The article was edited today. A simple street cop, with access to the internets, actually effected a change? There may be hope for us yet.
This paragraph was edited in and correctly quotes Mr. Balko:
"SWAT teams are a perfectly legitimate use of force when you're using violence to defuse an already violent situation," says Balko, who in a 2006 research paper argued that SWAT teams are inappropriately deployed for home drug raids in assymetrical shows of force. "But that's not how they're used; they're overwhelmingly used to create a violent situation where there wasn't one before."I still disagree with the premise that justifiable force must be "assymetrical." Contests (In this case, good v. evil) using symetrical force end in a tie and that conflicts with the stated mission of LE.
SWAT is "....used to create a violent situation where there wasn't one before?" Seriously, Radley?
Bonnie and Clyde were minding their own business, peacefully driving down a road, bothering no one, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana (A small town, by the way) when they were caught and removed from the rest of us.
John Dillinger? Peacefully going to a movie at the Biograph Theater in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Lee Harvey Oswald was just going to a movie, too, until the Dallas PD folks threw all that violence on his ass. Officer J. D. Tippit created all that 'violence'.
Timothy McVeigh was peacefully driving down the road, minding his own business when a small town cop pulled him over for a simple tag infraction.
Jerry R. Kane Jr. and his son Joseph T. Kane, were just driving down the road, peacefully, minding their own business, in West Memphis, Arkansas (Pretty close to Tennessee, where you have assured us that no terrorist activity exists, nor will ever exist!) There was no violent situation on this lonely road, until the small town cops precipitated it, and died because of it.
Green River Killer? Small town.
"We did not want to give him time to harm her, so we did use a tactical team...."
Small town SWAT Team saves 13 year old girl" Exception, or rule, Radley?
Need I go on? If one has committed violence, don't expect the cops to come with symmetrical violence.
If LE began to use equal force in affecting arrests, resolving hostage situations, maintaining the peace or executing lawful warrants, there would be many, many, many more dead LEOs and not much law enforcing going on. I'll deal with that unsupportable BS in a later issue.
I was asked, "Why do small departments need SWAT teams?" The answer is pretty simple... The same reasons large departments need SWAT Teams.
A simple glimpse is the fact that most LEOs are employed by small police departments. Most officers killed in the line of duty are from small departments (The exception being 2001, for obvious reasons.)
Does that make anyone employed as an LEO in a small department, or a large department, any better, or worse, less/more corrupt, more/less trained or equipped? We all tend to bleed, sweat and cry just like our fellow officers in other agencies. Attempts to divide and conquer us have failed for centuries, but not for the lack of folks trying.
Small departments are confronted with the same type people, who'd rather injure, maim or kill a police officer than follow the rules society has put into effect, as larger departments. Just go to
Officer Down Memorial Page 2011 and scroll down through the list. Pick any year.
There was an excellent response, posted, by an LEO named Jay, as a comment, on the Nashville Scene (
Found here, so you don't have to go back to the top) He made some excellent points and did so better than I could do.
Radley Balko, from what I have read from him, and I, probably agree on more than we disagree. We both use our real names (Unless the rules prohibit it). We both are very vocal in stating our respective opinions, although his opinion is much more well read than mine.)
In the great scheme of things, we agree on the legalization of drugs. If the citizens of a state vote to legalize drugs, I have no problem with it. The voters make the laws, I am simply tasked with enforcing the laws they demand of their legislators.
I would wager that both our employers have received demands for the termination of our employment, simply for expressing our lawful opinions, based on our respective world views. He gets paid for expressing his opinion while on-duty, and I express my opinion, while off-duty, for free. I guess that is just because we do what we were called to do. I believe we both do it well.
Our only difference is that I deal in reality, within the totality of the represented circumstances in 2 seconds, to be judged by the courts, and the media, over a matter of years.
Radley, on the other hand, is allowed (Thanks to the LE men and women that stand, and fall, beside me) to eloquently pontificate on how he would have done it, and done it better, with much less loss of life or injury, as he sits in his protected ivory tower. An ivory tower, I might add, that is protected by the LE he obviously and vociferously disdains. He got his platform, I got mine!
When a person of a differing political view calls, writes or emails a vocal cop's boss (just because that cop had the audacity to disagree with the complainant in a public forum) that is a sad commentary on the strength of the complainant's commitment to their own position.
Argue the point, if you are able, but stooping to try and silence a lawfully expressed opinion, while off-duty, of a vocal cop is cowardice.
I have never claimed to speak for anyone, but me. I have never claimed to represent any specific LE Agency. But, many people, of a differing opinion, and usually anonymously, have attempted to silence me by calling the boss and ordering him to shut me up, 'cause they pay my salary'. That has already occurred in this specific case. (My lawyer had dollar signs in her eyes when she read the first couple of posts!)
Won't work now and hasn't worked since I started doing this nearly 30 years ago.
Some of these ineffective/inept/unconstitutional attempts are direct, open and with a name attached.
Others take a much more insidious, back door, cowardly and thinly veiled route..... like posting my name, rank and serial number, anonymously, of course.
How difficult was that, "The Court Jester"? I bet you could find dope at CVS and track a menstruating elephant through six feet of snow, too! Good work!
(On a positive note, "The Court Jester", I got three calls from prospective clients, who need my skills, and are willing to pay me to work a crash for them, thanks to the training you paid for! Thanks for posting the link to my CV!)Seems it is OK to be anonymous when attacking the cops, but not OK when defending them and their profession.
I give these anonymous cowards, who, when unable, or too inarticulate, uneducated or illiterate, to express their world view, the exact amount of weight they deserve. That weight is infinitesimal as far as I am concerned. No one has 'forced' me to shut up, yet.
Keep trying, though, as it gives IA, and the FOIA clerks, something to do. And gets them some taxpayer supported overtime.
Back to the topic at hand..... Militarization of the Police.
The police have been 'militarized' since the very inception of LE, as the public demanded it. Strict rules of behavior (On and off-duty), sharpness in appearance, specific published, and acknowledged, guidelines, a system of checks and balances to ensure that the cops are doing the right thing. If they are not, there are heinous personal repercussions that immediately, and painfully, ensue. As it should be.
Now, Radley Balko, CopBlock and Injustice Everywhere, et al, will allege that these are not isolated incidents. These folks allege these 'bad things' happen more often than not, yet the esteemed investigative reporter, Radley Balko, of the Huffington Post, reports to us that these 'bad thing' occurrences are the exception, rather than the rule.
Are there wrong cops? Yes. Are there corrupt cops? Yes. Are there brutal cops? Yes. Are there 'botched raids'? (And I consider wrong addresses, poorly researched PC for warrants, etc., 'botched raids' whether anyone was hurt, or not). Any one of the aforementioned is one too many, in my humble opinion.
Until we have perfect, robotic cops (Like perfect, robotic red light cameras, that seem to get Radley Balko, et al, all swolt up and red around the ass) we will, unfortunately, continue to have these 'exceptions'.
Go to
Agitator.com,
Copblock,
Injustice Everywhere or any of the 'spin offs' and you will find that a vast majority of the 'wrong cops' were found, investigated, fired and prosecuted by the 'right' cops.
That is the 'Rule', as it should be.
If Radley, his ilk, et al, wish to de-militarize the police, outlaw SWAT teams, legalize drugs and let everyone be free to do what they want to do. Perhaps these ivory tower whiners should expend their energies into making all that legal.
There is a system in place to do just that.
It's called VOTING. If you have the votes, you are free to get any law you desire passed, or rescinded, if your cause is so 'right', and all.
Everyone should want to vote for your cause, or against your cause, if it is so desirable, for the betterment of mankind?
Until then, Radley, you are just a well publicized, well paid, yet ineffective, load of BS... You seem to be a well read, eloquent voice in the wilderness, though.
Nonetheless, one has to be actually near the tree that falls in the forest to be heard.
Until then, Radley, how about we both agree to keep doing what we each do, without the threats?
Check and balances.
And please, people, at least, spell my name right when you file, yet another, bogus complaint on me, whilst trying to shut me up for lawfully expressing what I express, thanks to the Constitution. The piece of paper I defend every day.
Seriously. Some guy named Mike Kinsey, at HCSO, is getting a bunch of shit, for no reason.
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