The US police misconduct thread

[Hot Pepsi]

My understanding is that most police departments who have SWAT teams don’t need them at all and many of them are woefully trained.

I can understand a state needing one or two of those bulletproof personnel carriers or maybe just access to one they can borrow from the military or a Hollywood props department. Because once in a while, there is a full on shootout like in Heat.

Or maybe not quite like that, but the North Hollywood shootout (which was two years after Heat was released) is a big reason why the LAPD is generally a lot more tooled up than it used to be. The idea being that all cops need to be ready for a war zone, not just SWAT.

I’m not sure that’s really true and of course, it wouldn’t be an issue if it weren’t so easy for unhinged people to buy powerful weapons.

And it’s pretty clear that most of this shit is bought just because the cops think it looks cool and they watched SWAT as a kid and think it looks like fun. Most real police work is more like [i{Barney Miller[/i] or maybe The Wire which is usually boring, non-glamorous, and ultimately not really very effective at fixing real problems. So they want to be the fucking Punisher.

I also recall, on one of many TV exposes about this issue, that the military, the arms manufacturers and civil engineers have all said that this big tank things should not be driven on streets because they tear up the pavement.

[Hot Pepsi]

Part of what is lost in that picture is that the truck behind it (which looks small in comparison) is an F150, which could fit at least 50% of UK cars in its load bay.

I suspect it gas were as cheap in the UK is it is here, you’d have a lot more people - especially people in rural areas - buying big ass trucks. They do come in handy sometimes, but most people who own them just like the idea that they could haul something big through rough terrain, whether or not they actually do that on a regular basis.

People in urban areas also may fantasize about hauling something big up to their rig like the guys in truck commercials, but you need a big garage or at least a big driveway to store a big truck.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Why does the Boston Police have that thing? That's only a half step below the biggest vehicle that the Irish army has. What the fucking fuck is going on in boston?

[Gangster Octopus]

Irish people.

[Cal Alamein]

Are these muppets from ABQ?

They are certainly skilled at telling people not to trust their lyin' eyes

They have been hanging around ABQ the last couple of weeks, but apparently they are from Curry County - a very red county on the Texas border.
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com...ty/165835.html

[Hot Pepsi]

Why does the Boston Police have that thing? That's only a half step below the biggest vehicle that the Irish army has. What the fucking fuck is going on in boston?

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I suspect it gas were as cheap in the UK is it is here, you’d have a lot more people - especially people in rural areas - buying big ass trucks. They do come in handy sometimes, but most people who own them just like the idea that they could to haul something big through rough terrain, whether or not they actually do that on a regular basis.

You really need to see our rural roads HP. There's an awful lot of tertiary routes around here that are essentially glorified cattle tracks, that were tarred over, and they have hedgerows on either side. I put up a picture of the F350 that is arsing around Galway, and it's fucking absurd. It's nearly twice as long as a parking space, and is 1.75 parking spaces wide. I'm not sure that you could do the last mile and a half to my Mam's house in carna. It would straighten three of the corners. Anyone who wants to buy a pick up truck for work, buys one of those toyotas. If you need something bigger you get a small lorry with a cab.

[ursus arctos]

The problem with big ass trucks in the UK is that one couldn't drive them on the roads

I've posted about the 1033 Program (which funnels billions of dollars of military equipment to civilian police) before, but here are some pieces on it. The program manages to prop up defence contractors while at the same time making the day of "warrior cops".

https://www.marketplace.org/2020/06/...pment-weapons/

https://www.nbcboston.com/investigat...ogram/2141718/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_En...Support_Office

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

"Nearly every scene has people talking about knowing one another's relatives, and inquiring about their current whereabouts."

Hahaha, there are a lot of connemara people in Boston I suppose.

[ursus arctos]

The records are spotty, but Galway tends to be the most represented county of origin among 19th c immigrants to Boston from Ireland

And as you probably know, Marty Walsh's parents are from Carna and Rosmuc

[Hot Pepsi]

You really need to see our rural roads HP. There's an awful lot of tertiary routes around here that are essentially glorified cattle tracks, that were tarred over, and they have hedgerows on either side. I put up a picture of the F350 that is arsing around Galway, and it's fucking absurd. It's nearly twice as long as a parking space, and is 1.75 parking spaces wide. I'm not sure that you could do the last mile and a half to my Mam's house in carna. It would straighten three of the corners. Anyone who wants to buy a pick up truck for work, buys one of those toyotas. If you need something bigger you get a small lorry with a cab.

That’s true. The roads were not built for them. That’s somewhat true in many parts of the eastern US too. Too narrow and windy. But out in the prairies, but almost everywhere between about Scranton to Sacramento, there’s lots of space.

But don’t a lot of people (relatively speaking) in Ireland own boats? I guess they don’t haul them around. The main market around here for the really big trucks (bigger than the 150) seems to be people haunting boats Or horses on a trailer.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

[img]https://arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-bos...RIERMW4UEQ.jpg[/img]

This is still at the entrance to Carna.

But don’t a lot of people (relatively speaking) in Ireland own boats? I guess they don’t haul them around. The main market around here for the really big trucks (bigger than the 150) seems to be people haunting boats Or horses on a trailer.

Hahahahaha. No. Boats are not a big thing here. Boats are so expensive, and it's generally too cold and wet, even in summer.

People don't really have pick up trucks here because it pisses rain, so if you're towing a horse, you'll be pulling it behind an SUV, or an SUV van, where the bit behind the front seats is like a van.

[Nefertiti2]

https://twitter.com/rbreich/status/1273017680870559744?s=21

[Hot Pepsi]

The problem with big ass trucks in the UK is that one couldn't drive them on the roads

I've posted about the 1033 Program (which funnels billions of dollars of military equipment to civilian police) before, but here are some pieces on it. The program manages to prop up defence contractors while at the same time making the day of "warrior cops".

https://www.marketplace.org/2020/06/...pment-weapons/

https://www.nbcboston.com/investigat...ogram/2141718/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_En...Support_Office

Never underestimate the power of pork barrel spending.



In 2019 89 police died in the line of duty in the US, of these 41 were accidents and 48 were the result of “felonious acts.” As far as I can find, these numbers are pretty stable over the last decade or so. About 1,000 people, give or take, were killed by police last year, IIRC. Even assuming that most of those were in legitimate self-defense, the cops seem to be doing very well in this “war.”

It does happen. The grandson of somebody in my church was recently shot responding to a domestic violence call in Ogden, UT. (The shooter was also killed and the other cop was injured). And that is really awful. Of course, guns are the common theme.

But the dominant narrative that police unions sell and most people buy is that cops are constantly being shot by an army of thugs (which has become an racialized word) and that being a cop is extremely dangerous. It’s in the top 25 most dangerous jobs, but not in the top 10. (Logging is the worst).

But the US isn’t the only industrialized country where people have a highly distorted view of what is really dangerous and what isn’t. But somehow we just don’t see “militarization” as a threat*. That may be changing now, however.

[Hot Pepsi]

[img]https://arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-bos...RIERMW4UEQ.jpg[/img]

This is still at the entrance to Carna.

But don’t a lot of people (relatively speaking) in Ireland own boats? I guess they don’t haul them around. The main market around here for the really big trucks (bigger than the 150) seems to be people haunting boats Or horses on a trailer.

Hahahahaha. No. Boats are not a big thing here. Boats are so expensive, and it's generally too cold and wet, even in summer.

People don't really have pick up trucks here because it pisses rain, so if you're towing a horse, you'll be pulling it behind an SUV, or an SUV van, where the bit behind the front seats is like a van.

But you’re surrounded by the sea and are largely descended from Vikings!

You must have smaller horses too.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

We are surrounded by the sea, but we're north of nearly all human life on the american continent. I know there's the gulf stream, but it's not very pleasant out there, and boats are really expensive, and until very recently this was a very poor country. There are yacht clubs in Dublin and Cork, set up for the protestant ascendancy, but most people who are into boating have really small boats that you could tow behind a car. My sister has joined the carlingford boat club, coz her boyfriend likes to mess around in Lazers. But you could tow one of those behind a toyota corolla. There's nothing like the boating culture that you see in the Sopranos or on Dexter. There's no need to go out to sea to escape the oppressive heat of the summer. (indeed Irish people don't go to the beach on a fine day to escape the heat, they go because the beach is less oppressive on those days) There are a few boats in the docks in Galway, but that's basically it for the west coast, other than Currachs, which are essentially stretched corracles, and haven't really changed very much in about 2000 years, other than the addition of tar. Two or three strong men can carry one on their heads. Boating on the Shannon is really nice, but again relatively expensive. But you'd use a lorry to transport one of those things, and even then it would be a very challenging experience.

The surfing is apparently spectacularly good though. People are getting into that in a big way.

The part of Ireland I'm from is the european centre for thoroughbred horse breeding, because of our exciting tax structures. Our horses are horse sized. But you'd only put one in a trailer at a time, double horse trailers are rare, but you'd see them from time to time.

[ursus arctos]

The surfing is apparently spectacularly good though. People are getting into that in a big way.

ms ursus has done two writing seminars in Bundoran, which is a surfing centre (arguably the surfing centre). They were in January and February, so it was only the hard core in wet suits, but the influence of the sport on the town and surrounding area was very much manifest. One of our California nieces is a surfer and was chuffed to get surfing t-shirts from a place her mates hadn't heard of.

[Hot Pepsi]

I might like to move to Ireland to learn how to surf.

[ursus arctos]

Bundoran is crawling with people who are very used to teaching novices

Meanwhile,

https://twitter.com/benjaminpdixon/status/1273984764513595394

[Hot Pepsi]

I'd be upset about that if I worked for that town, as a cop or otherwise. Think of all the better things that money could be used for, including salaries.

[pebblethefish]

Bundoran is crawling with people who are very used to teaching novices

Meanwhile,

https://twitter.com/benjaminpdixon/status/1273984764513595394

I had to Google to unwrap what "the size of Mayberry in Andy Griffith" was meant to mean.

Quite apart from being an odd way to describe a town's population, it's also out by 450%.

[Bruno]

Mayberry is a bit of a metonym for small town America.

[ursus arctos]

Mayberry is fictional (but very well known to USians due to endless repeats of the show and its several spinoffs).

Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina, on which it is said to be based, has a bit more than 10,000 people (though it would have been smaller in the period when the show was based).

[S. aureus]

I have a mental picture of West Virginia, which does involve mines, but not of the sort that vehicle is resistant to.

[Hot Pepsi]

Mayberry is probably fading as a reference that people would get, although reruns of that were on syndicated TV and then Nick at Night into the 21st century.

West Virginia is, umm. Yeah, I can't really recommend a visit to any of its cities. Morgantown is ok, I suppose. The mountains are nice, although they keep blowing them up.

If you watched Justified, you get the gist. That was about Kentucky, but it's nearby. It seems that whole region is in a 200+ year abusive relationship with coal that won't end until there just isn't any more coal to be had.

John Denver sang that it was "almost heaven," but he'd never been to West Virginia and the features he mentions - the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River - are actually in western Virginia, which is close, but not the same.