Police

For a Police Surge

More cops. Less crime. Plus it’s good for the economy. Ready the interesting article by William J. Stuntz in the Weekly Standard. House and Senate alike are making a serious error. For $5 billion per year–five years’ funding would be about 3 percent of the stimulus package–lawmakers could put another 50,000 cops on city streets. Doing so would likely both…

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More wars!

Why are teen prostitutes “victims” who need to be “rescued” and drug users “criminals” who need to be “punished”? Here’s the story in the Miami Herald. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Daniel Roberts said, “The goal is to recover kids. We consider them the child victims of prostitution.” Well that’s awfully sweet of him to say. Sounds to me like the…

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Kathryn Johnston

Three years after the police killed Kathryn Johnston the case is almost finished winding through court. Johnston is one of those names you should know, another victim of the war on drugs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the whole story. It includes these lines: “Tesler said when he joined the narcotics unit, he was told to ‘sit, watch and learn’ from…

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Police

Growing Support for Legalized Pot

For the first time more than 40%. Read about it at 538.com. My world? I would guess 90% of my friends (99% not counting Baltimore cops) and 75% of my students support legal marijuana.

Police

11-year-old kills family

What do you do with an 11-year-old murderer? Really. I have no idea. Here’s an excerpt of the story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Jordan Brown, a fifth-grader from New Beaver, Lawrence County, allegedly killed his father’s pregnant girlfriend, Kenzie Marie Houk, 26. Police say he used the child-sized 20-gauge hunting shotgun his father, Chris, had given him for Christmas. Ms.…

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The War on Drugs Had Failed

That line is nothing new coming from me. But it is something new coming from Fernando Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria, And Ernesto Zedillo. Who the hell are they? Just the former president of Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. In the Wall Street Journalthey write: Over the last 30 years, Colombia implemented all conceivable measures to fight the drug trade in a massive…

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Robber Killed

This is the kind of shootings that makes cops smile. Bad guys gets what he had coming. Reminds me of the time in roll call when the sergeant was describing a complicated shooting in Sector One on Barclay St. or Greenmount Ave. It was a confusing tale of a Mexican guy, a black guy, a woman (perhaps girlfriend to one…

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Police

Life and Death in New Orleans

My friend Dan Baum has written an excellent book about New Orleans. Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans. Baum was the New Yorker reporter covering the aftermath of the flood. And it’s not just me who says this book is great. The New York Times gave it a great review. You can read an excerpt here. Then go…

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Police

Bicylist-Assualting Cop Fired

Police Officer Pogan, who tackled a bicyclist in Times Square, has been fired. I told you so. Here’s the the story in the Times. A friend of mine has claimed that there’s “more to the story” and that the officer was specifically trying to stop thisbicyclist. I don’t buy it. If that had been the case, he would have said…

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