Democracy In Albany

Albany Home Invasions | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)

That is not the function of a police force (none / 0) (#14)
by Tom Paine on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 08:53:06 AM EST

The police do not exist simply to report crime. If that's all they did we could turn the job over to amateurs or even - gasp - bloggers.

It seems to me one of the primary purposes of a police force is to deter crime. Putting trained, armed officers on the streets with the authority to use force, including deadly force, is a very strong deterrent. That's one of the main things we pay them for, and its something the rest of us cannot do except under very limited circumstances.

Putting more guns on the street, even in the hands of folks who'd taken a gun usage course or two, would be insane. You'd be surprised how stupid we all get under extreme stress. I challenge you to find five urban Police Chiefs who would endorse your idea.

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Residents get your guns (none / 0) (#19)
by A Muse on Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 02:32:09 PM EST

Have you been smoking something out of the evidence locker? The Diallo Case is one of many that have made it sadly clear that the Police are not trained properly and the selection of officers is poor. When officers are stealing drugs, and guns out of evidence lockers, shooting innocent civilians, involved in high speed chases resulting in deaths of innocent bystanders or other officers, protest the existence of a Police Review Board, protest the right to drink up and until they come on to the job, it shows that you have a highly paid group of ill trained and uneducated individuals that need to sit in the corner with the dunce cap on. I guess they do that only when the cops are egging the general public.

If I am to be shot in error by a gaggle of ill trained cops, I would at least like it to be ones who have not only graduated from high school but have a minimum 4 year degree. At least an Associates and finish the other two years on the job, and let the employer (taxpayer) pick up the tab. Additionally, there are States like Vermont that border NY where it is not uncommon to find people with registered weapons on a gun rack in the back of their car or on the seat or dashboard behind the counter where they work. It just might make the general public, cops and criminals be more respectful of each other. Fear is the most powerful motivator.

Times have changed and the police are under attack. Some departments are making changes that have and will continue to help officers do their job. In some countries like England, video cameras are everywhere and it has found to be helpful. In Albany the traffic lights do not even work properly. Video cameras in patrol cars have been found to be helpful both to police and those accused of a crime. Cops work for the citizens not for the politicians. They apparently have forgotten this. A Police Review Board trumps the governing body in any city or town. If the police are afraid of having one, there is something very wrong with the department. Additionally, if you work for the City of Albany, live here, pay a commuter tax, or get out. This goes for the Mayor also who lives in the Albany portion of Slingerlands. It does not hurt the City to have local cops living in it. There is a very strong statement made when City employees do not want to live in the town or city they work in

Buy a gun that fits your style, register it, get trained, get it painted any color that goes with your outfit, and get a job with the City and move into an inexpensive home in Arbor Hill. If the Mayor had some nuts (Planters of course) that is where he should move. Where you live often gives you a different perspective. Someone run for Mayor and promise nothing but that you will live in Arbor Hill.

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I disagree (none / 0) (#20)
by AlfredMoisiu on Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 07:48:56 PM EST

Guns are a great equalizer. That's why a 5'2" woman can be an effective cop. Back in the day, most cops never unholstered their weapons, and instead beat the shit out of people with nightsticks.

And that's in an era where anyone could buy a gun on Pearl St for a couple of dollars. My dad bought his first gun when he was 13 -- in Brooklyn.

IMO, if guns were more common, the crooks would be deterred from using them, and lose the edge they have in terms of power. They're not soldiers -- just thugs. Targets that shoot back are less appealing.

Still, if you want to reduce crime, making guns available to more people would be a a distant second place to legalizing drugs.

[ Parent ]

Disagree all you want (none / 0) (#22)
by Tom Paine on Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 05:48:09 AM EST

You are as entitled to your uninformed opinion as the rest of us, but the experts all disagree with you. It isn't the weapon that makes a police officer effective, whether that weapon is a nightstick or a pistol. And adding more guns won't reduce crime. We can be certain it will increase accidental shootings, and it would have other stupid effects, but reducing crime isn't one of them. I say that as someone who started shooting when I was five. I hope my aim has improved slightly since then ;)

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: How can you say that? (none / 0) (#25)
by AlfredMoisiu on Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 06:20:13 PM EST

Police derive their authority from the fact that they are agents of the government and have the legal authority to use force.
The proliferation of paramilitary SWAT and rapid respsonse teams is an illustration of that. The NYPD has men in full body armor, helmets and submachine guns walking around Grand Central Station to intimidate would be criminals or terrorists.
I know a few cops who are avid gun collectors who qualify as "gun guys" by any definition. Yet they are strongly in favor of gun control. Why? They don't want to get shot (the primary reason). They also know that cops will be exempted from these rules or extended professional courtesy. It's good to be a cop in a police state.

[ Parent ]

Albany Home Invasions | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)

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