This brings back memories. Bad memories. Cops deal with this sh*t all the time.
Tag: police culture
Only in Hollywood (Florida)
A Baltimore reader emailed me this: Michael Verdugo is a police officer in Florida who was on the HGTV show Design Star. He’s openly gay and a porn blog revealed that five years prior to becoming a police he was in a gay porn film. The police department he is in suspended him to investigate these allegations. Apparently he could…
L.A. Police Shift Discipline Away From Automatic Punishments
I had no idea that any department could be so stupid to have a system of “automatic punishment.” “In a series of changes this year, direct supervisors are being encouraged to forgo suspensions of officers who they believe will change their behavior – or just made a one-time mistake – and instead opt for written warnings.” “Police officials believe the…
In our nation’s capital…
“My one beef with law enforcement in general is I hate the top-down approach, that only people with rank can think.” I think I’vesaid that before. But that quote is from D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. “Lanier wants to convert the department from a conventional military-style hierarchical culture into one driven from the bottom up. That means accountability and leadership…
Yes to Free Coffee
I always accepted free coffee. And I’m proud of it. There’s nothing wrong with that. The links I built over coffee helped me be a better patrolman. Accepting free coffee or a free meal should not be against the rules. But it is. People say it’s the start of corruption, but it’s not. I mention this because this Chicago police…
The Things They Carry
Sunday’s New York Timeshad a nice little story by Niko Koppel about pictures and other mementos that police officer keep in their hats. The hat-wearing regulation isn’t as strictly enforced in Baltimore as it is in New York City. But I like wearing hats. Young police officers officers will quickly hear that hats, especially when you’re on foot, are a…
Police Units
I gotta say, many of these don’t really ring true to me. But some of them do. No matter, I still find them amusing. A friend sent them to me. It’s out there on the web. If anybody knows the source (or can think of more), let me know. Narcotics units: Immediately grow facial hair, tell everybody you were ordered…
Is “Cop” a bad word?
I gave a talk on my book today at John Jay College. After the talk a man came up to me asking about my use of “cop.” He said when he was a kid, it was considered a bad word. Police officer is the proper term. A couple of cops and students present discussed the issue. I don’t consider “cop”…
Candid Camera and Why Waiters Make Good Cops
There’s a story in the Baltimore Sun about a police officer that got suspended over his conduct as shown on a YouTube video. You can’t skate in the Inner Harbor (why, I’m not sure). You can’t bike either (I got busted once for biking through an empty Inner Harbor at 6:45AM on my way to the police academy). These kids…