HUNTSVILLE, Ala.(WHNT)-Police want to be able to keep tabs on your text messages, but is it a case of “Big...
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Examining the possibilities of abuse of power without the constraint of New Public Administration.
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Rob Duke
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Scooped by Rob Duke onto Police Problems and Policy |
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Lindsey Giacomelli's comment,
December 10, 2012 4:05 AM
I think this could be the case of overstepping rights. I would kind of be like police recording your conversations that you have with people. Yes, I can see how this would help solve many cases, but I can also see how this could be harmful. I think if did end up pass that officer would have to get a warrant no matter what. Also, I think that text between some people should not be allowed like text between you and your lawyer, a married couple, or if someone is talking to a priest or clergy. I think if officers take this to far it will a violations of a persons rights. I am still a little on the fence about it.
Rob Duke's comment,
December 10, 2012 10:42 PM
#Lindsey: Very good points about privileged communication. I'll need to think about that a bit.
Jesse Morris's comment,
December 12, 2012 8:09 AM
I agree. As for as i know the police can already do this with our calls, so why not text messages as well? So long as their are privacy laws and regulations to go along with it, and the police need something like a warrant in order to retrieve it. Other wise its as Lindsey said, the police would be overstepping their bounds and consequently stepping on our rights. i would prefer to keep the text messages i send to my girlfriend in the dark, but if it will save my life or help the cops find the person who assaulted or killed me, hell yeah....i like living another day.
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QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — A 41-year-old New Bedford man was shot and killed Friday by a veteran state trooper responding to a report of an erratic driver who may have had a medical emergency, state police said.
Rob Duke's insight:
This is tragic, but remember that we'll have 10 years to judge the trooper who only had 10 seconds to judge what was appropriate in the situation. 
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 15, 6:36 PM
This is a tragedy. I do not blame the trooper. We do not yet know the circumstances. For all we know the man could have had a violent fit and might have been prone to increasing violence as his illness continued. Actions that are a result of illness are not much different from intentional actions. Unfortunately violence no matter what the cause poses similar danger to law enforcement.
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While key details remained shrouded in secrecy Friday, this weeks disclosures about a clandestine government program for tracking Internet users has placed some of Silicon Valleys biggest tech companies in an uncomfortable spotlight. 
Maximillian Anderson's comment,
June 12, 12:51 AM
This is a scary article to read. I don't know too much about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but it seems like it could be very problematic. While reading the article I asked the question, "What if a non-U.S. person communicates with an American?" because FISA only applies to non-U.S. citizens. The article answered my question. It says, if a non-U.S. person communicates with a U.S. citizen, "the government could also gain access to information from U.S. citizens' accounts." This is bad news. It seems like this is one way for the government to keep tabs on Americans. It also seems like the government is going to continue to push tech companies for the information of people in the U.S.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 12, 12:56 AM
That is a pretty disturbing article. The government does not need any of the private data of citizens that it is attempting to get. Its actions are beginning to closely resemble China's. This may or may not be the tip of the iceberg or the very beginning of more restrictions places on citizens' privacy.
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 15, 7:24 PM
This article does not surprise me. I know the government has access to a lot more than we might think. I try to keep a policy in regard to communication in writing: don't write it unless I don't care if everybody knows about it. It is clear there is a great deal of internet monitoring just among the internet companies such as Google and etc. Every time I search Google, there are tons of adds about shoes, dresses, certain clothing companies and what's more, when I am listening to Pandora I see shoe adds galore. It is certainly disturbing to read about and see that our fears are real. That being said, if the government wants to know I like shopping for shoes, no great secret has been unveiled. The other thing I found interesting was the Twitter does not comply with Prism. Does anyone else find this ironic? People spill their lives out every few minutes to the world on Twitter. What does it matter if the government knows about it? I'm not agreeing they should; I just found it comical.
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Shocking dashcam video footage from an Ohio police cruiser shows a young man getting out of his car to fire several shots at a police officer, who returns fire, killing the man.
Rob Duke's insight:
It's sometime easy to forget that officers are impacted not only by the institutional and organizational rules, by their peers, but also by the very real realities that there are those who won't abide by society's rules.
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 9, 8:45 PM
This article is the most clear example of the dangers inherent with policing. It's truly sad that the officers had to kill a man to resolve the situation. I'm glad they were found to be within their rights as officers. I cannot imagine having to return to work after such an event. I knew of an officer that was on duty and once killed a man who was aggressively approaching him. He was also found to be within his rights and he went back to work after some time off. I'm just glad there are men and women who are willing to take these risks for the public's safety.
Maximillian Anderson's comment,
June 12, 12:25 AM
I remember seeing the video and report of this before it was scooped. I was amazed at how the officer was able to overcome the suspect because the suspect had a head start on the officer. Luckily, the officer put his training into action and was able to come out of his car alive.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 12, 12:35 AM
That video captures an intense moment in the two police officers' lives. They are very lucky that they were able to survive the incident and neutralize the suspect. I watched this video before seeing it on Scoop It and apparently their department had just finished training their officers how to fire back from within their vehicles. The new training appears to be quite effective and the officers and the department are very lucky that they decided to implement the training. It is unfortunate that the suspect lost his life but overall the outcome is pretty good.
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Black Americans were nearly four times as likely as whites to be arrested for marijuana possession in 2010, but both groups used the drug at similar rates, federal data shows.
Rob Duke's insight:
This supports the thesis that the war on drugs has become a proxy war to control Blacks and other minorities. Just as Jim Crow laws restricted Black men from voting, holding jobs and owning property, a drug offense prison record often has the same impact on young Black men. 
Andrew Kelly's comment,
June 11, 12:58 PM
This was a very interesting article if blacks and whites are using the drug at the same rate then i feel as if the arrest should be somewhat even but this is not the case. I guess this shows that maybe police do target a certain racial group. Lets be honest even though slavery was abolished that doesn't mean racism was to.
Maximillian Anderson's comment,
June 12, 12:36 AM
I wasn't shocked to see the articles headline when I came across it. It seems like this is the case everywhere. I was shocked, however, to see in some places, black people are up to 8 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white people. The "War on Drugs" will be a never ending war. The article said that we spend over three and a half billion dollars enforcing marijuana laws. Much of this money could be better spent elsewhere.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 12, 12:48 AM
This is a perfect example of the continued enforcement of unpopular laws by the Federal Government at the expense of its citizens' freedom. The use of marijuana is a state issue and should be decided by the states through majority vote. By continuing the restriction of marijuana the Federal Government is destroying the futures of many African Americans. Already they face difficulties finding employment due to the color of their skin but now increasing numbers of them also are labeled criminal by the feds. The police may target African Americans more because they may consume marijuana in more public areas than Caucasians. Police may also target African Americans more because they may have less resources or education available to legally contest the charges than Caucasians. It is sad that this is still an issue and people are still getting arrested and charged over marijuana possession.
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Both suggested that it could be because of AO-37, the recent ordinance that re-wrote the city's labor laws
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 3, 3:49 AM
It is pretty surprising that they are having so much trouble recruiting people. The economy still has not even come close to rebounding and the level of unemployment is pretty high. In the article it stated that 600 people applied to the academy and only three percent of those will end up actually being police officers. Is that caused by people dropping out of the academy? Do people change their minds and choose to use the certificate from the academy for a different form of employment? If I was closer to completing my degree I would totally apply down there.
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The self-proclaimed "most famous" sheriff in America, engaged in the illegal racial profiling and harassment of Latinos in his County.
Rob Duke's insight:
This article has a little more info. on this topic. Delete the scoop?
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Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio may no longer take race or Latino heritage into account for law enforcement decisions
Rob Duke's insight:
Scroll to the end of the article to see that the court took issue with using Latin appearance to stop vehicles; to detaining people longer than necessary to check citizenship/resident alien status.
Andrew Kelly's comment,
May 27, 2:47 AM
I feel that stopping someone driving a vehicle based on their ethnicity is racist and bias. I live in Arizona and have had many friends that were Hispanic actually go through this. They say by them looking like illegals they have the right to pull you over and search your car. Judging someone based off of looks is ignorant and feel that this should stop immediately and if not then something should be done to those abusing their power.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 3, 4:56 AM
The judge made the correct decision in this case. Stopping people based on the color skin not their actions is not right. It violates the Constitution and the ideals of freedom our country is supposed to support and respect. It is possible that Sheriff Arpaio needs to review the Constitution carefully while he creates the policy for his administration and officers.
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A Redlands Police Sergeant was honored with the Mayor's Award Tuesday for his bravery during the February gun battle with ex-cop Christopher Dorner in Big Bear.
Rob Duke's insight:
This is my old department in California. Good place to have worked. Delete the scoop?
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A Central Florida man who was shot and killed by an FBI agent early Wednesday morning was being investigated by the FBI and Massachusetts authorities in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings . 
Seth Dinkel's comment,
May 24, 10:37 PM
It sounds like the FBI agent followed the correct procedure in protecting himself from an armed assailant. However, it is regrettable that the suspect was killed before they learned more about his involvement with the Tsarnaev brothers. Ibragim Todashev’s past aggressive behavior indicates that it would not be unusual for him to attack an FBI agent.
Rob Duke's comment,
May 24, 11:54 PM
It's interesting how the Miranda vs. Arizona case influences police behavior. Prior to 1968, this man would have been "taken downtown", but I'm assuming (that's dangerous) that he was interviewed in his home in order to avoid the appearance that he was under arrest. This, in turn, avoided the Miranda warning. This is a good example of how institutional rules (case law here) influence organizational policy and practice.
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The federal judge who oversaw a dramatic, forced transformation of the Los Angeles Police Department has freed the department from the final vestiges of federal oversight. Delete the scoop?
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BAKERSFIELD — The FBI launched an investigation Tuesday into the death of a man who was beaten by authorities amid questions over whether officials tampered with cellphone videos confiscated from witnesses. Delete the scoop?
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Deciding which police officers killed in the line of duty belong on a national memorial usually is driven by facts and presents few obstacles. But this year, two cases show that it isn't always ... Delete the scoop?
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The Police Association is backing police use of firearms in serious circumstances.
Andrew Kelly's comment,
June 11, 1:07 PM
In this situation i feel as if the police used proper protocol just by going off of the details they said. If the taser did not work and the offender fired at them the only thing to do is fire back and hopefully try to demobilize the offender. The offenders family should not be upset with the police because they were just doing there jobs. He tried to rob a golf course and maybe the family should be asking why he was there and why he was with the company he was with,
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 15, 7:00 PM
New Zealand law enforcement must not use firearms much. The officers were certainly in the right. I am actually surprised they bothered to taser him first since he had a weapon. I am also surprised the officer had to go back into the police car to get a gun. The family should have no qualms with the department if everything turns out to be as indicated by the article. It's just too bad they may end up realizing he was a criminal who ultimately put the lives of others at risk and ended up getting killed. If the article is a correct account, justice has been served. However, it is never comfortable to think of how he has impacted his family.
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Government review stems from an agreement which allows China access to the source code for Windows 7 and other software.
Rob Duke's insight:
China has been data mining for years; and we were doing it before them (with public knowledge and Congress' approval)...weird how it is now news... Delete the scoop?
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Police chief testified that a fired officer mistreated a black teen burglary suspect during an arrest and failed to follow proper procedures
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 9, 8:56 PM
I can see why the police chief was upset by this event. The police have enough trouble with public support; they don't need any help with more criticism. The interesting part about this article is that the offender has a continuing rap sheet in which he may serve less time than the police officers. Officers should be and are held to a higher standard which is likely why there are outcries anytime something like this happens. It will be interesting to see what comes of Ryser's trial. Since all four officers' police careers are likely over, hopefully their story will serve as a caution to current officers to act according to police procedures and according to the law.
Andrew Kelly's comment,
June 11, 12:56 PM
Even though the kid has a rap sheet they still does not give the police a right to not follow proper protocol. While reading the article a lot of alarming things came up. First if how can the officer deceive more jail time then the kid of burglarized the home. Second we see in many situations the community sometimes blowing situations out of proportion thus making the law make harsher sentences so that there will not be a situation in which more people are in danger.They should have used proper protocol even if the situation was hectic.
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Rob Duke's insight:
what do you think of this video? 
Katherine Larson's comment,
June 5, 2:04 PM
That was tough to watch. Several things come in to my mind. We do not know what, if anything, transpired before the officer hung the phone up. Was she told she had a certain amount of time left? Was she combative? Without knowing these things for sure and understanding how the media puts it's own spin on things, it is more difficult to draw a completely objective and educated conclusion. However, I could not watch that video and not immediately draw my own conclusion. The officer hung the phone up on the woman. Uncalled for unless necessary and didn't appear to be necessary. If I were her I would have become pissy too! So in my mind it starts from there. As the video continues I did not see the woman become physical aggressive to the point that that level of force was warranted. I actually do not think that slamming a person's head against anything would be warranted unless they were extremely aggressive and the officer felt his or other's lives were in danger. I do not see that being the case. Something else that really bothers me about this article is how the media brought up the "anniversary" of a hate crime. Call me ignorant, call me idealistic, whatever, but without knowing the intimate details of these officers I think it is wrong to automatically connect the two because the complainant and defendant are different races. I think this perpetuates racial struggles. I understand the history, and maybe even present, are riddled with racial tensions but I still don't like how the media perpetuates these tensions. That being said, I am totally disgusted with what I saw, I almost cried to see someone being treated like that. I agree with the firing of the officers and I also think criminal charges should be filed.
Emma Zeisel's comment,
June 9, 9:09 PM
After watching the video and then reading the article, I did not think it looked as brutal as the article described. This makes me wonder how the situation really transpired. Even with a video, it's the officer's word against the woman. I cannot say one way or another who was in the wrong. The woman may have been giving the officers unwarranted attitude and should have been arrested. However, the other side of this is that the officers should have handled the situation with less force. There are undoubtedly methods of subduing an individual without such injuries. After reading Katherine's above comment, I agree that the two situations are unrelated. The media is famous for continually attempting to make racism as big a deal as possible. I do not believe racism exists as it once did. We need to move on and understand that there will always be people who act wrongly, but I would argue that the majority of people are not racist nowadays.
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Disgraced former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik is reportedly being released from federal prison in Maryland Tuesday. Delete the scoop?
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Walker County Schools entered new territory Thursday when a police officer assigned to LaFayette High School turned a Taser stun gun on two girls brawling during lunch.
Rob Duke's insight:
The video is short, but the article text says the officer gave several verbal warnings. What do you think--was this Taser use justified?
Andrew Kelly's comment,
May 27, 2:40 AM
After watching the video and also reading the article i feel as if the officer was justified. He was a lone officer on the cene and he might not have been able to sperate the two girls by himself without problems. I feel if he really did give the girls serval warning and if there was really witnesses there to see him give the warning then he used the correct steps to deal with the problem.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
June 3, 4:02 AM
The use of the taser was completely justified. The girls were out of control, refused to listen to the officer's commands, were brawling in public, and none of the bystanders were doing anything other than watching and filming. The officer was alone and if he had attempted to just wrestle them away from each other actual lasting harm could have occurred. The people that are outraged by the officer's conduct should instead be outraged that the people surrounding the fight did nothing.
Katherine Larson's comment,
June 5, 2:18 PM
Although short, the video does show the officer telling them to break it up and it was loud enough. The only question I have is if there is anything in the protocol that says an officer has to announce if he or she is going to use the taser? Do they have to announce if they are going to shoot their guns? Just a question. I do agree that the use of the taser was justified. Unfortunately we are to the point of needing officers on school grounds. If the officer were to try to physically break the girls up by himself he is leaving himself unprotected to any potential threat from the other girl or from the crowd. If an officer has the authority to carry a taser or a firearm the public has to be aware that given cause they will use it. It is just the definition of cause that is still in debate!
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Emma Zeisel's comment,
May 27, 1:21 AM
It was surprising that a school would have allowed this situation to progress and furthermore continue to punish the child after he was not found guilty. I can see the need to find where drugs are coming from in school situations; however, the boy was clearly set up. Every person found to have been involved should be punished; however, the boy with Asperger's was clearly manipulated according to the article. This was a case of unethical behavior on the part of the police department.
Rob Duke's comment,
May 27, 1:32 AM
Emma, this is a common situation with school undercover programs. In order to get an officer that looks the part of a high schooler, we need to find someone young, but these folks often have little experience upon which to base their judgement calls.
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Lancaster County Sheriff’s investigators think Tom Hamm, a 24-year veteran of the Lincoln Police Department, shot and killed himself Tuesday night.
Maximillian Anderson's comment,
May 24, 8:38 PM
It is sad to see that an officer felt so much physical pain that he killed himself. It is more common to read about officers that have mental health problems that lead to their suicide but this was a little different. Ultimately, it sounds like the job is what lead to his needing multiple surgeries because he was a street cop. The article said that he was planning to retire in about five years and that he was living with his most recent knee pain for three years. I wonder if he was going to physical therapy for his most recent knee replacement in April. It seems like a little over a month and a half after a knee replacement surgery is too soon to give up hope.
Kevin Bishop's comment,
May 25, 4:54 AM
It is pretty depressing to see that an officer was experiencing so much pain that he chose to end his life. The number of surgeries he had had over 32 years was high but the article did not mention how many of those surgeries were job related. It is possible that some of those surgeries were related to other problems. It is important for people to fully research the careers they are choosing to go into before starting them. My father is a master automotive technician and experiences pain in his elbows, back, and wrists from using all the different power and hydraulic tools. Certain jobs can cause physical damage such as policing, automotive repair, construction, etc. Physical therapy can definitely help reduce the level of pain associated with those types of injuries. Like Max I wonder if the officer was going to physical therapy and if it was providing any kind of relief.
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The 17-year-old on £15k a year quit after boasting on Twitter about sex, drugs and violence.
Rob Duke's insight:
The police are organized around a distinct cultural tradition. When we break from that tradition, we are often attacked. Thus, we tend to be slow to change.
Seth Dinkel's comment,
May 24, 10:38 PM
It is important to create a definitive line between behavior that is rebellious and behavior that is unacceptable. In this case Paris Brown acted with behavior that can only be viewed as unacceptable in society today. Paris Brown was old enough to realize that her status in life made her a target for the press. The police commissioner could easily have found a more ideal candidate for the job. Often times people apologize, not because they regret the behavior they have committed, but because they regret having been caught committing that behavior. There are many young upstanding individuals in society who would make a more ideal candidate for the position. Second chances have their value, but we should reward politically correct behavior in individuals more often. When people are rewarded after committing a politically unacceptable behavior, they do not learn that there are consequences for their actions.
Emma Zeisel's comment,
May 27, 1:45 AM
I would be shocked to hear this news as well if something like this were happening in my area. Police already have a difficult time connecting with the general public in a positive way. It would be foolish to make it even more difficult by hiring someone with such a questionable background. The girl is obviously not mature enough to understand that what she says and does is not only a reflection of herself but of her employer as well; a public position is even more so this way. I agree with Seth's above comment, the primary reason she apologized was likely that she had been caught, not that she was truly sorry.
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A former Philadelphia police officer once hailed as a hero and given a seat next to the first lady at a speech by President Obama has been arrested and charged with rape and other crimes.
Maximillian Anderson's comment,
May 24, 8:57 PM
The article says, "Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told a Philadelphia Daily News columnist in February of last year that he believed he had made a mistake in granting the former officer's request to go back to work too soon after he was shot." This officer was shot in 2007 and retired from the department in 2011. I am not sure why they try to connect his shooting, coming back so quickly, and the charges against him. I do not think that his shooting and coming back quickly have anything to do with what he did to the two women. It is incredible to see someone who was so high up-once invited to sit with the First Lady at a Presidential address to congress- fall so far and do what he did to the women.
Katherine Larson's comment,
May 26, 6:06 PM
I will be a little bit of a devil's advocate with this story and say that at this point the crimes are alleged. I am a firm believer in having a solid case before making judgment. However I also think that if he has been arrested then there is a reason for that. I do not believe that the officer being shot and the alleged crimes have anything to do with each other so I don't think it is appropriate to combine the two. Giving background information is fine but I didn't like the way they presented it in this article. I do wonder what kind of mindset this officer had though. I know there are times when officer's can take their position of authority and abuse it. Did he think he might be above the law? Just some thoughts.
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The ruling said a grand jury received bad instructions before indicting Officer Richard Haste in the shooting of Ramarley Graham. Delete the scoop?
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The sharp cracks echoing from the East Bakersfield street were loud enough to jolt Ruben Ceballos from a midnight slumber. Then he heard screams.
Katherine Larson's comment,
June 5, 6:43 PM
Again, not having all the evidence makes it more difficult, however there are so many things to question about this case that make it really difficult to agree that this type of excessive force was warranted. I don't think it was, by no means and the fact that this man may have had mental illness or may have been intoxicated makes it even more difficult. Unless this man was high on PCP and extremely aggressive, repeatedly being struck with a baton by several officers is nothing but murder. I just do not see it taking 33 swings of the baton and 29 tases (as described in another case) as being the answer. It makes me question the screening process for new recruits, which I know is never fool proof, but if there is enough attention to personality traits or anger management issues. Maybe they should have some sort of test of whether a recruit can stop striking something once he starts and his adrenalin is going! Also, the issue with detaining witnesses and confiscating their video really bothers me. I understand the 911 call gives cause to get the video for evidence but it does seem like it is trying to be covered up. Especially because these people were being detained until they gave up the video.
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