What is the relationship between (A) number of cops, (B) number of arrests, and (C) crime. When “A” goes down, “B” goes down, and “C” goes up. Sometimes it really is that simple. Here’s the more nuanced story by James Queally in the Newark Star Ledger. [Tip of the cap to Epichorus.]
911 is a very costly joke!
There’s a much delayed and controversial report listing the flaws of New York’s “new and improved” 911 phone system. There are many flaws I won’t get into here, but I would like to point out just the cost. The project has cost $2 billion. The entire annual budget of the NYPD is about $4.5 billion (NYPD and NYFD is about…
Baltimore’s Bealefeld Calls It Quits
After 31 years on the force and 5 years at the top, Baltimore Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld announced his resignation. I wish him well. Certainly Bealefeld was the best police commissioner Baltimore has seen in the past 18 years (I can’t talk about the pre-Frazier era). Five years on top may not sound like a long time, but Bealefeld is…
Happy May Day?
Destruction in Seattle. Destruction in Oakland. All pretty peaceful in New York, more or less. Kudos to all who kept the peace. And I like the one cop in this video who doesn’t even flinch when a guy kicks out the window of a squad car right next to him. Bad ass. Respect.
Happy May Day
Happy May Day! Union Power! (And please don’t attack your union police brothers.) And appreciate the mad skills of my neighborhood Ironworkers Local 580 training facility. That logo is all hand-worked. Respect. [thanks to Astoria Ugly]
Another Day at the Office (III) — Pain Compliance
This is news that shouldn’t be: officers arrest a resisting suspect and for their efforts get splashed on the news for alleged brutality. At least the B.P.D. didn’t flinch. I say eighty percent of videos that purport to show brutality involve people under arrest who won’t put their hands behinds behind their back. If you’re under arrest and so ordered,…
Right-Wing Lies (VII) – Free Obama Phones for the Poor
A while back I started hearing rumors about “Obama phones.” You know, Obama taking our hard-earned money to give free phones to undeserving poor people in the ghetto. Really? I keep hearing about this, so I thought there must be something to it. Take this facebook post from a Baltimore cop friend of mine: Beautiful day out and then I…
Dutch Regulate Marijuana
In a stupid way, mind you. But what I love is that if the Dutch want to regulate drugs, they can! Our illegal drugs are unregulated. What’s ironic is that this isn’t actually about drugs. It’s much more about traffic and parking. Also, don’t count the kips (chickens) before they hatch. I’d be shocked if this comes into effect throughout…
Tiger Tiger Tiger, Siss Siss Siss, Boom Boom Boom, meh.
Caleb Kennedy wrote a nice feature on me for the Daily Princetonian. “I was not particularly happy at Princeton,” [Moskos] said, explaining that he felt much of the student body came from a “New England prep school culture” that he was not used to. But I loved my professors. And one of them called me a “star student.” It makes…
Occupy Federally
An interesting development in the Occupy movement is the presence on 25 protesters on the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street (with live stream). Federal Hall is is policed by the National Park Service Police and not the NYPD. I assume the NYPD could have jurisdiction. But I’m not certain. And it’s not clear if Park Police (and there…