Baltimore Police - Show of Farce

It seems the mayor told the police to give the "protesters" room to express themselves. Today we are seeing the fruits of the Hands Off policy which has done nothing but encourage more violence. Now we have 7 injured police, looting, burning cars and random attacks on drivers and pedestrians. Video shots of the police show them lined up in a park nowhere near protesters or rioters, I guess they are protecting the trees there. Ridiculous.

I fear tonight will only seeing a great increase in the severity of the violence and looting. Apparently firefighters have been forced to leave the scenes of fires due to harassment. I think were looking at a replay of the LA riots in 1992. Wonderful.

Had police taken a firm stand initially I think many would have chosen to stay away and stay out of jail.
Some people have already been attacked in their cars as they try to drive home.
We don't need any more Reginald Dennys.
Police, do your job and stop with the show of farce.

Rant off

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Crikey mate!! Don't get it with you lot. Police show force and in ATS they get "shot to pieces" (Posse Comitus.) . Police stand off and they,,,well, "get shot to pieces" again.

To be a police officer surely you'd have to be bipolar or multipolar. Nearly everyone disagrees with police and as an officer you'd have to adjust over and over and over agian.

To be a policeman in ATS I read, your are racist, violent, criminal, non committal, nasty, wife basher, peadophile, terrorist, conspiracist, bankers wanker, political scum, non conformist or simply just an officer "NOT DOING HIS JOB". Strewth mate, just about everything a cop does is wrong on this site even helping people.

Sorry, but I feel for "some cops" in USA. They will never get it right one way or the other. They're either "over the top" or "under potential".

Adult thinking minds commit adult crimes. Expect adult justice but...candidly I say, "careful officer Johnson, don't upset or shoot at,,umm,,, how can I describe this person without being racist or homophobic or sexual or otherwise "and "let their dog bite a piece out of your calf muscle before you hit the animal with your baton lightly." or, "That person hitting that car with a baseball bat is only "angry with the car for a short time, don't worry about the kids in the back seat or driver."

So,,lets get out there with our weapons and destroy everything that hardworking people have strived for all their lives, because we can, because police will either be over the top, (excuse for more rioting) or will just stand there, (excuse for more rioting or even criticism).

No better than ISIS crtics, either not enough or over the top.

Bally

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Didn't their "firm hand" cause this riot/protest to begin with?

I agree with Bally, damned if they do, damned if they don't it!

a reply to: bally001

Jeez mate , why don't you say what you really mean . But i agree , funny that oz does not have these problems . A cop shoots someone here and it barely makes the news . We trust our cops and i am sure the US cop haters would be the first to ring if they were in trouble . Try living without them .

This is fully a situation of the police's own making. When you harass, terrorize, and murder enough people this type of blow-back is going to be expected. For me, this isn't about race- that # couldn't mean less to me. Rather, it's a bout those in power having no accountability, unbridled authority, and lack of foresight at the consequences of their actions. It's a microcosm of what's happening across the US: from the death of to Fred Grey there in Maryland, to what's happening in Oregon with the BLM and the Sugar Pine Mine, to civil asset forfeiture, to ISMI-catchers/Stingray devices and the list goes on. Peaceful protests and essays on the internet calling for reform and change just get ignored. What is going down in Baltimore should not be happening. Yet, it is what needs to happen.

I'm no cop hater by any means, it's a hard job in most places.
That said there have been many cases of excessive force, against people of all races.
I was complaining about them having to stand there while people were smashing out windows and attacking bystanders, all the while they are 1/2 block away.
Simply moving forward and dispersing that angry mob would have been the right move. It was the fault of the mayor for ordering them to "leave room for violence" (her words!).
I agree it's a damned if you damned if you don't situation for the police.
My criticism was aimed at their lack of action when it would have been most helpful.
If the thugs in the crowd think they can get away with it they will only make worse mischief after the sun goes down.
That is exactly what we saw.