A Trend Grows in Policing

[rodeodance]

And on the other hand----there seems to be a tread in the militarization of policing.



http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/opinion/29herbert.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print

September 29, 2007
Op-Ed Columnist
A Trend Grows in Policing
By BOB HERBERT

One of the better trends to emerge in the U.S. over the past several years has been the move in many big cities toward more thoughtful ways of fighting crime — what I call enlightened policing.

There is a growing awareness in city after city that wielding a police department like a blunt instrument is counterproductive. If you want to bring crime down and keep it down, cops have to be smarter.

Ray Kelly, who’s been remarkably successful as police commissioner here in New York, has long embraced this approach. So has Bill Bratton, first in New York and now in Los Angeles. Dean Esserman is doing interesting things in Providence, R.I., and Garry McCarthy is trying to haul Newark, at long last, out of the dark ages of policing.

I’m hardly naïve about the existence of police abuse, whether in New York (where Mr. Kelly has had some dreadful lapses) or elsewhere. But there has been a definite move in many big cities away from thuggishness as the rule and toward more enlightened, more effective strategies.

[fed-up]

1. Our local (Butte Co, CA) cops will soon be trained by Manilla cops to deal w/"insurgents"

http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_6932273

Manila area cops may train in Butte County
Chico Enterprise-Record
Article Launched: 09/18/2007 09:17:59 PM PDT
By GREG WELTER/MediaNews Group

Arrangements are in the works to bring a contingent of Filipino police officers to Butte County early next year for training with local law enforcement

Rosales is working on an agreement with several Butte County law enforcement agencies, including the Chico, Oroville and Gridley-Biggs police departments, as well as the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force.

.snip
Rosales returned to Butte County in July to meet with Ramsey and several high-ranking police officials. Negotiations for the training moved forward, but weren't finalized.

Chosen officers have apparently been told they'll have to pay their own airfare to California, but the Southern Police District plans to cover remaining expenses.
Filipino police officials said they hope Butte County officers can learn from their experience, as well, especially in areas of dealing with insurgents and international organized crime.

"This will be an opportunity to expand our horizons, too," Ramsey stated.

[WilyWondr]

2. Here in Milwaukee

Milwaukee has a LONG history of bad cops and the fact that it has continued for decades tells me that the problem is systemic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Police_Department

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Jude,_Jr.

They scream everytime someone suggests some type of citizen oversight be implemented in the PD.... I think I know why.

Why aren't police officers randomly drug tested like many other professions? Who has more access to illegal drugs than the police?