Ask a police officer what rule number one is.
Maybe you’ll get the answer I’m fishing for—this isn’t a literal universal rule in such a way that I can guarantee it—but certainly if you ask around, it won’t take you long to hear someone saying that rule number one is make it home at the end of your shift.
This isn’t intended to be a literal override of the priority of life—we will always put innocents ahead of ourselves. But it is a recognition of the dangers we may face in an eight or ten or twelve hour deployment. It’s a recognition that when it comes down to it, all other considerations take a back seat to making it out alive. (Walk in our circles and you’re likely to hear someone say, “I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.”)
I agree with some of the basic principle—that when you’re worried about making it out of something alive, concerns of looking good, adhering strictly to policy, and keeping your job can’t let you let up on doing whatever it takes. Make it home. But I propose we demote this to rule number two.
Rule number one is be a good person. Continue reading “Rule Number One”
For the social media folks
In case you didn’t spot the cute Facebook and Twitter icons to the right, I do have a Facebook page and a Twitter account you can use the keep updated of my latest posts, as well as thoughts too short for blog format. Please like and follow because that will help more people find my site.
Also once I figure out how I’m going to build an e-mail list so you can get my blog posts right to your inbox.
#______LivesMatter
I have been meaning to write a sort of “introduction to” #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter, and #BlueLivesMatter for some time now. I think the reality of my blog audience at the moment is that you’re coming to me from the left; I’m not aware of a whole lot of cop readers right now (that’s why my posts have been mostly addressing civilians). So I’m going to make an assumption here: I’m going to assume you already have some familiarity with #BlackLivesMatter, and why that hashtag and the conversation around it are important. You probably find the responding #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter a little more foreign, or possibly even offensive. So while this post will walk through all three statements, my end goal is to explain #BlueLivesMatter to people who don’t get it. Continue reading “#______LivesMatter”
Anatomy of a bad shooting
Disclaimer: Despite the title of this post, and the analysis to follow, I am not calling a particular shooting “bad.” That would be an insult to an investigative process that is just starting, and presumptuous given that I am not part of said process. Rather, my intent is to use one example–with some thoughts on how it might have happened–to explain how I think we should think about shootings that aren’t as clear-cut as we would like.
On September 16, Terrence Crutcher’s car broke down the middle of the road in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Police came to check on him. Crutcher approached police, initially refusing commands to show his hands. Eventually he walked back to his vehicle with his hands high in the air. While he was at the door to his own vehicle, one police officer deployed a TASER and a second police officer shot him with her handgun. According to police this was because Crutcher lunged towards his vehicle, as if to grab a weapon. Crutcher was found to be unarmed, with no weapon in the vehicle. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. And Terrence Crutcher was black.