Can we do something about police brutality rather than just complain about it?

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT ADVOCATING VIOLENCE OF ANY KIND AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL PERSON, DEPARTMENT, OR AGENCY.

Let's begin by stating the obvious, that requires zero debate, discussion, or links b/c it's so blatantly obvious that it shouldn't be required. If you feel it SHOULD be posted, do so, but don't expect me to for the following statement.

We have basically three types of ppl in the US today concerning police abuse. The ppl that are aware and are being abused/singled out. The ppl that are ignorant & don't see a problem, & the bootlickers who could care less about our rights & wish us to comply with EVERYTHING a LEO says, regardless if it's legal, or warranted or not.

Can we agree on this? Moving on.

Any of here on ATS can provide ad nauseum the number of links that prove police brutality, union corruption, qualified immunity, reduced jail times for abuse, (if any) (So much so, obviously, that it has now become it's own forum)

So after browsing youtube today, I noticed some videos about police brutality that was solved, NOT by the local IA, or any "investigation" but surprisingly, by the FBI!

FBI charges cop with police brutality.



Her name is Brenda Stevenson, Highland Detroit for those that can't watch the video.

And here's another one.



Four Easthaven cops being investigated. (Again for those not able to stream)

Here's the whole point of the thread, in case it isn't obvious yet: Something CAN be done, sometimes the FBI will get involved in certain cases, and apparently justice (some better than none at all) WILL be done, the question I ask is what is the criteria for getting them involved AND is there anything we the people can do to help?

We have two choices, as I see it. We as a society can pee & moan & complain about this, or we can DO something about it. Why act like 80 year old ladies, complaining about our bingo night, when we can be proactive and do something to clean this mess up, when obviously cops won't police their own? (My apologies to 80 year old ladies here on ATS who play bingo)

Is there any here at the FBI that can answer this? Is there anyone here who can tell is what the standards are to make this more frequent? I know of at least 20 videos more horrendous & grievous than what these cops were charged with (and I imagine most here do as well) so why aren't THOSE cases being tried by the Feds?

So what say ye ATS? Can we do something legal about all of this mess? Can we change these atrocities? Can we make the system work for us, or is it all about stars & flags on a website?

Let me also stipulate that I am aware the FBI is not squeaky clean either when it comes to things they have done, however ppl are not getting beat to death WEEKLY by the FBI either, hence why I posted this thread & possible solution?

Your signature made me laugh...but it shouldn't.

It seems to me that unless this stuff can be placed fully in the face of the average person i.e: On the TV every time it happens then I doubt it'll ever get sorted out.
It needs to be on the TV and the names of those who have the power to do something about it must also be on the TV alongside the UNBIASED report.

Yeah the police can stop by them selves, beating people and getting pissed over trivial stuff.

We all have bad days but the average joe does not command the respect they do, act without it and they will lose it.

Demand audio and video on every LEO lapel, cruiser and gun barrel.

The "good" LEO's shouldn't have a problems with this transparency right?

Originally posted by InverseLookingGlass
Demand audio and video on every LEO lapel, cruiser and gun barrel.

The "good" LEO's shouldn't have a problems with this transparency right?

"If your doing nothing wrong then you shouldn't mind"

Good point!

We could remember what James Madison said during the Constitutional Convention: "The greatest danger to liberty is from standing armies", and recognize that our police are standing armies.

No wait,
even after he said that we had a Civil War anyway, so that didn't work.




We could do what Pancho Villa said "The average farmer could do a bit of soldiering on the weekends, and at a word from the Governor the whole land could be up in arms."

No wait,
America found that so threatening we started the Spanish American war and Conquered Mexico just to stop him.



We could form small enclaves of 50 families each,
study the law, and arm our selves, so that if they mess with one of us, we have 49 people to come to our aid.

No wait,
David Koresh tried that and he was burned down along with all the little children.




We could...you know what... ever since England burned down Washington D.C.,
destroyed the Missing Thirteenth Amendment, and made the country
safe for their lawyers to rule over us ... all we can do is pray
for the damnation of the wealthy. Cause they care more
about their works of art than one of us.




Mike

reply to post by schadenfreude

The police in this country are out of control. They seem to have forgotten that they are public servants.
Just to clarify, there are a lot of good cops out there who still believe in the constitution, but the numbers are
dwindling. If you need a recent example, just look at the Boston bombing. Removing people from their homes by
force. We are rapidly becoming a police state, if we aren't already there.
There are still some professional police forces in this country. I think a lot of this is due to
improper training. We as a people should demand that our law enforcement organizations should
have more civilian oversight, with incident reviews, whose determinations are binding.
There should be zero-tolerance for unjustified force, constitutional rights violations, and unprofessionalism.
Oh, I almost forgot... any interaction with the public should be videotaped. We now have the technology to do so.
Each officer should also have a GPS tracker on their person while on duty.
The police have power. We the People have given them this power. And with human nature being what it is, that power corrupts. They are there to SERVE and PROTECT ! They need to be reminded of this DAILY by their superiors before they go out on patrol.
One more thing.... Good cops should be rewarded for remaining true to their oath.
My two pennies.....Peace.

Originally posted by InverseLookingGlass
Demand audio and video on every LEO lapel, cruiser and gun barrel.

The "good" LEO's shouldn't have a problems with this transparency right?

I think this is a very good idea. I can certainly see why even the best and most professional cops would take some issue, but I think the good far outweighs the bad. Sell it to cops as a way to protect themselves from BS claims and the department heads as a cost saving measure against lawsuits.

It wouldn't even be that pricey to implement. I don't mind some departments having some of the toys they do, but I think Podunk USA is better off with officer cameras than armored vehicles.

It is getting out of hand. This is a recent one for a 19 yr old in Colorado, I believe a room mate claimed he threatened them with a knife and that's why they were there.

Fort Collins Police told the newspaper that officers lobbed several flash bang grenades inside Jackson’s single-story rental home in Fort Collins on Monday night. Police said they were pursuing Jackson and eventually arrested him on felony menacing charges.

When asked to explain why 15 marked police cars and an armored SWAT vehicle moved into the area to arrest Jackson, a police spokesperson told the newspaper that the teen has a history of resisting officers.

Jackson identified himself as Adquate Advocate in the YouTube video, entitled “police are trying to murder me as I write this.”

Fort Collins rapper arrested while filming video.

I can see your point, OP, but have you ever dealt with the FB*? Over the years, I have dealt with them on 2 separate occasions (at the recommendation of other law enforcement) due to very credible threats I read by someone commenting on a website who gave VERY detailed instructions on how to disrupt and ki** people at O*ama'* first inau*ur*tion, including how to do the A word to O*am* during the event in incredible detail, how to sneak past guards, etc. The second time, someone was posting child abuse pictures in a comments section of a religious website I was visiting while they were making crude comments. Both times I was urged by the Police to call the FB*, as they too considered it to be worthy of a call to the FB* as the police told me they didn't have the resources that the FB* has to help.

Unfortunately, I followed the police's advice about the inau*ural threat and called the FB*. By the time I was done talking with them (Or should I say by the time they were DONE WITH ME) I was in tears (And I am a Guy) They asked me so many questions over and over again, and asked me very personal details, things that had nothing to do with the events I was reporting to them. Very personal questions to the point I was feeling badgered, and I ended up feeling like I was the criminal. I even reminded them that I was the one who was doing what I thought was my duty as a citizen to inform them, and that I was the good guy. Even after the phone call to them my problems didn't end. Next thing we knew, our computer got sooo slow due to megabytes of info being downloaded FROM our computer even when we weren't on it, and occasionally we would find the cursor moving by itself. It was so bad that my Partner was even getting mad. Eventually things died down and went back to normal and our computer started working better so we figured everything was over.

The second time I dealt with them was in regards to the child abuse pictures someone posted to a religious website to be mean. We called the police to figure out what to do, and they again recommended we call the FB*. I didn't really want to because of the previous "Run in" with them, so I decided to call crimestoppers instead. I called crimestoppers, and they took the info, but they told me that they really didn't handle internet type stuff and that I should call someone else. I was told by them that the FB* would help with cybercrimes, but I was too afraid to call them again, so I went to their website and made a complaint about the picture through their "Tips" link, and gave them the website address, info about the picture, etc. On the page was a check box that said to check it if I wanted a response from them. I checked the box, and in the area to send them a message, I wrote and asked them to please insure me that I was doing the right thing because of my last experience with them. I made sure to be very nice in my request, because hearing that I did the right thing was very important to me, and again that I was doing what I thought was right as a citizen. I just wanted assurance that what I was doing and the way I was doing it was correct. I never received a response even after I told them how important it was to me.

After these two experiences, I learned to just mind my own business from now on, no matter the urgency. It upset my Partner too, and he even told me to not get involved anymore if I see something.

I didn't call them over some stupid thing. The first threat was so clear, so detailed, even down to the types of x-pl*sive to use, how to get it to the t*rg*ts, how to allow for wind speed, etc, that anyone in my shoes would have seen it as the thre*t it was an would have called them immediately too.

I've never been into trouble my whole life, I don't do drugs, and I don't even drink (With the exception of maybe 4 glasses of wine a year at the most). But I was made to feel like a criminal because I wanted to help.

If you ever do get involved with them, remember that you may get "checked out" right along with the bad guy that you are reporting. Just be careful.

Ok class, let's review. gps trackers and webcams on officers....

There;s a dashcam video of cops beating the hell out of a man today on RT from their dashcam! so what fricking difference is portable cams gonna do? give us better video for "them" to ignore?

(Not trying to sound like a douche, i just don't see how more cameras is the answer.

@inconceivable

I'm VERY sorry for your experience. I can only begin to imagine what u were thinking. :I'm going to jail, they think i said this crazy crap that im bragging about it, etc. pmita prison time TONITE.

That about right?

To the leos that come here and agree that some of the guys you work with have "issues", TALK TO US! YOU tell US wth hell we can do to make this stop. what legal recourse do we have? what aren't we seeing?

just one provisio please: DON'T tell us how hard & dangerous it is, we get it. it isn't the army, they can quit at any time or even get psychiatric help on the taxpayers dime I'm sure being "work related". The fact that it's a hard job doesn't cut it with most of us any more. (I think most of ATS would agree with me on that, hopefully.)

ETA: qualified immunity protects from lawsuits, so why would cops even care?

So I'll take that as a "no" then?

reply to post by mikegrouchy


We didn't conquer Mexico during the Spanish American War. The Spanish American War had nothing to do with Pancho Villa or Mexico.

Originally posted by groingrinder
reply to post by mikegrouchy

 

We didn't conquer Mexico during the Spanish American War. The Spanish American War had nothing to do with Pancho Villa or Mexico.

I'm still pissed.

ATS / my rant


Mike

reply to post by mikegrouchy


I am pissed too! I cannot understand why we do not have civilian review boards in every law enforcement jurisdiction with the power to bring criminal charges against corrupt law enforcement officers and to fire them.

Investigative journalists need to post their names, address and phone numbers for the public to consider appropriate actions.

Originally posted by schadenfreude
Let me also stipulate that I am aware the FBI is not squeaky clean either when it comes to things they have done, however ppl are not getting beat to death WEEKLY by the FBI either, hence why I posted this thread & possible solution?

How do you know people are not being beat to death weekly or at any other interval by the FBI? Their history with JE Hoover was tied to all kinds of political shenanigans. Lately, these a**hats executed a man during an interrogation. Then, the FBI executioners themselves fell (were thrown?) out of a helicopter and died. Sound hinky enough for you yet?

The FBI is just another three-letter-puke-agency and we will be better off when they are disbanded.

Originally posted by juspassinthru
The FBI is just another three-letter-puke-agency and we will be better off when they are disbanded.

That may be true, but they're the ones with the power to prosecute cops.

One thing we can do about police brutality is to expose the number of them who are on white powders - as
are many rogue military personnel. I did some research a few years ago on policemen busted
for being on meth, buying it, etc. It was shocking.

But hello! try getting THEM drug tested. Yeah, right. They know how tests can be flawed.