While I have the utmost respect for the police and the incredibly difficult job they have, this self congratulatory piece from the utmost of "insiders" is a little hard to take. The perverse insistence in protecting even the most egregious of officers contributes significantly to the break down in respect. Add to that the "I have a gun and badge, and you will do everything I say or I will ruin your life" mentality, along with the steady militarization of our police forces, and the ever present mentality of "better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6", and let's see....what else, oh yeah, the "broken windows" doctrine that somehow even the most minor of infractions has to be stomped on lest they lead one to be a murderous villain. Yes, Mr. Bratton, sunshine surely is not the best medicine, and I suspect you'll never be mistreated by anyone raised on your own policies. Change does need to happen, to suggest that it can "only" come from within is disingenuous at best. Hold the bad apples accountable and fire those who lie and do not cooperate, it'll change right quick.
7
There is no simple solution. Accountability for the police should certainly be at the forefront. There's no question that they are held accountable, when there is video evidence, CNN will step over a hundred dead bodies to cover a questionable police shooting, if the demographics are right, and will cover it all week. The minor transgressions, that get missed and cause issues in the community need to be addressed( and fairly) and not stone walled by their union. On the flip side, communities that are affected by crime need to work with police to help deal with crime. How come there is no CNN report on all the unsolved murders in major cities due to community refusal to assist. Chicago has had over 500 murders and 2400 shot this year and all the coverage is about a horrible police shooting in October 2014. He's been charged, so good work, now maybe you could work on the finding justice or even acknowledging the 900 dead since then?
3
Too little- too late. The "culture" has been honed-to-perfection for decades. How does one go about changing the mindset of a whole employee group who has been giving a blank check without any consequences? How does one go about changing the mindset of American culture who perceives [that] the mere putting-on of an article of clothing transforms the wearer into a super-noble individual without any human bias,bigotry or incompetency and rarely if ever called to consequence? No William J. Bratton: I am not that interested in reaching out to anyone's "idealistic" side... I am interested in everyone playing by the same rules; obeying the same laws I am tasked with- and dealing with the consequences of not doing so.
1
Thank God some movement toward more humane policing has begun.
2
Perhaps reform of the police should start at the top. Every police chief in America is a political operative for someone and on a very short leash as are the commanders that serve under them. Do you want to be promoted? Then you had better curry favor with the political bosses. "“We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” -Anonymous Chicago ward committeeman. Leadership and experience be damned The problem with the police can be summed simply: There is no genuine leadership at the top. At best you get the guys who think media training and managing the largely incompetent media constitutes leadership.
The cops actually doing the job are on their own and they know it. They are not appearing on CNN or FOX or standing behind Obama or Trump at photo ops or writing op-eds for the Times. Everyday they are expected to do a difficult, complicated and dangerous job while their "leaders" scurry for cover and wait for orders from their political masters.
This article like so many talks about problems but never lays the blame anywhere. How did these problems arise? Who was in charge? Where were the politicians when Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore etc. sank into a pit of drug and gang violence? Is it the patrol officer's fault? The detective's? Haven't we been hearing this same stale old tune for decades with only a change of key?
American corporate management and leadership is terrible. American law enforcement management and leadership is non-existent.
The cops actually doing the job are on their own and they know it. They are not appearing on CNN or FOX or standing behind Obama or Trump at photo ops or writing op-eds for the Times. Everyday they are expected to do a difficult, complicated and dangerous job while their "leaders" scurry for cover and wait for orders from their political masters.
This article like so many talks about problems but never lays the blame anywhere. How did these problems arise? Who was in charge? Where were the politicians when Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore etc. sank into a pit of drug and gang violence? Is it the patrol officer's fault? The detective's? Haven't we been hearing this same stale old tune for decades with only a change of key?
American corporate management and leadership is terrible. American law enforcement management and leadership is non-existent.
2
I will say this until I am blue in the face: if the police want to rebuild trust then they must hold the police that commit crimes 100% accountable for their actions.
They never, ever do this. The good cops look the other way. The good cops are retaliated against. Police culture is rotten, like a decaying tree. It will never, ever change.
They never, ever do this. The good cops look the other way. The good cops are retaliated against. Police culture is rotten, like a decaying tree. It will never, ever change.
8
This ex-cop says 15% of cops illegally abuse people, and their partners go along with it.
The only way for us to be safe from those 15% is to fire them.
GWB and Obama signed laws that would override union contracts and fire teachers based on high-stakes testing. We should fire cops who are not only incompetent but a danger to the community.
http://www.vox.com/2015/5/28/8661977/race-police-officer
I'm a black ex-cop, and this is the real truth about race and policing
by Redditt Hudson on May 28, 2015
On any given day, in any police department in the nation, 15 percent of officers will do the right thing no matter what is happening. Fifteen percent of officers will abuse their authority at every opportunity. The remaining 70 percent could go either way depending on whom they are working with.
The only way for us to be safe from those 15% is to fire them.
GWB and Obama signed laws that would override union contracts and fire teachers based on high-stakes testing. We should fire cops who are not only incompetent but a danger to the community.
http://www.vox.com/2015/5/28/8661977/race-police-officer
I'm a black ex-cop, and this is the real truth about race and policing
by Redditt Hudson on May 28, 2015
On any given day, in any police department in the nation, 15 percent of officers will do the right thing no matter what is happening. Fifteen percent of officers will abuse their authority at every opportunity. The remaining 70 percent could go either way depending on whom they are working with.
12
Reform. He likely gets a $300k pension and will be working for them next week as a consultant for another $300k. Reform.
5
I read this story with interest on the same day I also read another police officer-related story, the one about an officer being fired from his department for NOT shooting an unarmed individual, something two of the officer's colleagues took care of when they arrived on scene.
It is little wonder there is little trust on ether side of the badge.
It is little wonder there is little trust on ether side of the badge.
6
How can you have change police culture when over 50,000 our own citizens shoot each other every year? It seems to me you cannot have both an ultra violent culture and kind and gentler law enforcement.
4
Thank you Commissioner Bratton. I hope you will continue to keep this needed conversation going.
4
I want to extend enormous gratitude to not only Police Commissioner Bratton but all the extraordinary, courageous, effective police officers in this nation who are trained to protect us and save our lives. That is what they do, and the incredibly vast majority of them do this extremely well. Thank you, American police. Thank you.
7
"There are police reformers from outside the profession who think that changing police culture is a matter of passing regulations, establishing oversight bodies and more or less legislating a new order. It is not."
While I do not disagree with his approach - it works for every profession, every vocation, every job - I found his omission of one policy to be blatant. Where an officer behaves in an arrogant manner violative of a citizen's rights and person, an immediate and transparent investigation must be made, appropriate consequences applied, and, where necessary, removal from the position effectuated when serious harm has been done. That has not been so evident during Bratton's tenure and undermines the importance of his opinions.
While I do not disagree with his approach - it works for every profession, every vocation, every job - I found his omission of one policy to be blatant. Where an officer behaves in an arrogant manner violative of a citizen's rights and person, an immediate and transparent investigation must be made, appropriate consequences applied, and, where necessary, removal from the position effectuated when serious harm has been done. That has not been so evident during Bratton's tenure and undermines the importance of his opinions.
3
Changing police culture requires there to be penalties for breaking the law.
~ Even for a cop
It's that simple.
~ Even for a cop
It's that simple.
15
Well written article explaining the recent history of policing and the reforms. It sounds very well considered and hopefully public officials who haven't Bratton's experience will trust him enough to give the reforms a chance.
There are problems which these reforms can touch upon but cannot fix. Socio-economic factors in causing crime are not something that officers can fix. Even with good community-police interactions where poverty and deprivation encourage criminal behavior the police are going to be seen by a significant portion of the community as adversaries because their friends and relatives who do commit crimes are going to suffer from arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment and that will leave bad feelings and an impediment to the community cooperating with police.
There are problems which these reforms can touch upon but cannot fix. Socio-economic factors in causing crime are not something that officers can fix. Even with good community-police interactions where poverty and deprivation encourage criminal behavior the police are going to be seen by a significant portion of the community as adversaries because their friends and relatives who do commit crimes are going to suffer from arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonment and that will leave bad feelings and an impediment to the community cooperating with police.
4
Why the US government or legislators could NOT impose quota system, 30% blacks or colored police officers on the police force as we impose quota systems on poor nations for women's participation in their parliaments as policy-makers? I am puzzled by why the civil rights activists and black lawmakers did not file or propose a bill on this regard?
How come blacks are well integrated into all ranks of the armed forces and the intelligence community (all 3 lettered agencies) but could NOT qualify to become a police officers? I think its an absolute insult to make us believe that there are no qualified blacks and colored officers. And I don't know why this racist thought is not publicly challenged.
How come blacks are well integrated into all ranks of the armed forces and the intelligence community (all 3 lettered agencies) but could NOT qualify to become a police officers? I think its an absolute insult to make us believe that there are no qualified blacks and colored officers. And I don't know why this racist thought is not publicly challenged.
4
Why not reform the public?
4
reply to Ryan Bingham: We are already acting like Pavlov's Dog- how much more do you want?
It is absolutely impossible to reform the police as long as the idiotic, pointless, and mindless "War on Drugs" is in effect. The drug laws simply cannot be enforced without a massive assault on the civil rights of the citizens. And that's a fact.
5
I will know our local police, especially the state police, have reformed when I feel like I can talk to and reason with an officer like a human being. I will know reform is happening when police officers are simply not allowed to shave their heads, wear sunglasses when the sun is not out, and maintain healthy body weight.
Thank God for the videos our devices can record. The endless stream of police brutality and killings as evidenced by these videos (almost certainly indicative of a much wider problem across the country) makes me sick. And what makes me sicker than my reaction to the action killings is the sight of officers handcuffing an injured or dying man or woman and walking around the unattended body as if it were a sack of flour. This brutality extends beyond African-American communities, although they bear the worst of it. It has become part of the DNA of our national approach to armed policing and the daily perpetration of the obey-my-authority-or-I-will-arrest-or-even-kill-you-mentality. Good luck to reformers like William Bratton. My guess is that he's never been spoken to like a dog by an armed police officer.
Thank God for the videos our devices can record. The endless stream of police brutality and killings as evidenced by these videos (almost certainly indicative of a much wider problem across the country) makes me sick. And what makes me sicker than my reaction to the action killings is the sight of officers handcuffing an injured or dying man or woman and walking around the unattended body as if it were a sack of flour. This brutality extends beyond African-American communities, although they bear the worst of it. It has become part of the DNA of our national approach to armed policing and the daily perpetration of the obey-my-authority-or-I-will-arrest-or-even-kill-you-mentality. Good luck to reformers like William Bratton. My guess is that he's never been spoken to like a dog by an armed police officer.
15
Actually, Mr. Bratton, we don't have to prove anything to the cops.
Police officers are public servants. They are paid by taxpayer dollars to serve the citizenry. They are not a protected class, and they are not above the law.
How many "bad cops" did you fire? How many cops shot unarmed ethnic and racial minorities under your watch, and what did you do about it?
Writing a letter in a newspaper will not absolve you from the blood on your hands.
I hope you don't believe in God, Mr. Bratton. I sure wouldn't want to be there when you meet Him. Me thinks he's gonna be slightly mad at you (to put it lightly)
Police officers are public servants. They are paid by taxpayer dollars to serve the citizenry. They are not a protected class, and they are not above the law.
How many "bad cops" did you fire? How many cops shot unarmed ethnic and racial minorities under your watch, and what did you do about it?
Writing a letter in a newspaper will not absolve you from the blood on your hands.
I hope you don't believe in God, Mr. Bratton. I sure wouldn't want to be there when you meet Him. Me thinks he's gonna be slightly mad at you (to put it lightly)
2
Mr. Bratton's self-congratulatory tribute to himself was disingenuous, dissembling and disgusting.
Like nearly every police department, the NYPD ranks and command hierarchy is staffed with social misfits, authoritarian bullies and those who view "civilians with distrust and dislike.
The only way to reform the police services is to put all departments under tight civilian control (like the military). Every sworn member must be put through rigorous, annual psychological screening as a condition of being allowed to carry a firearm for another year. Civilian complaints should be investigated only by an outside agency, and any officer receiving three complaints in two years should be suspended pending a court hearing.
The chief psychologist of a major police force told me once that anyone applying to be a cop is crazy. Her job was to screen out those who are truly insane.
Mr. Bratton's comments reveal that he has no real sense of what a police department is actually like. The Times publishing them indicates the editors have no real sense of what it is like for civilians who have encounters with police, in New York or elsewhere.
Like nearly every police department, the NYPD ranks and command hierarchy is staffed with social misfits, authoritarian bullies and those who view "civilians with distrust and dislike.
The only way to reform the police services is to put all departments under tight civilian control (like the military). Every sworn member must be put through rigorous, annual psychological screening as a condition of being allowed to carry a firearm for another year. Civilian complaints should be investigated only by an outside agency, and any officer receiving three complaints in two years should be suspended pending a court hearing.
The chief psychologist of a major police force told me once that anyone applying to be a cop is crazy. Her job was to screen out those who are truly insane.
Mr. Bratton's comments reveal that he has no real sense of what a police department is actually like. The Times publishing them indicates the editors have no real sense of what it is like for civilians who have encounters with police, in New York or elsewhere.
6
More rigorous training or probably any kind of reform from within will not work because it is in men's nature to support their comrades. The problem is not that they don't know how to do things right, it is that supporting each other against outsiders is instinctive. Officers will cover for each other and prosecutors will go easy on them since they have to have a good working relationship. Ideally there must be more outside review and authority, not more power for insiders. Obviously the availability of video has already done a lot in documenting what goes on, and automatic videoing of police actions must be expanded.
1
From the perspective of a transplanted new Yorker who has lived in Greater Orlando for over 35 years and seen its metropolitan area grow by leaps and bounds within the same period--with at least three additional years of residence in Greater Miami--all we can say is that for urban police work to fulfill its #1 mission, which is to keep our citizenry safe with crime prevention as its main goal, it will take more than the outrageous and blatant militarization of police forces in order to achieve this. Qualitative changes in police behavior paralleled with the substitution of the archaic mind-set of "us versus them" attitude would go a long way towards the creation of real police departments instead of the current local armies of occupation which we now have across the nation.
2
Something that I wish Mr. Bratton had addressed is why deadly force so often is used when police find themselves in potentially threatening situations. An ex-police officer gave me a contorted explanation of why this has become standard doctrine: if an officer must shoot he or she must justify that the threat warrants a discharge of their firearm, which is a level of threat that compels the use of deadly force. I don't know how widespread this view is among the law enforcement community, but if true I find it difficult to accept that this is the only or best way.
3
September 16, 2016
Hire from without; having independent objective assessment for the entire NYPD layers for security programs is a can do - should do and surely added value for all interest. A smart chief executive that wants to enjoy this professional management is not a quantum resume but trust in management reinvigorating for all employed to continue being the New York's finest.
Hire from without; having independent objective assessment for the entire NYPD layers for security programs is a can do - should do and surely added value for all interest. A smart chief executive that wants to enjoy this professional management is not a quantum resume but trust in management reinvigorating for all employed to continue being the New York's finest.
1
I have a relative who was an NYC transit cop way back when. He did de-escalation before it was a word and made few arrests. He was well-liked but considered an idiot, my father tells me, and retired at not much higher rank than he entered. Maybe he was ahead of his time.
3
In any dysfunctional relationship, there is wrong on both sides of the relationship and there is also right on both sides.
In the public discourse, the issues around policing always lay all of the blame of what is described as abusive police actions in poor neighborhoods on the police. But at least some of the blame is on the residents.
People in wealthy and middle class neighborhoods generally say "yes sir" when pulled over by a policeman. Even when they are annoyed. They rarely run or pull a gun or run over the policeman with their car. Adolescents told to not walk down the middle of the street move to the sidewalk, at least until the patrol car is out of sight. They do not reach over and attempt to get the officer's gun or to pull him out of the patrol car. They answer questions and attempt to assist the police investigating crimes.
Without a doubt, there are police who abuse their authority. Without a doubt there re thugs who intimidate and frighten police officers, indifferent to the fact that it is incredibly stupid to intimidate an armed man.
When are the community activists of BLM going to encourage their followers to at least pretend respect for the police, to cooperate in investigations, to avoid threatening moves, etc. If they mimicked the behavior of civilized people, it would open the door for an improvement in the relationship.
In the public discourse, the issues around policing always lay all of the blame of what is described as abusive police actions in poor neighborhoods on the police. But at least some of the blame is on the residents.
People in wealthy and middle class neighborhoods generally say "yes sir" when pulled over by a policeman. Even when they are annoyed. They rarely run or pull a gun or run over the policeman with their car. Adolescents told to not walk down the middle of the street move to the sidewalk, at least until the patrol car is out of sight. They do not reach over and attempt to get the officer's gun or to pull him out of the patrol car. They answer questions and attempt to assist the police investigating crimes.
Without a doubt, there are police who abuse their authority. Without a doubt there re thugs who intimidate and frighten police officers, indifferent to the fact that it is incredibly stupid to intimidate an armed man.
When are the community activists of BLM going to encourage their followers to at least pretend respect for the police, to cooperate in investigations, to avoid threatening moves, etc. If they mimicked the behavior of civilized people, it would open the door for an improvement in the relationship.
2
BLM activists currently don't mimick the behavior of civilized people? Is that really what you're trying to say?
3
reply to ebmem: You've written this identical-verbatim screed a number of times in various forums. Seems like the NYT is your latest effort.
1
The best way to reform the NYPD is to require a college degree and raise the minimum age to enter the police academy to 24. An education and work experience before joining any law enforcement agency would do much to change how the police see themselves and how they are perceived. This is an easy and effective way at reform and in 20 years the change will be complete
8
Higher education is, indeed, necessary. But a 60 credit requirement for entry-level is best. A bachelor's degree opens many doors to opportunities that afford better pay and working conditions, and is a barrier to minority recruitment. Preferable is a structure that rewards continuing education and requires the degree for promotion.
Bratton, an enlightened warrior? Yeah, right!
Ask him his stance in the 70s and 80s on the crack epidemic – did he favor drug treatment & job programs over throw-away-the-key incarnation? Not on your life!
And two years after Mayor de Blasio introduced an NYPD policy mandating that a person possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana get a ticket instead of being arrested, as long as they have ID and no outstanding warrants, was Bratton on board? No!
Bratton expressed his these thoughts on marijuana legalization in May on a NY radio show: “Interestingly enough, here in New York City most of the violence we see – violence around drug trafficking – is involving marijuana and I have to scratch my head as we are seeing many states wanting to legalize marijuana, and more liberalization of policies."
So, do I believe his Op-Ed?
I'd say he's blowin' smoke again!
Ask him his stance in the 70s and 80s on the crack epidemic – did he favor drug treatment & job programs over throw-away-the-key incarnation? Not on your life!
And two years after Mayor de Blasio introduced an NYPD policy mandating that a person possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana get a ticket instead of being arrested, as long as they have ID and no outstanding warrants, was Bratton on board? No!
Bratton expressed his these thoughts on marijuana legalization in May on a NY radio show: “Interestingly enough, here in New York City most of the violence we see – violence around drug trafficking – is involving marijuana and I have to scratch my head as we are seeing many states wanting to legalize marijuana, and more liberalization of policies."
So, do I believe his Op-Ed?
I'd say he's blowin' smoke again!
8
Contrary to your biased attitude, I contend that the "Them and us" attitude by the nations police can no longer be tolerated. The gang mentality that led to the police attitude will not change as police are predators preying on the public to maximize arrests to garner greater pay and advancement. That will never change.
Fire half the cops. There are too many that control our lawmaking and have society living in fear of them.
Fire half the cops. There are too many that control our lawmaking and have society living in fear of them.
Which half? Officer Friendly and Officer Hostile are usually the same person. Weeding out bad cops is vital; Bratton's plan is far better than a witch hunt or random canning.
The Top half.
"Reforming from within" is code for "leave us alone."
Even after the NYPDs unbounded use of stop-and-frisk was held by U.S. District Court to be unconstitutional, the NYPD continued to vigorously challenge that finding. More problematic is the failure of the NYPD to adhere to agreed upon federal consent degrees over NYPD conduct. Additionally, the NYPD plays host to several powerful unions that wield great power against change, and have clearly protected officers who violate New Yorkers civil rights, that includes maintaining a veil of secrecy over employment records of officers who have killed New Yorkers or lied under oath.
Accordingly, the NYPD needs the same kind oversight necessary to force transparency and change over an organization that is plagued a pattern of troubling behavior over many generations.
Even after the NYPDs unbounded use of stop-and-frisk was held by U.S. District Court to be unconstitutional, the NYPD continued to vigorously challenge that finding. More problematic is the failure of the NYPD to adhere to agreed upon federal consent degrees over NYPD conduct. Additionally, the NYPD plays host to several powerful unions that wield great power against change, and have clearly protected officers who violate New Yorkers civil rights, that includes maintaining a veil of secrecy over employment records of officers who have killed New Yorkers or lied under oath.
Accordingly, the NYPD needs the same kind oversight necessary to force transparency and change over an organization that is plagued a pattern of troubling behavior over many generations.
2
I am in agreement on oversight. There is nothing wrong with "stop and frisk" as descended from "Terry v. Ohio". Based on the "reasonable suspicion" of a police officer, it is a valuable tool for public safety and crime prevention. It got corrupted when supervisors felt the need to pad the stats and bump up the numbers. That became a cycle of unreasonable actions.
It is very similar to the Wells Fargo debacle; the pressure from above leads to wrongdoing.
It is very similar to the Wells Fargo debacle; the pressure from above leads to wrongdoing.
The police officer in Terry v. Ohio had decades of experience, and noticed three men who individually walked back-and-forth along a street to peer into a store, and then conversed together around the corner, where the officer stopped them.
In New York, the NYPD was sending out rookie police officers with two weeks experience into public housing projects, where they indiscriminately stopped people entering and exiting from the building. Over a period of years, the number of Terry stops increased from under 100,000 to in excess of 750,000, while the number of people arrested dropped to below 1%. Those statistics belie the notion that the officers believed "crime was afoot," which was the basis of Supreme Court's decision in Terry.
For whatever reasons the NYPD began this extraordinary stop-and-frisk campaign, the constitutional dimension is only one part of the issue. Whether the NYPD's practice would ultimately have been found constitutional is irrelevant. The public has to have a say in how its local police force exercises its powers. The behavior of the NYPD suggests it will fight elected officials and the public with respect to how the NYPD polices New York, and that is not acceptable. The NYPD must be accountable to public.
In New York, the NYPD was sending out rookie police officers with two weeks experience into public housing projects, where they indiscriminately stopped people entering and exiting from the building. Over a period of years, the number of Terry stops increased from under 100,000 to in excess of 750,000, while the number of people arrested dropped to below 1%. Those statistics belie the notion that the officers believed "crime was afoot," which was the basis of Supreme Court's decision in Terry.
For whatever reasons the NYPD began this extraordinary stop-and-frisk campaign, the constitutional dimension is only one part of the issue. Whether the NYPD's practice would ultimately have been found constitutional is irrelevant. The public has to have a say in how its local police force exercises its powers. The behavior of the NYPD suggests it will fight elected officials and the public with respect to how the NYPD polices New York, and that is not acceptable. The NYPD must be accountable to public.
1
Despite my belief that Commissioner Bratton has done a "relatively" good job in New York City (especially as compared to Raymond Kelly), the greatest reforms have occurred directly as a result of citizens using video cameras to record police activities. Had cameras not become ubiquitous I suspect accounts of stop and frisk abuses and other varied corruption on the part of police officers would be more frequent. Cameras haven't eliminated malfeasance, corruption, and the routine violation of civil rights by NYPD officers, but they have had an impact and it appears these kinds of widespread abuses are subsiding.
So yeah, there has been incremental progress but not the kind of significant, systemic reform that will bring about the degree of change needed for a police department steeped in a tradition of corruption.
The fact that Commissioner Bratton promoted Commanding Officer Stephen Mauriello to Deputy Inspector when he was responsible for illegally ordering Officer Adrian Schoolcraft to a psyche ward (thus costing NYC taxpayers more than $1 million to settle the lawsuit), speaks volumes about how the NYPD management team is run and rewarded for conduct (good and bad) under his leadership. The voice recording of Mr. Mauriello is disturbing and it's disconcerting to think he is still serving in any leadership position at NYPD, let alone being promoted.
Thank you Mr. Bratton for trying to make things better. You nudged the pile forward just a tad but there is much left to do.
So yeah, there has been incremental progress but not the kind of significant, systemic reform that will bring about the degree of change needed for a police department steeped in a tradition of corruption.
The fact that Commissioner Bratton promoted Commanding Officer Stephen Mauriello to Deputy Inspector when he was responsible for illegally ordering Officer Adrian Schoolcraft to a psyche ward (thus costing NYC taxpayers more than $1 million to settle the lawsuit), speaks volumes about how the NYPD management team is run and rewarded for conduct (good and bad) under his leadership. The voice recording of Mr. Mauriello is disturbing and it's disconcerting to think he is still serving in any leadership position at NYPD, let alone being promoted.
Thank you Mr. Bratton for trying to make things better. You nudged the pile forward just a tad but there is much left to do.
9
Thanks for that scary information on Mauriello. He was part of the problem, corrupting "stop and frisk" from being based on reasonable suspicion to being about making the numbers jump.
Sometimes a promotion is about getting someone out of the way; I hope it was in his case, and he is Inspecting retired uniforms or something trivial.
Sometimes a promotion is about getting someone out of the way; I hope it was in his case, and he is Inspecting retired uniforms or something trivial.
What about the Blue Wall of Silence? The one where "good" cops look the other way when "bad" cops do dirt. How'd you reform THAT??
Its great you pat yourself on the back for all the good you did in the cities you "led" as police chief......but what do those cities have to say about your leadership?
Its great you pat yourself on the back for all the good you did in the cities you "led" as police chief......but what do those cities have to say about your leadership?
The documentary "Shellshocked" from 2013, about the extreme violence in New Orleans, gives an unblinking, terrifying look at the broken communities the police must face daily. A fearful grind of violence and hostility, where there is little hope of anything else for the future.
Have great respect for the Commissioner. He and Jack Maples had the wherewithal to introduce Comstat and other innovative programs into a staid Department regimen. Verbal Judo or How to talk to folks under stress, introduction of pistols equivalent to those being carried by the bad guys on the street, Community Policing based on Mutual Respect by both sides, and enhancement of the IAB component. The Police and somehow the Schools always seem to be the focal point of Societies failings with little mention of the main culprit, Parental failings that cause a great deal of the troubles both on the street and in school. While gun possession is licensed in New York with training required , no license is needed to possess a child. Go figure. The Department will miss this guy.
1
we all know about the hazards of driving while black. but those of us who are white had no idea that the typical driving while black traffic stop was a precursor to so many murders. the advent of the camera phone has changed all that and we are now witness to not only the lethality of the driving while black traffic stop, but the institutional cover up of these assaults. if it is true that change in police departments must come from within, then that change must be lead by a concerted effort to display publicly these transgressions when they occur, and to hold the transgressors accountable for their acts.
1
No doubt, training and culture do matter. But we want to see is accountability. When an officer can shoot a kid with a toy gun without repercussions, the problem is not a lack of training and support for the officer. The problem is a lack of accountability. And we need laws and regulations for that.
This is a subject of great importance to me. It has been a concern of mine ever since I spent hour upon hour with the police in Dallas, a good portion of it on my own, unpaid time, when I was a very young reporter at WFAA-TV while still in college. Since then, I have spent hours with state police in Virginia and Delaware.
I accept completely that Mr. Bratton is sincere in his efforts. It is not enough. We need to consider the whole career path of police officers, whether spending 20 to 25 yrs. is too much for people to handle, too much violence, too much ugliness, too much accumulated risk. One idea would be to give officers a scheduled time out for a year or so at mid-career to do other types of work. Many might decide not to go back. Police chiefs would oppose this because they would be losing experienced, capable officers at, presumably, the height of their capacities, but losing citizens and officers to unwarranted violence is highly unfortunate, also.
The police business has been overly professionalized with too much emphasis on protecting the officer above all else. When officers shoot someone beside the roadway, they are reacting to be told hundreds of times that a traffic stop is one of their most dangerous duties. So, to try to "bring things under control" they often escalate in volume and actions when the "subject" doesn't immediately follow the drill. All of this needs to be slowed down. "De-escalation training needs to be regular, on-going.
I accept completely that Mr. Bratton is sincere in his efforts. It is not enough. We need to consider the whole career path of police officers, whether spending 20 to 25 yrs. is too much for people to handle, too much violence, too much ugliness, too much accumulated risk. One idea would be to give officers a scheduled time out for a year or so at mid-career to do other types of work. Many might decide not to go back. Police chiefs would oppose this because they would be losing experienced, capable officers at, presumably, the height of their capacities, but losing citizens and officers to unwarranted violence is highly unfortunate, also.
The police business has been overly professionalized with too much emphasis on protecting the officer above all else. When officers shoot someone beside the roadway, they are reacting to be told hundreds of times that a traffic stop is one of their most dangerous duties. So, to try to "bring things under control" they often escalate in volume and actions when the "subject" doesn't immediately follow the drill. All of this needs to be slowed down. "De-escalation training needs to be regular, on-going.
4
Interesting that Commissioner Bratton demanded full loyalty from DeBlasio, who is the only elected official in this picture, but refused to extend the same to him when the Police unions were going rouge just last year. He sat on the fence.
WRT cops policing themselves, clearly you must be joking, or have you not heard/seen of a technology called YouTube, Mr. Bratton?
WRT cops policing themselves, clearly you must be joking, or have you not heard/seen of a technology called YouTube, Mr. Bratton?
2
For a few decades I've lived in a NYC neighborhood with a comparatively low crime rate, but there are always anomalies. I live next to an NYPD Precinct. The only time I see cops on foot is during shift changes.
For comparison's sake, I've known the names of every postman serving the neighborhood. I've never known the name of a single cop.
For comparison's sake, I've known the names of every postman serving the neighborhood. I've never known the name of a single cop.
4
I am continually impressed by the officers of the Boston Police Department. The officers have great training in de-escalation and when there is an officer involved shooting, Police Commissioner William Evans and Deputy Commissioner Willie Gross are on the scene and working with community leaders to review video and find out what happened. Nearly two years ago, a plain clothes officer was ambushed at a traffic stop by the driver of the car, shot in the face. The other officers shot and killed the suspect. Within a few days, the video of the incident was first shown to community leaders, then the public saw the video, removing any doubt of whether the shooting was justified or not. Clearly, it was. I wish more departments would have this kind of leadership and officers had the kind of training BPD gets.
The issue with poor police behaviors has a long history of excuses and suggestions, but the issue is education and hiring the right people. The process requires psychological testing, university education and an excellent Human Resources team. Get with the program: if you want honest, intelligent, people with integrity - don't hire the bullies, and ask their teachers how did this person perform and act toward others in school.
Police Education shouldn't mean six weeks of no-attendance at a Community College but officers to come by and pick up their "Certificates" to qualify for an extra $200/ on their pay-checks. The requirement ought to mean UNIVERSITY, because if they are too stupid to get a degree they are too stupid to qualify as officers and have the respect of the people. Too many officers were the school class bullies, and too many had serious problem behaviors - but, come school reunions and they are full of swagger telling their former class mates - they are now a "police officer."
Police Education shouldn't mean six weeks of no-attendance at a Community College but officers to come by and pick up their "Certificates" to qualify for an extra $200/ on their pay-checks. The requirement ought to mean UNIVERSITY, because if they are too stupid to get a degree they are too stupid to qualify as officers and have the respect of the people. Too many officers were the school class bullies, and too many had serious problem behaviors - but, come school reunions and they are full of swagger telling their former class mates - they are now a "police officer."
3
There is widespread racism, sexism and over-zealous use of force among those in law enforcement. But is it unique to law enforcement? I see it everywhere. But these tendencies can be more harmful when exercised by law enforcement because our system gives police the benefit of the doubt, even when these abuses of authority result in death. But one thing largely missing in this discussion is the role played by the widespread firearms among the civilian population. When guns are easy to get and frequently carried, the police would be fools to not err on the side of their own safety. Worse, the arms used and carried by so many are increasingly likely to be designed to kill many people quickly, traditionally the goal in war zones. The more plentiful and powerful the weapons carried by civilians (law abiding or criminal), the more law enforcement will become militarized and act accordingly, shooting fast to avoid being shot, shooting automatically as we train our soldiers to do. Until we decide to seriously regulate firearms, I can't see law enforcement using more restraint.
Absolutely agree that state legislatures can't solve this problem. It does need to come from within. But that means more than just training and changes in patrol assignments (which are both good things). It means swift and sure consequences when officers engage in wrongdoing. It means the installation of an honor code--"I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor will I tolerate those who do"--with teeth. If you cover up for a bad cop, you're in trouble, too, up to and including discharge, plus criminal charges for filing provably false reports.
As it stands now, cops can lie and cover up for each other and nothing happens to them. Worst case scenario,, they're forced to retire, which means they collect pensions and are free to take other employment that can actually boost their total take-home pay.
Training and carrots are nice, but we also need sticks, and there aren't nearly enough--ask cops in Chicago who filed reports saying nothing no one did anything wrong when Officer Van Dyke, ultimately charged with murder when the city was forced to release video, gunned down Laquan McDonald. All those cops are still collecting paychecks, and if they are ever forced to leave the force, they'll get pensions if they have sufficient years in. They should be charged with obstruction of justice and official misconduct--if convicted, they would lose their pensions. But nearly two years later, nothing.
This sort of thing is why the public is fed up and doesn't trust cops to police to fix it.
As it stands now, cops can lie and cover up for each other and nothing happens to them. Worst case scenario,, they're forced to retire, which means they collect pensions and are free to take other employment that can actually boost their total take-home pay.
Training and carrots are nice, but we also need sticks, and there aren't nearly enough--ask cops in Chicago who filed reports saying nothing no one did anything wrong when Officer Van Dyke, ultimately charged with murder when the city was forced to release video, gunned down Laquan McDonald. All those cops are still collecting paychecks, and if they are ever forced to leave the force, they'll get pensions if they have sufficient years in. They should be charged with obstruction of justice and official misconduct--if convicted, they would lose their pensions. But nearly two years later, nothing.
This sort of thing is why the public is fed up and doesn't trust cops to police to fix it.
1
The police can't be trusted to police themselves. Bratton's right that there are "good" cops out there. The problem is they'll turn a blind eye to brutality and lawlessness by their brothers in blue. It turns their stomachs but they want someone to have their back and don't want to ruin a career. IOW, they care more about their kids than they do yours. They're not altruistic or heroes.
In the 1940s the LAPD started keeping crime statistics. They started focusing on what were then called "Chicano" neighborhoods and in particular young men wearing zoot suits. With crime statistics they crafted a narrative of these neighborhoods being higher crime areas requiring more police. The funny thing was, the way these areas became "high crime" is that he police made arrests they wouldn't have made elsewhere and then meticulously reported the outcomes. It's also true that they under-reported crimes in other "safer" areas. This was the beginning of the widely accepted narrative of Latino and black neighborhoods being more violent and dangerous. But they became that way in large part due to the police. It's a vicious cycle.
The police in this country, even minority officers, have been the blunt instrument of white privilege and minority oppression. Until we, as Americans, demand police actually serve everyone, the problems will persist. Just image how much better it would be for black and Latino America if the police treated all of them the way they treat a middle-aged white in a suit.
In the 1940s the LAPD started keeping crime statistics. They started focusing on what were then called "Chicano" neighborhoods and in particular young men wearing zoot suits. With crime statistics they crafted a narrative of these neighborhoods being higher crime areas requiring more police. The funny thing was, the way these areas became "high crime" is that he police made arrests they wouldn't have made elsewhere and then meticulously reported the outcomes. It's also true that they under-reported crimes in other "safer" areas. This was the beginning of the widely accepted narrative of Latino and black neighborhoods being more violent and dangerous. But they became that way in large part due to the police. It's a vicious cycle.
The police in this country, even minority officers, have been the blunt instrument of white privilege and minority oppression. Until we, as Americans, demand police actually serve everyone, the problems will persist. Just image how much better it would be for black and Latino America if the police treated all of them the way they treat a middle-aged white in a suit.
4
But...how do you get rid of bad cops?
1
I have followed Bill Bratton's work since his time heading the NY transit police when a non-police professional association I helped lead recognized that department's turnaround with an award. What I've admired is how he has never been locked into one approach to reform and improved performance, but how he has assessed the reality of every situation he has faced and been flexible enough to adjust his approach to fit. I felt when he left the NYPD the first time after dramatic crime reductions in 1994-95, his successors made the mistake of not re-assessing how things were changing in the city and devising new strategies. Instead they just doubled down on whatever had succeeded under Bratton, pushing the force ever harder for more of the same, ultimately breeding unsound (in some cases, perhaps corrupt) management and motivational practices and community distrust. We'll never know if, given a longer first tenure as NYPD Commissioner, Bratton would have re-assessed the situation in NYC and changed his strategy accordingly to keep succeeding at crime reduction while improving, rather than harming, community-police relations. Based on his record throughout his career, my guess is that he would have. I wish that, back in the 1990s, we would have had him longer and found out.
6
The only thing that needs to change is accountability. Transparency is meaningless if no one is held accountable. This should have been obvious after the savage beating of Rodney King which was captured very clearly on tape.
Unfortunately there is no shortage of equally detestable citizens that are more than happy to cheer lead police brutality, and they also happen to be jurors.
Unfortunately there is no shortage of equally detestable citizens that are more than happy to cheer lead police brutality, and they also happen to be jurors.
9
Thank you, Commissioner Bratton, for your many years of service!
11
This is going to sound small here as against all the other, much larger, much more fundamental reasons for inept policing. Mr. Bratton states, "We have ...taken the giant step of putting a smartphone in the hands of all police officers...." They, of course, are also armed with their own, personal cell phones and I observe them, as do you, spending and spending and spending time on them instead of looking up and doing their patrol. When the PBA negotiates for higher salaries, I hope the City will counter with the loss in productivity wrought by police spending and spending and spending time on their phones. And when not, spending and spending and spending another while chatting in circles with their buds. I recall when Mr. Bratton addressed the last graduating class of recruits he emphasized--I mean really emphasized--that they enjoy their jobs. Gosh, I'd think something else might have taken precedence in his remarks.
10
While some officers are likely using smartphones for personal reasons, agencies are starting to use custom apps on smartphones to help train police officers and to keep them up to date on policies and procedures. The training can be both extensive or in short bursts for reinforcement, with automatic tracking and accountability. The company I work for, PoliceCommunity.com, supports agencies with mobile training like this and it has been met with great enthusiasm.
1
A culture of apathy here in New York is what I see daily in any interactions with police. I'm an older white woman, so this is my perspective. They are warm and friendly almost all the time. (Once, as I attempted to extricate myself from blocked streets during Occupy Wall St. before having the chance to ask an officer which way to go, he barked "get back, get back," in a manner that actually frightened me.) I see officers every day on the Brooklyn Bridge, looking at their phones, talking to each other, obliviously blocking the small area to walk beside their trucks - where they sit or stand - they don't patrol - posing for photos with tourists, and basically - it seems to me - putting in their 20 years so they can retire with a nice pension and get another job on top of that. Reform is needed on many levels. Thanks so much for your service - you definitely fought the good fight.
24
Let’s hope this approach works. I fear it won’t. Here’s why.
Bratton confuses cause and effect. The black ghettos did not become centers of crime and violence in response to police attitudes towards their residents.
It was the other way around.
Bratton confuses cause and effect. The black ghettos did not become centers of crime and violence in response to police attitudes towards their residents.
It was the other way around.
14
Huh? You're saying crime festered in ghettos BECAUSE of their residents attitude towards police?! That's nuts. Here, let me help you out: lack of jobs; lack of job skills; poverty; lack of parenting; drugs; poor schools.
There are plenty of people out there who would say you are dead wrong. They would say that police and other harassment of "brown" people, and that decades or even centuries of discrimination in housing, labor, justice, and societal attitudes – the things that forced them into ghettoes in the first place – are major contributing factors to crime and violence in those places.
1
I'm confused as to what you are implying here. Are you saying that police attitudes toward residents caused black ghettos to become centers of crime and violence?
If so, that is an incredibly over simplistic hypothesis. The economics of race and the cycle of poverty I believe play a much larger role in the rise of crime and violence.
If so, that is an incredibly over simplistic hypothesis. The economics of race and the cycle of poverty I believe play a much larger role in the rise of crime and violence.
3
I had dinner last night with a retired police chief, who is still doing police work. We have been friends since he joined the club his father and I belonged to, but I thought he would have been too busy for that when he became chief in a nearby city. A few years ago I started asking him to come to club dinners, and we have been attending them together since then. The more dinners we have together, the more that I realize that I should have had him come earlier.
It is all too easy to become isolated in police work. Our society, for better or worse, treats police that way. Police end up socializing only with police, and that is not good for either them or the rest of society. I can see that both my friend and I have changed attitudes towards police work by getting together, not just with each other, but with the other people who come to the dinners with me.
While I believe that there can be reform of policing from within, it is not a complete answer. Police and non-police need to engage with each other in the broader ares of society, and to get to really understand each other. We do not truly understand the way we see other people until we get to know them better. The uniform can be a barrier to that. From time to time, the uniform needs to come off, and police and the people they serve need to get together and just relate as ordinary people.
It is all too easy to become isolated in police work. Our society, for better or worse, treats police that way. Police end up socializing only with police, and that is not good for either them or the rest of society. I can see that both my friend and I have changed attitudes towards police work by getting together, not just with each other, but with the other people who come to the dinners with me.
While I believe that there can be reform of policing from within, it is not a complete answer. Police and non-police need to engage with each other in the broader ares of society, and to get to really understand each other. We do not truly understand the way we see other people until we get to know them better. The uniform can be a barrier to that. From time to time, the uniform needs to come off, and police and the people they serve need to get together and just relate as ordinary people.
17
Cops are the hired public help. Elected officials are the elected hired help. Neither the cops nor mayors are the essence of the community they are pledged to represent, protect and serve.
With a badged, uniformed and armed license to deprive us of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness cops should be held to the penultimate of honor, humility and integrity with every presumption of purity resolved in favor of civilians. Black mayors and police chiefs in black majority cities supported the killings of both Tamir Rice in Cleveland and Freddie Grey in Baltimore. This is all about blue against black.
Weasels can not be trusted to reform their chicken coop activities that conflict with their nature. Cops can not be trusted to reform their professional prerogatives in the neighborhoods that do not look and feel and live like them.
Mr. Bratton sounds and looks a lot like a fictional Rhett Butler reigning on his plantation or a fictional Tarzan ruling over his jungle or a fictional Rocky fighting in his boxing ring.
With a badged, uniformed and armed license to deprive us of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness cops should be held to the penultimate of honor, humility and integrity with every presumption of purity resolved in favor of civilians. Black mayors and police chiefs in black majority cities supported the killings of both Tamir Rice in Cleveland and Freddie Grey in Baltimore. This is all about blue against black.
Weasels can not be trusted to reform their chicken coop activities that conflict with their nature. Cops can not be trusted to reform their professional prerogatives in the neighborhoods that do not look and feel and live like them.
Mr. Bratton sounds and looks a lot like a fictional Rhett Butler reigning on his plantation or a fictional Tarzan ruling over his jungle or a fictional Rocky fighting in his boxing ring.
6
I seriously doubt that anyone reading your description of the role of a policeman would apply to the police academy.
3
@RG
I have born and bred South Side Chicago colored cops and crooks in my family. My cop family members know the difference between the thugs, the crazy, the troubled and the civilians. My crook family members have gotten what they deserve from cops within the law. And the family crooks have only been shot by and only shot their fellow crooks. Justice?
I have born and bred South Side Chicago colored cops and crooks in my family. My cop family members know the difference between the thugs, the crazy, the troubled and the civilians. My crook family members have gotten what they deserve from cops within the law. And the family crooks have only been shot by and only shot their fellow crooks. Justice?
1
Quite amazingly, he does not discuss police discipline. As part of the bad police culture which we want to-- need to= get rid of is Bratton's lament about police being watched and second guessed. You hear this lament from the least progressive police chiefs also. With the power to kill, there is no organization that should be less free from oversight, discipline and transparency than the police; they should be monitored 24/7; they need to be. Problem police officers need to be removed early not late; police need to be Yes, Bratton did some good things, but dont be fooled. He as much of the Many of his officers caught doing bad things got mere slaps on the wrist from Bratton. In this respect, Bratton was/is very much still a part of the problem as much as the least progressive chiefs. Dont let his words fool you, which were often at odds with his lenient treatment of bad and racist police in his ranks. It is the lack of accountability that has gotten us to this point, and much to their shame, strongly resisted by Bratton and the City's police unions.
22
It's great to hear positive news from Commissioner Bratton on this front. And it's amazing that he maintained his reformist vision over so many tough decades. The commissioner elided over the topic of police unions - maybe diplomatically - but I believe they have proved themselves to be the single biggest obstacle to increasing professionalism and building police forces that place a high value on dignity, respect, and human life.
4
To echo what Mark Thomason touched upon, a critical component to 'change from within' is to institute real and enforceable protections for whistle blowers at all levels.
It's been 45 years since the brave actions of Frank Serpico at the NYPD, which did prompt some reforms, but in so many other ways it seems nothing much has really changed since then.
It's been 45 years since the brave actions of Frank Serpico at the NYPD, which did prompt some reforms, but in so many other ways it seems nothing much has really changed since then.
25
Says the police commissioner that gave a raise to the officer that strangled Eric Garner to death.
You're part of the problem Bratton.
You're part of the problem Bratton.
43
That will happen when the criminals are nice to them. You, PCer, go out on the street and check out reality!
2
Bill Bratton has earned the right to do a little boasting. If only there were more of him.
11
Sadly, Bratton practically ignored traffic crimes. His view of the deaths and injuries on our streets was from the back of a giant SUV, not from the perspective of a vulnerable street user.
7
I know a young man who did multiple tours overseas in war zones. There is no doubt in my mind he has PTSD, he is deeply disturbed. I just found out he was accepted into a police academy. I truly hope he has turned his life around and becomes a productive member of society and a good policeman. My point is how many officers roam our streets and still think we are the enemy. I want to believe police can and will remove an officer who is incapable of good judgement and good police work. Make me believe.
42
Not just "remove" the officer--that seems to be easy, once they get criminal-conviction immunity and a blue parachute to match the uniform.
No, jail the officer too. Their actions decide whether we are safe or not, and to intentionally decide not just to allow but *be* the danger is a direct attack on our communities.
Bratton is not at all one to talk on improving police, not when he's Broken Windows in our city for two mayors.
No, jail the officer too. Their actions decide whether we are safe or not, and to intentionally decide not just to allow but *be* the danger is a direct attack on our communities.
Bratton is not at all one to talk on improving police, not when he's Broken Windows in our city for two mayors.
Between stories like yours and the constant reporting that "problem" officers involved in so many "incidents" were previously dismissed from previous police jobs due to excessive violence, etc. (sometimes more than once), I must say I need something more than a column like this to believe anything serious is being done to reform policing in this country.
1
Glad you said this. I see a trend of PDs boasting of hiring veterans. Why is that accepted as a good thing? Can we see proof that military training -- which is shoot to kill the enemy-- translates to effective neighborhood policing of ones fellow citizens? Maybe hiring social workers would be a better step.
2
Mr. Bratton you say, "There were many good cops in Boston in those days, but there was also an insular culture that had some racist, brutal, corrupt and lazy elements." There still are and it's time to break the police unions that protect bad cops as well as reject lawmakers who kowtow to them.
30
Time to break the teachers unions who have locked poor and minority children into failing schools. The amount of destruction they have wrought is beyond belief.
1
Teacher's Unions have absolutely nothing to do with this conversation.
That said, the vast majority of teachers work very hard, care deeply about students, know that they could make more money doing almost any other job, are not respected by much of the public, could have their pensions taken away from them at the whim of public officials who use them as scapegoats.
For decades, there has been a concerted effort on the part of most Republicans and Libertarians to ruin public education in the United States. They know that if we as a nation improved our public schools, then the difference between a student graduating from a public school would be equal to the privileged few with receive a private and very expensive education. Their own children would then have to compete with many more people.
That said, the vast majority of teachers work very hard, care deeply about students, know that they could make more money doing almost any other job, are not respected by much of the public, could have their pensions taken away from them at the whim of public officials who use them as scapegoats.
For decades, there has been a concerted effort on the part of most Republicans and Libertarians to ruin public education in the United States. They know that if we as a nation improved our public schools, then the difference between a student graduating from a public school would be equal to the privileged few with receive a private and very expensive education. Their own children would then have to compete with many more people.
6
Let's break all unions for the same reasons - not just police unions.
3
"What changes police culture is leadership from within."
True. There is one more thing this needs to add: other officers do know what is going on. Officers who work with a bad actor, and that bad actor's immediate supervisor, do know perfectly well what is being done, and that it is wrong.
The key is to get them to stop it. We can't prevent anyone from going bad. If we could, we would prevent crime too. What we can do is stop it when we know.
In too many departments, they don't stop it. They know. They protect. They deny. Us against Them.
Cameras and so forth provide evidence to outsiders. Fellow officers are right there. They talk to each other. They work with each other constantly. They already know. They don't need a camera.
True. There is one more thing this needs to add: other officers do know what is going on. Officers who work with a bad actor, and that bad actor's immediate supervisor, do know perfectly well what is being done, and that it is wrong.
The key is to get them to stop it. We can't prevent anyone from going bad. If we could, we would prevent crime too. What we can do is stop it when we know.
In too many departments, they don't stop it. They know. They protect. They deny. Us against Them.
Cameras and so forth provide evidence to outsiders. Fellow officers are right there. They talk to each other. They work with each other constantly. They already know. They don't need a camera.
45
All these efforts to improve a culture of service to the community, maintain law and order without losing your humanity in the process, are welcome of course, and its implementation worthwhile from within, But long-term, so it won't falter and pick up old habits again (i.e. abuse of power), it will need to be regulated from without as well. The old adage 'trust but verify' seems still valid.
19
Police departments across the country will never reform until there are real consequences and accountability. There is a separate justice system for citizens and police. How many of those accused of a crime are allowed a 48 hour grace period to be interviewed? How many times have police officers been convicted for an unjustified killing? From what I've read lately about consequences in this city, it equals serious overtime pay. I believe that police officers should be held to the same, if not higher standard due to what they represent. No one should be able to run roughshod over those they are sworn to protect.
55
In Pasco, Washington the 3 cops who killed a rock thrower in a hail of bullets, sending some into a convenience store drink cooler, had 2 months before they *agreed* to give a statement! Then they were interviewed by fellow cops who prompted them with answers. The whole process was a joke.
22
To your point about a 48 hour grace period before being interviewed: As civilians, we do not have to speak to the police at all. We have the right to remain silent. Police officers, if they want to keep their job, do not have that right. Therefore, your assertion that this grace period is some sort of luxury civilians do not have is a fallacy.
1
It is more their "us against them" attitude that stems from their closed culture. Cops hang out with other cops, distrusting and treating the public accordingly.
9
And let's be honest, there is a steady diet of exposure to bad or at least not good people. Maybe that just takes its toll and makes a person view people through a dark lens that is not appropriate for the task of protecting and serving.
2
Mr. Bratton.
As a decades long resident of New York City I would like to thank you for your service to our city and your efforts to keep our citizens safe. Your innovative policing strategies through the years has helped reduce the annual NYC murder rate from over 2,200 to less than 400. Black Lives Matter commissioner and through your policing efforts you have saved thousands of black lives (and lives of every color) over the years - you should be very proud of your accomplishments.
As a decades long resident of New York City I would like to thank you for your service to our city and your efforts to keep our citizens safe. Your innovative policing strategies through the years has helped reduce the annual NYC murder rate from over 2,200 to less than 400. Black Lives Matter commissioner and through your policing efforts you have saved thousands of black lives (and lives of every color) over the years - you should be very proud of your accomplishments.
29
Hats off to a great Commissioner, who has changed the business of policing in the Western world, for the better, for ever. The long term impact of the Bratton approach, honed in innovation in all those departments he led over decades, is too enormous to measure, with an influence far beyond the USA, and for that, we all thank you Commissioner.
4
Crime across America decreased by a similar rate. You're giving your boy too much credit. If he were really a BLM commissioner, a judge would not have had to rule one of his policing methods unconstitutional.
2
@LeeDowell
"Crime across America decreased by a similar rate."
Hogwash. Many cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Detroit have not experienced similar declines in crime and murder. There are absolutely thousands of people alive today in New York City that would have been killed by crime if not for Commissioner Bratton and the New York Police Departments methods and tactics.
A biased, liberal judge ruled stop and frisk unconstitutional and the city actually was poised to have her decision overturned (because of her bias) and Mayor de Blasio (for political reasons) choose not to appeal. So your argument on that point also falls flat.
Instead of disparaging Commissioner Bratton how about saluting him for the lives (including many black lives) saved by his efforts. Or are scoring political points more important to you than black lives?
"Crime across America decreased by a similar rate."
Hogwash. Many cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Detroit have not experienced similar declines in crime and murder. There are absolutely thousands of people alive today in New York City that would have been killed by crime if not for Commissioner Bratton and the New York Police Departments methods and tactics.
A biased, liberal judge ruled stop and frisk unconstitutional and the city actually was poised to have her decision overturned (because of her bias) and Mayor de Blasio (for political reasons) choose not to appeal. So your argument on that point also falls flat.
Instead of disparaging Commissioner Bratton how about saluting him for the lives (including many black lives) saved by his efforts. Or are scoring political points more important to you than black lives?
4
Some within the police department need to be reformed or fired.
Many more within the communities in need of the most policing should be be made to do CCC- and WPA-type work so that they will have done useful labor and gotten good and tired by the end of the day.
In this way, they will not have the energy to hang out all night, make noise and leave garbage behind, and shoot people.
The same goes for white people in rural areas too.
If we do not make jobs for the unemployed and seemingly unemployable, we will be in bigger trouble than we're in already. Heaven knows it would cost less to have young men do much-needed road work, trail work, clean-up work, pointing, painting, and so on -- than to leave them to their own devices.
Idle hands make mischief.
Many more within the communities in need of the most policing should be be made to do CCC- and WPA-type work so that they will have done useful labor and gotten good and tired by the end of the day.
In this way, they will not have the energy to hang out all night, make noise and leave garbage behind, and shoot people.
The same goes for white people in rural areas too.
If we do not make jobs for the unemployed and seemingly unemployable, we will be in bigger trouble than we're in already. Heaven knows it would cost less to have young men do much-needed road work, trail work, clean-up work, pointing, painting, and so on -- than to leave them to their own devices.
Idle hands make mischief.
11
I would add one more component to changing cultures and that is the educational level of new hires. Presently, across the nation, a small percentage of new law enforcement offices possess a college degree. While I am not a proponent that everyone must go to college, there are certain professions, policing is one of them, that call of the kinds of thinking, temperament, and judgment that university curriculum promotes.
19
Police departments should stop hiring military people - they have a "we are at war" mentality and have been trained to kill first and ask questions later not serve in community policing.
13
How many of that small percentage have degrees from questionable online sources?
2
Perhaps it is less veterans who hold stereotypical attitudes, Njglea, and more you.
3
It is important for police officers, as well as others whose service is essential, such as teachers and nurses, to be able to afford to live in the communities they serve.
10
The only thing missing from Bratton thesis: the need for police departments to be populated by same percentage of ethnic and racial profiles that represent the communities in which they serve.
13
Jay: Half the officers in the Freddie Gray case were black. The jury that voted to acquit in the first trial was majority black. The Judge that dismissed the next two cases was black.
The lack of diversity argument is a smokescreen. The reality is that the communities have to change, not the police.
The lack of diversity argument is a smokescreen. The reality is that the communities have to change, not the police.
19
Can you compromise and say that change is needed on BOTH sides?
1
ACCOUNTABILITY: Most important thing here is that we stop allowing the police to investigate themselves. To really address this the Federal DOJ needs to investigate complaints against police. And they need to have very stiff penalties if the DOJ is investigating a police action, and get lied to by the police themselves.
Reality-Check: If we allow this, there will be millions of false complaints, {example: "Hands-Up, Don't-Shoot}. You need all complaints sworn, and provably false complaints should land that folks in jail
- - - -
TRANSPARENCY: The *biggest* problem here is all the fishing-expedition stops, without probable cause.
In non-emergency stops, the first thing that should happen is that the police give you a business-card, or better, a printout, with an incident# that you can register a complaint against, AND must specify the REASON you are being stopped
= = = =
SUMMARY: You need to have enough information to file a complaint against police misconduct,
AND, you need to have a place to complain to that has the power to hold the police accountable, and not be subject to a runaround
AND, you need to be very hard on anybody filing nonsense complaints