Should we rush to judgment?

In the coming days, the public will be bombarded with the trial of Sean Bell; an African-American male shot and killed by members of the NYPD. The shooting was very controversial with both sides claiming that the other one was responsible. What we do know is that Mr. Bell was not armed and some of his friends were also shot by the NYPD. A police officer's job is not easy and making split second decisions are the norm. The officers involved in this shooting, represented by the white, black, and Latino community, will have their futures placed in the hands of a judge because they opted not to have this matter resolved by a jury of their peers. Should the police officers be given the benefit of the doubt? Is this another case of police brutality gone terribly awry? Can minority males ever be looked at by law enforcement personnel as human beings rather than perpetrators?

" Do something everyday to impress yourself." Dr. BLR

Officer what did I do?

The recent Supreme Court ruling, 6-0, that allows the police to run a criminal history check on passengers in vehicles will serve as a victory for the law enforcement community. In past years, the Supreme Court has been accused of as being very liberal. However, have the courts gone too far? The post 9/11 era undoubtedly played a roll in this decision, but what will this mean for citizens?

"Your courage is shown in the face of adversity." Dr. BLR

Corruption within law enforcement

Not enough can be said for the fine men and women that put on a police uniform and swear to uphold the constitution. However, recent events regarding police corruption has caused concern in mainstream society. If it was an isolated incident then there would not be a problem. Yet, it appears that we are reading about this almost on a daily basis. Is this just a microcosm of society or a sign of the times?

http://www.badcopnews.com/category/new-jersey/

"Make sure you define what others will say about you when you are no longer here." Dr. BLR

Do we have to have crime?

Criminologist and theorist will have us all believe that crime is good for society. Some will posit that it creates jobs in the criminal justice profession thus making it good. However, I cannot find one person who would not rather live in a crime free society. Can't we (society) find other jobs to employ people other than law enforcement? How about employing better teachers? Also, fire fighters is another profession that comes to mind. Is there a reason that law enforcement and crime is inexticably link other than the obvious? If you scratch the surface you can come up with many reasons.

"Get into the habit of listenng to your inner voice; it probably knows what's best." Dr. BLR