I now it's against the rules but I've been fishing this thread around

[FreedRadical]

I just think it should be seen.





http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_033170755.html

[silverweb]

1. Wow.

I had to stop the video because I was getting too mad. Florida has some real problems.

I swore long ago that I'd never set foot in that cursed state and I've just renewed my vow.

You're right. This should be seen.

[RagingInMiami]

2. I live down here and it's not surprising

[RoyGBiv]

3. Okay, that's interesting ...

Haven't seen any other threads on this, but just a comment on this one, it helps if you give some indication of what's at the link, like offering a couple paragraphs from the story.

Anyway, this is a story about police officers in South Florida refusing to allow citizens to file complaints and at time harassing people asking how to do it. The video is quite illustrative.

However, I want to add, this is a horribly written story. I mean, the writing was bad, unclear, just weird in places. The transcript also needs to be cleaned up.

[FreedRadical]

4. I didn't write or even post it originally

It just made me crazy.

[sandnsea]

5. Seeing as you only have a few posts

I'll be kind. This is really a pet peeve of alot of people at DU. We can copy/paste up to 4 paragraphs and not violate copyright laws, or just a one sentence description of the problem. I personally get really annoyed when there's only a link to a video because I don't like to wait to download some of them, and I have DSL. I can only imagine how dial-up people feel.

But yeah, I don't know why we can't just have a country full of sane people who just hand out a complaint form when they're asked for one. Better yet, honestly try to resolve the complaint, how shocking would that be!!

[FreedRadical]

6. something told me I shouldn't have done it.

But I couldn't help myself. Sorry if I offended anyone if I made an intellectual mistake. It made me crazy and I wanted to make sure others seen the thread:shrug:

[bowens43]

7. You didn't do anything wrong.

Don't worry abaout it.

[sandnsea]

8. You didn't offend anybody

Like I said, it's just a small annoyance, a pet peeve. No biggie.

[Speed8098]

9. You did fine

I don't know why you are getting a hard time from other posters, maybe they're cops.

It has been my experience in my 50 years of life that some cops are on a power trip, not all, but some. If you aren't a brother in blue, they you must be a suspect.

This is something that needs to be looked at nationwide.

It shouldn't be us against them, as they seem to think, it should be them working FOR us, as we pay them to do.

[sandnsea]

11. Post a snippet with a link???

People ask for that every single day on DU. I don't know why you're jumping to bizarre conclusios that somebody has to be a cop because they asked for a snippet to be posted with the link. Maybe you were joking, I hope so.

[Dunvegan]

10. The real reason to intimidate requests is to insure NO paper trail

Without forms, and with only officer interviews, any officer that has a long running history of abusive behaviour, and perhaps finally kills an innocent citizen can call the event "unique."

A paper trail shows a pattern of intent.

It also can be used to launch an investigation of the practices an entire police station, and the lack of proper conduct being enforced from the top, if there are many such complaints over a period of time.

Part two, where two guys (one white, and one black) driving perfectly the same new Mustang was instructive regarding racial profiling. The white investigator was never pulled over. The black driver, also driving the very same new car, safely and perfectly, was very frequently pulled over...on the same stretch of road. The reason given by the officer: weaving. The investigator following filmed the stops. No weaving involved.

I know a lot of white guys that would become very tired and outraged if they knew almost every time they drove their car they'd be stopped and tossed. Next: stopping cars with "End the War" bumper stickers. A middle-class black guy knows he isn't allowed any outrage...unless he wants a Rodney King moment. A black driver has to be very careful to be obsequious to racial profile stops. Consider: he's already being harassed. Untrusted for driving a car as a responsible citizen. What may happen in one of those endless stops if he protests?

They said one man, a former LAPD who headed up the citizen's investigative group was thrown through plate glass for questioning his being pulled over. I suspect a cop would know what would constitute legal behaviour that would give the stopping officer's the right to throw him through a store window...and didn't cross that line. He was abused anyway. Thank heavens he didn't sever an artery.

And then, in those many So. Fla. cities...he couldn't even fill out a police complaint form. The investigative team would have to talk with an officer. Which would be discouraging in a town where you're harassed for "driving while black." And what if that officer was the one pulling you over?

Just like e-voting...without a paper trail a complaint could vanish as easily as be filed.

All in the "first they came for the (name group)...and I said nothing" series.

[sandnsea]

12. I'm aware

But I also believe the more suspiciously we treat each other, the most psychotic we all become, and the worse abusive situations get. I also believe that if we just try to resolve issues, most of the time they can be quite easily. And that's what we really want, after all. Wouldn't it be nice if an African American could just go in and complain to the appropriate officer, and that officer honestly handled it with the appropriate record and the officer would be fired if it happened again. Expeditiously, the way things are supposed to be handled.

[Dunvegan]

13. It would be fair and good community service all around.

And there are thousands of police stations where a no one is welcomed if they wish to fill out a complaint.

And thousands more where a white citizen would be tolerated while a minority citizen (who pays their taxes, also) would be intimidated and discouraged with extreme malice from being ableto lodge that complaint.

Try it yourself. Put together two people, one black and one white, and see what happens. Even if you know the situation, the cold reality is very shocking and scary if you're there enduring it over and over.

[Peter Frank]

14. Great Catch...

Many municipal police Dpts. are now being trained by the Feds. Let's also look into how Ohio's doing in the same regard.