[de Blasio] Living in a post-Bloomberg era

[DGuller]

I'm not bothered by the "increasing militarization of the police", and of all us I'm the one who best fits the profile of a crazed lone gunman, which is the demographic most inconvenienced by armored vehicles.

Hell, I don't even see the cops on the beat being "militarized". The at-15's stay in the trunk if the department has them.

You only see the Armored Stuff roll out with SWAT.

Here in NYC area it used to be fairly common until recently to have people in the subways dressed up like they just came back from patrolling Fallujah.  Really helped build connections with the civilians.  But, hey, we all know that the difference between a successful terrorist attack and a thwarted terrorist attack is the quality of armor and weaponry that cops possess.

[Ed Anger]

I'm not bothered by the "increasing militarization of the police", and of all us I'm the one who best fits the profile of a crazed lone gunman, which is the demographic most inconvenienced by armored vehicles.

Hell, I don't even see the cops on the beat being "militarized". The at-15's stay in the trunk if the department has them.

You only see the Armored Stuff roll out with SWAT.

The only real problem with the armored stuff is that it's wasteful spending for most jurisdictions.  Generally if you can either buy an armored vehicle or hire three more police officers you should probably go for the officers.

The small ones are a bit useful. The MRAP, not so much.

They should have grabbed the Humvees

[Admiral Yi]

They don't. That's not what I meant. He won an election and has a mandate. I think the NYPD are out of touch (as I say captured by producer interests) so he should reform them. That'd give them, like any other vested interest, something to really heckle about.

Not sure part of his electoral mandate is publicly insulting the police department.

BTW, what the hell do you mean by producer interests?

[DGuller]

I'm not bothered by the "increasing militarization of the police", and of all us I'm the one who best fits the profile of a crazed lone gunman, which is the demographic most inconvenienced by armored vehicles.

Hell, I don't even see the cops on the beat being "militarized". The at-15's stay in the trunk if the department has them.

You only see the Armored Stuff roll out with SWAT.

The only real problem with the armored stuff is that it's wasteful spending for most jurisdictions.  Generally if you can either buy an armored vehicle or hire three more police officers you should probably go for the officers.

The main issue is with mentality that militarization brings, and that goes for both sides.  If you're a cop who's dressed for war, you're going to start viewing your job as a soldier at war.  You're not, you're a citizen interacting with other citizens.  As for non-badged citizens, try as you might, you'll probably want to interact with one of these officers much more than with the other:




EDIT:  Yes, I realize that the second cop is actually an actor, but it was very hard to find a friendly-looking real NYPD cop on Google Image.

[Eddie Teach]

Not only an actor, but an attractive woman. You're really loading the deck.

[Razgovory]

I think a lot of police started thinking of themselves as soldiers long before assault rifles became common.  I mean, they give themselves military ranks and uniforms and such.

[Sheilbh]

Not sure part of his electoral mandate is publicly insulting the police department.

Activate the hpyerbole drive!

BTW, what the hell do you mean by producer interests?

I thought it was an American phrase that had made it's way over here - but apparently it's very New Labour. My understanding is that it's a problem in the public sector that the institutions often end up serving the producers (teachers, doctors, police, firemen) rather than the consumers (children, the sick, the public in general). So the producers capture the organisation so it reflects their goals and prejudices rather than those its supposed to serve. So you try and reform them so that their interests align more effectively in various ways.

In the UK the police are the last great unreformed public sector - hence why even a Tory gunning for the leadership like the Home Secretary is now starting to talk about reform and getting heckled by the Police Federation over it.

[Ed Anger]

I think a lot of police started thinking of themselves as soldiers long before assault rifles became common.  I mean, they give themselves military ranks and uniforms and such.

You get the small departments out there with tons of sergeants and brass out there in hick land?

Had a township chief here put 6 stars on his uniform. Called him Grand admiral to his face once. 

[Admiral Yi]

Activate the hpyerbole drive!

  Not at all.  The statement was public.  The police felt insulted.

[Sheilbh]

Okay. I wouldn't interpret the police taking offence at something (cue Viking) de Blasio said, as de Blasio insulting them. I'm surprised you would.

[DGuller]

Activate the hpyerbole drive!

  Not at all.  The statement was public.  The police felt insulted.

Yeah, many feelings were hurt.

[Admiral Yi]

Okay. I wouldn't interpret the police taking offence at something (cue Viking) de Blasio said, as de Blasio insulting them. I'm surprised you would.

The distinction eludes me.

[Sheilbh]

The distinction eludes me.

Which public insult do you mean?

[Admiral Yi]

Which public insult do you mean?

The comment about advice to his son.

[Sheilbh]

Right, I thought I'd missed one

Here's the comment:

Chirlane and I have had to talk to Dante for years about the dangers that he may face. A good young man, law-abiding young man who would never think to do anything wrong. And yet, because of a history that still hangs over us, the dangers he may face, we've had to literally train him—as families have all over this city for decades—in how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him.

And that painful sense of contradiction that our young people see first, that our police are here to protect us, and we honor that, and at the same time, there's a history we have to overcome, because for so many of our young people, there's a fear. And for so many of our families, there's a fear. So I've had to worry over the years. Chirlane's had to worry. Is Dante safe each night?

There are so many families in this city who feel that each and every night. Is my child safe? And not just from some of the painful realities—crime and violence in some of our neighborhoods—but is safe from the very people they want to have faith in as their protectors. That's the reality.

I don't think that qualifies as publicly insulting. If it does then we might as well just give up on the idea of public discourse because there's nothing left to say without causing offence.

If someone felt insulted by that I'd say they were a big girl's blouse and needed to stop being so bloody sensitive.