mo FL Cops intimidate those who ask for complaint forms...

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: [IP] FL Cops intimidate those who ask for complaint forms...]
Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:04:30 -0500
From: Zach Sparer <zsparer () comcast net>
To: 'Brian McWilliams' <brianmcw () comcast net>
CC: dave () farber net

Brian,
Thanks very much for the link.  I'll be sure to sift through what
information is available.  After watching the video a few more times, I
wonder why there are not federal or state standards for complaint reports.
(It's possible there are state laws in some places that I am not aware of --
this is a new topic for me.)

The fact that alleged victims of abuse are forced (in some cases) to speak
with an agent of the alleged abuser seems straightforwardly
counter-intuitive.  The officer who suggested that some complaints are
"worthy" and others are not particularly concerned me.  "Your civil rights
were not violated.  Nothing to see here.  Please return to your home."

Not everyone runs directly to a lawyer, and it seems strange to me that
police departments would create any sort of barriers between a concerned
citizen and the PD.  I imagine they'd be much worse off if "complainers"
contacted a lawyer straight-away -- at least in the most egregious cases.
Even in the "non-critical" situations (e.g., an officer is rude at a traffic
stop), it seems that the information would be valuable from a PR/training
standpoint.  Creating walls protects neither the public nor the PD's
interest.

It might be a "pain" or embarrassing for officers to deal with complaints,
but -- and I hate the cliché that I'm about to use -- but they need to
remember who pays their heating bills.

-Zach

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian McWilliams [mailto:brianmcw () comcast net]
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 10:45 PM
To: zsparer () comcast net
Subject: Re: [IP] FL Cops intimidate those who ask for complaint forms...]

Zach,


You might want to check out this site, which apparently inspired the report
you mentioned:

http://www.policeabuse.org/


Brian McWilliams

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: FL Cops intimidate those who ask for complaint forms...
> Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 19:59:16 -0500
> From: Zach Sparer <zsparer () comcast net>
> To: dave () farber net
>
> Dave,
>
> For IP if you wish.
>
>
>
> From boingboing.net:  "A CBS undercover reporting team went into 38 police
> stations in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida, asking for a set
of
> forms they could use to complain about inappropriate police behavior. In
all
> but three of the stations, the police refused to give them forms. Some of
> the cops threatened them (on hidden camera, no less) -- one of them even
> touched his gun."
>
>
>
> As a law student (and an American), this bothers me a great deak.  Follow
> the link below to watch the full video of this "undercover investigation"
> carried out by a watchdog organization.
>
>
>
> http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_033170755.html
>
>
>
> Zach Sparer
>
> University of Pittsburgh School of Law
>
>
>
>
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