Police

Waiting for execution

There’s a lot of pathos in this video. And a hell of a Baltimore accent. A visit to Maryland’s supermax. And quite an indictment of the criminal justice system.

Police

On the lighter side…

…Someone with way too much time on his hands made this. And I love it. Homies meet Baltimore’s Eastern District. I love Homies. And I love the Lego police motorcycle paddywagon that zooms through. Amazingly, this isn’t the only stop-motion animation with Homies and cops. But it is the only stop-motion animation with Homies and cops that promotes my book.…

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Police

$12.47 for Cop in the Hood? What a bargain!

Strand is selling my book for $12.47. I doubt you will ever find it cheaper. But there are only 2 copies in stock. I bet when these 2 are gone, the price will go up. $12.47 is 50% off cover price. I can only get 40% off cover price and I wrote the damn thing! Amazonwith free shipping ($16.47) is…

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Police

Pay NYPD More (II)

A police officer was arrested in Pennsylvania for bank robbery. I don’t like to compare common criminals with mistakes people make because they’re poor–like the NYPD officer who discharged his gun (shooting an 18-month-old boy in the apartment below) while cleaning it… in the dark… because he couldn’t pay his electric bill. But what all this has in common is…

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Police

T[aser] is for Torture

More good discussion from the comments of marginal revolution. I’ll call this: Ask Officer Pete! Q: Peter, I have an issue with you comments about police use of force. Your argument that the use of “muscle,” physical strength and holds, will lead to less excessive force issues in contrast to Tasers or other less lethal uses of force, needs to…

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Police

Car vs Foot Patrol

There’s a good discussion I’ve been contributing to in the comments section from a post in marginal revolution.

Police

Demand More Foot Patrol

More foot patrol is always possible. Back in the days, all patrol was foot patrol. Our almost complete dedication to cars responding to dispatched calls is a choice we make… or maybe a choice made for us. But if we really wanted and demanded more foot patrol, we could have it. Police departments need to defend car patrol with something…

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Police

Homicides down in Baltimore

At least for the first three months of 2008. Hopefully it will last. Here’s the Sun’s story by John Fritze and Sara Neufeld. There’s a nice Sun news graphic in the story. It’s rarely mentioned that what looks like a steady decline in homicides in the 1990s correlates pretty well with the decline in the city’s population. So while the…

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Police

Cops tell the truth

If that statement shocks you, you’re a fool. All cops don’t tell the truth all of the time. But cops tell the truth a lot more than many people seem to think. At least in Baltimore there is no culture of lying on the stand or anywhere else. Why would I perjure myself and risk my job and my reputation…

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Police

Good Press in the Atlantic Monthly

I was on the subway today, reading the Atlantic Monthly(or is it just The Atlantic?… no matter, it’s my favorite magazine…. with the New Yorkerplacing a close second and the Economistto show). I see a book review for Judith Herrin’s Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire. I like Professor Herrin. I took a class from her in Byzantine…

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