Archive for the 'crime' Category

Obama and Crime

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

I have an article up at Slate today explaining why Obama and Biden’s criminal justice proposals are misguided.

In particular, Obama is proposing to resurrect the COPS and Byrne grant programs, which shows an unfortunate, uncritical throw-federal-money-at-the-problem approach to crime.

Regular readers of this site know that Byrne and COPS have created all sorts of problems, including the further militarization of local police departments, statistics-driven drug policing, multi-jurisdictional task forces that lack accountability, and the disproportionate targeting of minorities, particularly blacks.

Obama has expressed some encourage sentiments on many of these issues. It’s too bad that he’s embracing policies that are going to make them worse.

Cops on the hunt: Bubaris acquitted

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
The nostate.com news lemurs have been closely following the case of former policeman George Bubaris, accused of dealing a drunken, homeless Guatemalan immigrant a fatal blow and leaving him to die. It seems the prosecution brought a rather flimsy case. Whatever happened that night, there really wasn’t enough to link Bubaris to the killing. That’s what [...]

We call them “pigs” for a reason

Friday, June 6th, 2008
Aggro cop, demanding news cameraman move away from a crime scene where he’s doing his job, proceeds to assault same cameraman. From KOB-TV, Albuquerque: You get ‘em, Officer Guzman. Freedom of the press? We don’t need that! Hell, we’re rolling things back as far as the Magna Carta here! Now shut up and obey your masters! The victim [...]

Mouthy to cops in BC? You’re in for a whupping.

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
Don’t go getting all mouthy with the state’s goons now. Least of all in British Columbia, where the RCMP just last year killed a distraught immigrant with taser shocks less than one minute after engaging with him. At least in this case the charges against the victim are being dropped, and I saw speculation in [...]

Cops on the hunt: Do you know where your children are?

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
The news lemurs at nostate.com are going to be following this one closely. The thug in question has already been stripped of his uniform, though no doubt we’re going to see a clown suit defense brought in. Innocent until proven guilty and all that… From The Journal News: Prosecutor: Bubaris spoke of ‘hunting’ A former Mount Kisco police officer [...]

San Francisco taxpayers billed $235,000 for aggro cop

Sunday, May 11th, 2008
From the San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. settles excessive force suit for $235,000 Sunday, May 11, 2008 Kelly Medora, a petite preschool teacher who weighed about 118 pounds, went out with a friend in North Beach one Saturday night in 2005 for some fun. Instead, San Francisco police officer Christopher Damonte, who weighed about 250 pounds, arrested her for jaywalking, [...]