New York Police Union: Lying And Violating Rights Is Just Part Of Everyday Police Work
from the thanks-for-the-honesty,-idiots dept
On very rare occasions, the front mouths for law enforcement -- police unions -- will surprise you with inadvertent truthiness. Such a rarity occurred recently. It was -- as almost every union outburst is -- provoked by the introduction of the tiniest sliver of accountability.
The Bronx District Attorney decided to release its list of cops even it can't trust. What the New York Post refers to as a "naughty list" bears some resemblance to the Brady lists compiled (but rarely released) by other city prosecutors. These lists contain cops who have been caught lying in reports or in court or have had evidence tossed (usually more than once) for Constitutional violations.
These lists are supposed to make their way to criminal defendants. This rarely happens either. No prosecutor wants their star witness impeached, even if the prosecutor knows what we know: cops lie. Some more than others.
The list released to the New York Post contains some redactions (thanks to sealed cases), but at least a few officers' names were made public. Here's one snippet from the "naughty list."
Two… cops named were Sabrina Alicea and Waikiria Velez — whose statements in a June 2015 crash, which killed one and left another brain-dead — were contradicted by surveillance video, the DA’s records say.
Detective Winston McDonald made the list for lying about being robbed at knife point in early 2016 — and Capt. David Dent landed on the list after he was caught fudging transit crime numbers.
Here's where it gets fun. The Sergeants Benevolent Association, one of New York's law enforcement unions, reacted very badly to the release of the naughty list. Bear in mind this list only includes officers who've "given questionable testimony" or "had evidence tossed for unconstitutional policing."
This is how the SBA responded, cloaked in stupidity it mistook for righteous anger.
The city’s police union responded to the release by slamming the Bronx DA’s prosecution record and attacking the “anti-cop activists” who requested the lists to smear “honest, hard-working police officers.”
So, if we're to take the SBA at its word, the release of "naughty" list "smeared" "honest, hard-working" officers who… lied in court or committed Constitutional violations. Any straight reading of this assertion results in the assumption the SBA considers lying and Constitutional violations to just be part of the honest, hard work officers perform. That's a bit disturbing.
And let's be clear on something else: it's impossible to "smear" someone with a factual record of their wrongdoing. "Honest" cops don't lie. "Hard-working police officers" don't cut Constitutional corners. This is the SBA whining because some of its members have been exposed as lousy cops who do lousy things.
But if you're expecting incisive, thoughtful reactions to news of police misconduct, you don't ask police unions for input. All they've done over the past several decades is make it easier for bad cops to stay employed for pretty much forever, and attack anyone who dares to suggest not all police officers are saints or heroes. At least in this case, the SBA has made it clear hard-working officers engage in misconduct. And that appears to be just fine with the SBA.
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Filed Under: brady list, law enforcement, lying, nypd, nypd seargents benevolent association, police
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When you're right... but you really shouldn't be
The sad think is that they are correct, lying and violating the constitution is a regular part of police 'work' these days, however the fact that that statement is true does not say what they think it does.
This is yet another case of a police union so desperate to 'protect' the worst in their numbers from any accountability or even criticism instead directly undermining any actually good police and placing them right in the muck that the worst are wallowing in. By refusing to ever even think of admitting that there are dishonest, corrupt and/or incompetent police, as evidenced by their lashing out against people for pointing out cases of demonstrable lies and constitutional violations, they set the bar for acceptable police behavior so low you'd need industrial equipment and a HAZMAT suit to get to it.
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Re: When you're right... but you really shouldn't be
but all cops have bosses ... who could control them.
In NYC it's the elected Mayor and City Council -- but they are as crooked as the cops they supervise.
Democracy and government by the people sure doesn't exist in NYC.
Guess what the solution is ?
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Re: Re: When you're right... but you really shouldn't be
This particular PD has Mafia Godfathers than control them as they run most of the drug trafficking and prostitution rings in the Bronx.
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Well, you know that they say
If you expose liars, only exhibitionists will lie.
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Re: Well, you know that they say
Well, get on it David!
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1984
War is peace! Freedom is slavery! And now thanks to the Sergeants Benevolent Association, Lying is honest!
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Re: 1984
Lying has always been a thing with politicians. They cover by calling it mis-speaking!
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Re: Re: 1984
Is THAT political science?!!
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Cops lie because politicians lie and everyone in between. Kids lie after being punished often enough they don't want to be punished anymore so to get out of trouble or to implicate another to take the rap, they lie. We all lie. We are human. But don't think the government is going to let us off the hook if we are holding them to the highest standard. That really pisses them off! It is a standard no human can live up to. That hypocracy is why this world will not last.
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Sad and scary
Typical response of a bully ..or in this case, a whole organization of them.
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Cops shouldn't have unions.
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Do you know why so many people hate this site? Because it looks like you are acting on behalf of the Chinese, promoting Chinese ideas, and trying to cause unrest and division in America.
Americans love the police. And Unions. And Police Unions. And Marital Unions. I mean legitimate ones, not trans-gender absurdities that I would not bake a cake for.
1984 has come and gone. Who would have thought it would be the Government on the side of truth, honesty and the American Way, while useful Chinese Idiots like those phony ponies who post here try to overthrow Democracy, Freedom and Clean Living? Who would have thought.
Everybody with a strange disgusting sexual orientation take a day off. Now, all you socialist communist bastards and race baiting idiots take a day off. Now, you globalist Chinese paid phony ponies take a day off. What would happen? Techdirt would become American Again!
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Re:
Laughter is the only possible response to this load of garbage.
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Re:
Hey hamilton. How much did Shiva lose by?
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I hate cops, and I hate-read Cushing's scummy-police pieces here like a crackhead.
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was richard poplawski ahead of his time
or was he just a nazi
pour que no lo dos
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Re: was richard poplawski ahead of his time
just to be clear, shooting cops in the face with assault rifles, cathartic
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I am not a fan of cops. There are way too many. They don't prevent crime. sometimes they arrest someone for a crime that was previously committed. They don't protect people from crimes. many times they wont even show up after the crime to take a report. in a pursuit if you make one chase you, the entire police department will travel for an hour and line up for miles just to punch or kick you or billy club all the while yelling STOP RESISTING. hand cuffed and unconscious? no worries that wont stop the 14 cops still waiting patiently in line to knee you in the kidneys so you cough up blood for the next month. I am not a fan of cops.
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Re:
Did you do this as a book report?
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Re: Re:
He wants a Pulitzer!
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Re:
Thank the Bush family organization for the increase in cops across America and the swift backhanded policy changes set in motion by the "kinder, gentler nation" speech by Bush senior. He actually had me with that.. Me thinking he meant the government was going to become kinder and gentler dealing with the nation and the world. Boy, was I ever wrong with that.
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Well... all police officers should be heroes... (or close to it). So since actions speak louder that words, they should be attacking the people who are proving to everyone that there are villian police officers.
(Do note that the people who provided the proof didn't actually prove it... they just brough the proof to us...)
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They're all liars (including Judges and IGs)
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Re: They're all liars (including Judges and IGs)
I think they all belong to a club or clubs dating back to law school days. They got each other's backs pretty good so maybe you should move on, take up hot air ballooning or buy a 12" Telescope and go on a safari! Those would be my choices anyway. Good luck my noble friend!
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Ready the stories at Techdirt for twenty years and it seems more apparent than ever to me in summerizing the way governments around the world treat their citizens with pure malice and lay down the golden carpets for every greedy corporation to just gouge and fleece us, and the lawmakers installing every restriction, rule, infringement, infraction and every outrageous code aimed against us and... if we ain't in the middle of an all out barage of war, someone tell me they got a handle on this because I just can't believe this is happening day in and day out, the crap they are pushing on us. STOP.
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Re:
Its just Pure Evil.
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Bad for the Honest and Hardworking
It's like having Giuliani as a Lawyer. It probably doesn't make much difference if you're a sociopathic, lying, sack of shit. It does a lot of harm to the truly dedicated. The union is doing the opposite of what you expect someone on your side to do. You expect them to make everyone look good. In this case the union makes everybody look bad. Therefore we're stuck with them by default.
Anyone who's been paying attention knows the United States should not be considered part of the free world. Perhaps they are the best of the worst or maybe the worst of the best.
We live in a country where everything is illegal. It's the greatest constitutional loophole ever devised. It's a much more effective and subtle method of oppression than the wholesale slaughter and imprisonment of innocent people. We're all guilty of something all the time. Every government action can then be justified and every seemingly innocent person can smeared somehow.
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Re: Bad for the Honest and Hardworking
Maybe the union is just making everyone look bad so that by default no one will expect any good from them and in so doing that, by lowering the expectations, it takes the pressure off of their entire organization.
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