You have the kind of police that you demand.
Cities, and the citizens that live in them, give tacit approval to the methods used by the police agencies in those cities. If a police agency uses certain tactics or engages in certain behaviors, and the citizens do nothing about it, the citizens have given de facto approval for those practices to continue. If the citizens attempt to do something about it, they have put the police department on notice that such practices will not be tolerated. It cases such as NOPD, Atlanta, and other high profile cases, it is easy to say that such practices should be abolished. No one really wants their local PD to be running drugs, committing murders, etc. However, it never starts there, it always starts smaller. Sometimes it is as simple as a local ordinance that says all residents shall provide identification when asked by a LEO. Seems easy enough, right? After all, we have a lot of problems associated with transient homeless and this will allow the PD to get a handle on it. And while we're at it, a curfew to help eliminate the local gangs. As time goes on, more practices and policies are set in place, all in the name of crime prevention. In time, a "Prince of the City" mentality can develop in certain organizations or in specific units. "Hey, we're the Po-Leece, we can do what we want." I've seen it happen. The only solution to preventing such situations is active citizen involvement at the local government level. How many of you attend local city or county council meetings? How many of you have attended a local citizen's Police Academy, or a Ride-Along program? And how many of you never get upset at what an Agency does until it infringes on YOUR rights? It's okay for the local cops to roust the teenagers hanging out at the local Dairy Whip at midnight, after all, those kids aren't up to any good anyway. Well, if you give tacit approval to harassing kids who aren't breaking any laws, that approval will soon extend to other groups as well. I used to work a beat that had an elementary school in it that had a basketball goal. The kids from a local apartment complex used to come over and shoot hoops at night, with the approval of the principal. They played at night because it was cooler. I had numerous calls from the local homeowners in the area wanting me to "run those kids off." I always had to respond, meet with the homeowner, explain that the kids weren't doing anything illegal and I had NO reason to run them off. Virtually every homeowner I dealt with wanted them run off anyway because they "were just going to cause trouble" and "they'd be doing something wrong soon enough." I'd just leave, and wave at the kids on my way by. But if you extend their argument to its logical conclusion, then yes, it would be okay to stop citizens based on color or race, to roust the homeless, to demand to see "your papers, please." And all in the name of "Crime Prevention", that Holy Grail of law-abiding citizens and Police Departments everywhere. Ain't never gonna happen, folks, we're never going to prevent crime. You can prevent a crime, but not crime itself. Okay, I guess I've ranted in long enough in trying to say this: As private citizens, you will get the Police Department that you allow to exist. Just be careful what you wish for.
