Exactly. It’s often frustrating for officers in more progressive departments seeing things like this happen, because the actions of any one officer reflect on everyone in uniform no matter where they are. Like I mentioned earlier in the thread though, it’s not enough to just do a good job.
They should have sent a poet.They are joining the protests, often in uniform, that’s a big part of why protests in their areas are peaceful.
The problem is that good cops in bad areas are pushed to quit, fired or left to die in dangerous situations.
So you get a critical mass of bad cops in bad areas (with the bad being a mix between actively bad (the ones commuting police brutality) and passively bad (the ones refusing to stop brutality and either covering it up, socially punishing anyone who tries to reveal it or supporting unions who defend bad cops while rejecting good cops)) and a bunch of good cops the next county over facepalming.
Short of the good cops driving into the city/country of the bad cops and actively stopping them killing people there’s not much they can do.
Actually there is one thing, break their local union chapter off from the national organisation.
Edited by Silasw on May 31st 2020 at 11:24:01 AM
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran![]()
In a lot of places police officers are showing solidarity with protests, but don’t forget it’s also their job. Not a lot of cops are wealthy enough to be able to risk their employment at a moment’s notice.
Police officers need to start using their national organizations as a weapon against bad actors. Cut union membership, kick people out of technical organizations like NTOA, that kind of thing.
Edited by archonspeaks on May 31st 2020 at 4:24:45 AM
They should have sent a poet.Solidarity is good and everything, but sometimes that still isn't enough, and it may require the "good" cops to take a physical stand against the "bad" cops. When I see a "good" cop standing between the "bad" cops and the protesters, or taking steps to restrain the "bad" cops, even if it means risking getting hurt or losing their jobs, then I can say that meaningful internal reform of some kind is actually being made.
Who would be doing that, though? The problem is that these departments are independent at a local level. State and federal governments have limited ability to step in and fire people.
We tend to think of “police” as a single entity, it’s thousands of tiny independent agencies that all operate differently.
Edited by archonspeaks on May 31st 2020 at 4:35:14 AM
They should have sent a poet.![]()
Going off of what archon is saying, there might not be anything the good cops can do other than shows of solidarity because they all work in places where this shit doesn't happen, and they can't exactly take a ride two states over just to join a protest.
A more realistic solution, in my mind, is to make the organization less fragmented, at least making each police department answer to the State.
Also, firing every cop across the nation would have immediate and rather unfortunate consequences. Consequences like the complete breakdown of law and order. You don't really want that.
Even just firing the ones in one department would cause huge problems for that area.
Edited by Redmess on May 31st 2020 at 1:43:41 PM
Hope shines brightest in the darkest timesYeah didn’t NYPD do “work to rule” (so not a strike, but a form of industrial action where less work gets done) and the city improved dramatically, because they were out harassing people less?
It might sound insane to fire an entire department, but if the National Guard are able to effectively cover for a department then it is possible, you just have to be willing to keep the National absurd deployed for long enough to rebuild.
You probably also have to convince a nearby good department to at least loan you some officers to help you rebuild.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ CyranBrought it up elsewhere, but Georgia (Tbilisi, not Atlanta) fired 85% of its police force in 2004 and rebuilt it from the ground up.
Worked out well enough in the end.
A bit old news, but still notable.
Hope shines brightest in the darkest timesThat statement seems a little hard to believe. Got some sources for that?
The thing for them to do is visible advocacy at the nationwide level. Link up with activists, pressure police organizations, that kind of thing. We know advocacy is effective, good cops need to stop letting bad cops control the message.
Edited by archonspeaks on May 31st 2020 at 4:53:41 AM
They should have sent a poet.

Which is how you get things like one Florida PD having their officers kneeing in a show of respect alongside demonstrators, while you have another PD in the same state firing gas at peaceful protesters.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran