The Oakland police captain who runs the department’s SWAT unit has asked to be reassigned because of the team’s resentment over his decision to console the families of two officers slain by a parolee rather than lead what became an ill-fated raid for the killer. Jaxon Van Derbeken reports in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Month: May 2009
Quota Busting: NYPD makes record number of stops
Christine Hauser reportsin the New York Times that the NYPD made 171,094 stops in the first three months of 2009. Unlike many, I don’t think stop and frisks are inherently bad (not all that were stopped were frisked, though I’m sure many were). I’m willing to concede that aggressive stop and frisks most likely contributed to making New York a…
Guns don’t always prevent crimes
It sounds like a gun-lover’s crime-free dream world: an army of professional and well-trained armed men and women with extensive knowledge of firearms and firearm safety. Everybody has a gun. This will keep the crazy murders at bay! Then on a military base in Iraq, a soldier shot and killed five other soldiers. If an army with guns can’t prevent…
Gun Control Discussion
If anybody wants to hear a civilized and somewhat intellectual discussion about gun control (outside of reading this blog, of course), check out my favorite radio show in the world: Extension 720. It’s broadcast on WGN, AM 720 in Chicago. I would love to be a guest on the show (if anybody has any connections, work them. My press failed…
The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs
Friday, May 22, 2009. 7pm to 8:45pm. Robert Wallace, co-author of Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs from Communism to al-Qaeda, will be speaking at the City University of New York Graduate Center. It should be interesting. I hear Bob is a great public speaker and the topic is naturally interesting. It’s free and open to the public.…
Eastern District Commander Cleared
Justin Fenton reportsin the Sun: A city police commander has been reinstated for active duty after being cleared of wrongdoing in a probe into text messages he exchanged with a community activist who was being sought on a warrant and later allegedly stabbed his wife to death. … The Police Department intends to address “procedural issues” with how the warrant…
The End of a Glorious Tradition?
Now I haven’t witnessed this first hand, but it’s no great secret in the police world that every now and then somebody very troublesome may be picked up and dropped off far from home. Alas, this glorious police tradition may be on the way out, at least in Baltimore. Such is the usual fate in the light of media publicity.…
Another gun prevents another crime
This time in New York. The fallacy of gun-control (and I say this as a supporter of gun control) is that it never answers the question: how do you get the gun out of the hands of the criminal? Passing more feel-good laws is not the answer. Laws don’t make you safer. You need observanceof laws. And criminals are not…
In the Weezee Heezee
Can I just say I can’t believe that we have a president of the United States who dares to say, even in jest:, “In the Heezee. Waz’ up!” I love it. And if you think Obama is “unpresidential,” go back and look at Bush looking under the table [at 5:10 and 5:55] for non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Still think…