Family: police high-fived after tasering our handcuffed relative to death

[roomwithaview]

@LDoBe

If someone in a position of power is looking the other way when they see abuse, they’re the definition of corrupt.

I believe there are very few “good cops” because there are very few cops who are willing to report the bad and illegal behavior of their co-workers.

Which of course is what I meant, but you stated so much more clearly!

(Replying here to, er, clarify!)

[renke]

@LDoBe

because there are very few cops who are willing to report the bad and illegal behavior of their co-workers

yes, this is a real problem. I’m not sure if it’s more esprit de corps or omertà.

[FunkDaddy]

@renke

yes, this is a real problem. I’m not sure if it’s more esprit de corps or omertà.

I think it began as omertà and has evolved to a mixture of both as the militarization has progressed.

[AnthonyC]

Personally I don’t think it matters. Both derive from an Us vs. Them tribalism that needs to be stamped out. It would help tremendously if police had to live in the community they policed (not just the same town but same precinct would help).

[Wanderfound]

@renke

yes, this is a real problem. I’m not sure if it’s more esprit de corps or omertà.

Both.

The few police who do their duty in holding fellow officers accountable are usually hounded out of the force. Harassment and workplace isolation are routine. Not infrequently, they and their families are directly threatened or attacked by other police.

Short of that, it is relatively easy for a uniformed officer to endanger a despised colleague by failing to offer assistance when required. I knew a guy who was a prison guard; according to him, this was the standard treatment for whistleblowers amongst prison officers.

Assign him to a team ordered to enter the cell of a known dangerous prisoner, then have the rest of the team quietly step back and do nothing while the prisoner beat the hell out of the “snitch”.

[IronEdithKidd]

There are probably some communities where this would be helpful. There are also communities where this would be unfeasible as they’ve gotten too expensive for the workers to be able to afford to live there.

[AnthonyC]

I know that. Perhaps you underestimate the scale of the change I am saying is necessary. Make the rule anyway. Best case scenario, you pay the police more and/or set up moderate and low income housing. Worst case scenario, you lose your police force and have to either hire private security guards (who have more limited authority to abuse) or crime will go up, lowering property values until police can afford houses.

Not going to happen, of course. But if it did, it would be at least partly self-correcting.