Meanwhile, civil forfeiture continues. You know, where government agents just come and take your money. Why? Because they can. Charles Clarke was questioned because the U.S. Airlines ticketing agent told police that his checked luggage had a strong odor of marijuana. When his money was confiscated, Clarke had no guns, drugs, or any contraband on him or in his luggage.…
Category: Police
Low Morale
The NY Post reports an NYPD study that says: “More than half of city cops have bad feelings about being a police officer because of their bosses.” It goes on: The findings also revealed 85 percent of cops feared being proactive on the street because they are wary of civilian complaints. More than two-thirds say they have not taken lawful…
I still like the baton
Maybe this is minor in the bigger picture of what people are saying about Michael Wood Jr, but I have to disagree with Wood’s dislike of the baton. In a radio interview he said he didn’t carry his because he couldn’t imagine hitting somebody with it. In the Balko interview he says cops used them to dent doors. I loved…
The Futility of the War on Drugs
Given the recent discussion started by Michael Wood, Jr. this last excerpt from Cop in the Hood couldn’t come at a better time: It may seem incongruous for police officers to see the futility of drug enforcement and simultaneously promote increased drug enforcement. But for many, the drug war is a moral issue and retreat would “send the wrong message”:…
Things Police Do
Michael Wood Jr. has made some waves by tweeting about things he saw as a Baltimore cop. [To get up to speed, single best thing to read now is the Balko interview.] Honestly, I don’t doubt what Wood says. I am curious if all the bad he saw came from his time in narcotics. And for better or for worse,…
Hey, it’s just the jobs and potential freedom of six police officers.
Nobody seemed to believe Baltimore’s FOP last week when Robert Cherry said: “We have a state’s attorney who used an opportunity of crisis to quell the riots.” … “The unrest had nothing to do with my decision to charge,” says Mosby. “I just followed where the facts led.” Score this one for the FOP. The Sun reports: By charging six…
Customers line up for heroin in Chicago
So what do you want cops to do about this? From the Chicago Sun-Times. The 3700 block of W. Grenshaw. 3711 W. Grenshaw, to be exact, according to my google streetview snooping skills. It’s not even a horrible looking block, to be honest. I mean, it’s not the best looking block. But there are a bunch of well-kept homes. It’s…
On arresting drug offenders
From Cop in the Hood: Because of these problems and the “victimless” nature of drug crimes, most drug arrests are at the initiative of police officers. On one occasion, while driving slowly through a busy drug market early one morning, I saw dozens of African American addicts milling about while a smaller group of young men and boys were waiting…
Police/Community relations in Baltimore
They weren’t good then. They’re not good now. From Cop in the Hood: While the police see good communication between the public and the police as essential to fighting crime, relations are quite poor. This shouldn’t be surprising. Drug users are criminal. If they want to stay out of jail, they and those who care for them have every reason…
Baltmore’s so-called gang problem
From Cop in the Hood: In cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, gangs control the drug dealing. Because of that, some assume that drug violence is intrinsically linked to gangs. But East Coast cities have a different history. Large-scale gangs, such as the Bloods and Crips, are growing but still comparatively small. Gangs in Baltimore tend to be smaller and…