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*THREAD*
What follows is a conversation I had recently with a retired RPD officer, who agreed to go on record. The conversation is short, but jarring.
The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity /1
What follows is a conversation I had recently with a retired RPD officer, who agreed to go on record. The conversation is short, but jarring.
The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity /1
Matthew: How long were you in RPD?
Thomas: I was there for over thirty years. I was a sniper on SWAT.
M: With respect to our current moment, let me ask you a few questions. We've heard a lot about morale recently, from our Chief Smith, our interim, and our new chief..
Thomas: I was there for over thirty years. I was a sniper on SWAT.
M: With respect to our current moment, let me ask you a few questions. We've heard a lot about morale recently, from our Chief Smith, our interim, and our new chief..
..I did my research. There seem to be a litany of conditions for "perfect morale" to be kept. Chief among them is there can't be any "political interference."
T: Precisely, precisely.
M: So that extends to..?
T: Everything. They don't understand the mindset, the job.
T: Precisely, precisely.
M: So that extends to..?
T: Everything. They don't understand the mindset, the job.
M: And when the mayor or governor is making changes..?
T: They shouldn't.
M: So what about a third party, objective...shouldn't that exist with respect to accountability?
T: No. The Mayor appoints a chief of police? Good, now get out of the way.
T: They shouldn't.
M: So what about a third party, objective...shouldn't that exist with respect to accountability?
T: No. The Mayor appoints a chief of police? Good, now get out of the way.
M: The accountability then, it would only be internal?
T: Exactly, cuz we know the mindset. We know the job.
M: That's exactly the problem though, is that police are seen as very much unaccountable.
T: Civilians don't understand, they can't understand. Even the mayor.
T: Exactly, cuz we know the mindset. We know the job.
M: That's exactly the problem though, is that police are seen as very much unaccountable.
T: Civilians don't understand, they can't understand. Even the mayor.
M: In the short time we have left, what about the push for a civilian review board. Do you...
T: (audibly sighs)
M: I take it you don't like it
T: Not at all. It's Monday morning quarterbacking, essentially. No police want it.
T: (audibly sighs)
M: I take it you don't like it
T: Not at all. It's Monday morning quarterbacking, essentially. No police want it.
M: Just so I'm clear then, where's the accountability coming from?
T: It has to be from us. No one, civilians can't possibly understand the job. They don't understand how we make our decisions.
.......................................................
T: It has to be from us. No one, civilians can't possibly understand the job. They don't understand how we make our decisions.
.......................................................
The upshot here is that police cannot simply be "reformed." Indeed, any third party accountability is seen as "interference." The main reason I was given against all this was that civilians aren't capable of "understanding" the police....
It was quite something to hear. I wasn't surprised, but it was still sobering to hear right in front of me. Police look with disgust at *any* semblance of outside accountability. In a perfect world, they would have free reign to do whatever they want...and that's the rub....
They already do. We all saw the leaked video with Stoney. We saw Northam completely rule out any accountability at all; The police are a rogue force. Across the country, they're quite literally allowed to act lawlessly. Any attempt at accntblty and they simply threaten pullback
There's no other solution...the police need to be dissolved, and "public safety" needs to be reimagined. It's been proven time and again that these forces cannot be trusted and are a menace to society.
