Interesting perspective: Media and Judges to blame for crime.

[YELLAHEEP]

This is a vid of a press conference held by the President of the San Francisco PD's Police Association. He's addressing the negative press about the death of a SFPD officer resulting from a pursuit.

Background: From what I've gathered (from available press coverage ) the SFPD officer died a few days after his patrol car collided with the suspect vehicle. The police were in a pursuit with the suspects in a van after they'd committed an armed robbery. The police association president is upset that the media focused their spin on the police and their justifying the pursuit rather than on the suspects and the crime they'd just committed - AND their criminal records prior to this crime. He places the blame on Judges for not locking up the suspects for their previous offenses - particularly the suspect driver - 19 years old, many felony charges in the past couple years, and currently out on a Judge re-instated bond after he'd failed to appear for both his felony trial and his bond revocation hearing. (Um, I thought that if you didn't show for your bond revocation hearing, your bond got........ revoked? :dunno

Interesting also that the officer was responding to the scene of the robbery to assist there and was not involved in the pursuit. He died as many citizens have in similar police pursuits - wrong place at the right time.

I think the association president is right on the money where he places blame. I sincerely hope he succeeds in his endeavors to affect change in the justice system for San Francisco. Then maybe that can be used as a model for national change.

Anyway, give it a listen:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3854816300207222203

 

[RichP]

Police pursuits are questionable and need a case by case decision. I speak from my wifes perspective. While chasing a suspect for running a stop sign two delware state police rammed and killed my wifes aunt and uncle leaving two cousins without parents. FOR A FUCKIN STOP SIGN. Guess it was a boring sunday morning and they wanted some action. You don't do high speed pursuits thru residential neighborhoods or busy city areas, there might be justification on limited access hiways but then all you really need to do is block access and kepe them in sight. As far as SF and LA are concerned, their airforce is large enough to track anybody and act as controllers for the pursuit vehicles, gone are the days when your 427 cobra could outrun a gasoline powered state police bell helicopter on the garden state parkway or the long island expressway of the 60's.
I do agree on the media though but what can you expect, I've taken a couple of courses in college for writing, the views of professors about made me puke. One prof made me a target once he found out I was a viet era vet, or as he called it a baby killer, when I calmly asked about his views of sending a 5 year old into a bar with a bomb or boobytrapping a baby he said 'thats propaganda and never happened'. The fact that I spent most my time underwater on patrols made no difference. All of those type are the most closed minded individuals I have ever met and they are teaching the next generation.
Just my take on it...
Oh and they never did get the guy who ran the stop sign.

 

[jeepinxj01]

I look at pulling someone over as probable cause to check someone out and see WHAT ELSE they may be hiding. If someone ran a stop sign and was getting pulled over by a cop and they run; they're obviously hiding something more and you probably want that person off of the street anyway. Police are trained and most are trained pretty damn well. Can't speak for the smaller towns, but most are trained well. If a person can't see the lights and hear the sirens of a police car; they shouldn't be driving. But, every situation is different.

As far as judges and the media.....to me judges just get to witness what's gonig on in his/her courtroom and rules on what the prosecutor and the defense attorney decide to do. Keep in mind most cases and yes sometimes the "big murder" cases; are decided before a judge even hears it.

Media, they blow everything out of proportion.

p.s. I can not watch the video. That site is blocked here at work. Just giving an opinion.

 

[streetpirate]

and if you do get pulled over and you are trying to hide something, remember, the police need probable cause to search your car. be polite, and never consent to any searches.



rich,

what happened to the two officers?

 

[RichP]

and if you do get pulled over and you are trying to hide something, remember, the police need probable cause to search your car. be polite, and never consent to any searches.



rich,

what happened to the two officers?

Nothing, this was back in the pre-suit days when police were untouchable. They were backing out of their driveway.