Police

The Baltimore Colts

I’m not a football fan. Baseball is my game. But I enjoyed watching the game last night and rooting for the Saints (and my wife won $140 in the betting pool–of which I made off with $50 since I paid for her squares). I was rooting for the Saints because if I don’t have a personal stake: 1) I root…

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Police

Less is Less

I didn’t post for over a month and guess what? I kind of liked it. So here’s my plan: less posting. Maybe once or twice a week. We’ll see how it goes. If you need daily fixes of police news (and granted I still do), I urge you to look at all the links on the right side of this…

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Police

Undoubtedly the most demoralizing force in the country today

It’s official: Responsibility of the Moving Picture Show for Crime The demoralizing character of some of the moving picture shows, says the New Jersey Law Journal, continues to be exemplified by proceedings from time to time in our local and county criminal courts. One of the latest instances was a case which came before Judge Case, of the Somerset County…

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Police

Notes on the Balinese Cockfight

My wife and I were in Kalibukbuk, Bali, visiting a few friends from Amsterdam, one of whom kind of lives in Bali now. He asked if we wanted to go see a cockfight. Well, in the name of Clifford Geertz and “thick description,” yes! (Hell, and this slightly worries me, I’ve enjoyed every bit of blood sport I’ve ever seen…

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Police

Stat Production

The New York Times reportsthat, “Intense pressure to produce annual crime reductions led some supervisors and precinct commanders to manipulate crime statistics.” I’m shocked. Shocked. Reclassifying a $1,100 theft as a $950 theft isn’t the end of the world. But a police culture where it’s OK to play a bit fast and loose with the numbers is in nobody’s best…

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Police

Good Cop

I think Michael Mineo is a liar. I’ve said it before here and here and I’ll say it again. The latest is this, “[A police baton] could not have possibly made the hole in this underwear,” said [a defense witness], “This is a square hole.” Seems like pretty damning evidence. At the end of an expandable baton is a round…

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