Gunman sprays DC crowd, killing 4 and wounding 5
This blog was created solely for my students to generate intellectual dialogue with their classmates. Reach one and teach one. Peace.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Gunman sprays DC crowd, killing 4 and wounding 5
When will enough be enough? The life expectancy for young Black men is dropping precipitously because of the ridiculous notion, by some people, that disagreements can be settled with a gun. STOP THE INSANITY. Will there come a day when we have to stay in our homes to be safe? I believe that day is coming soon. Stock up on the books, newspapers and Internet websites because we might learn something from this reaction. Take care of one another.
Gunman sprays DC crowd, killing 4 and wounding 5
Gunman sprays DC crowd, killing 4 and wounding 5
Senator Eric Adams to Young Black Men: 'Pull Your Pants Up!'
I am torn over this particular topic. On the one hand, I am definitely for creative expression. I remember wearing certain clothes and other items when I was growing up. However, the image that the young males of this generation is representing is really setting back the progress that we have made. I question why they feel the need to wear their pants half way down their behinds. It does not look presentable and sends a message to others that they don't care about themselves. Is it not hard enough for young Black and Brown males to get jobs? Will this help in their search? The music and movie industry will readily hire these individuals because it is their job to continue to exploit us. Please, young men, wake up and pull up your pants and watch your opportunities for success go up as well. Also, young ladies, you can have a big impact on this problem by telling these confused young men that you don't want to be seen with them until they pull up their pants. Just my thoughts.
Senator Eric Adams to Young Black Men: 'Pull Your Pants Up!'
Senator Eric Adams to Young Black Men: 'Pull Your Pants Up!'
Monday, March 29, 2010
Making it on nothing.
Sometimes you have to be very thankful for what you have in life. Believe me, there are others who do not have half as much and seem to get by without making a fuss. However, something has to be done about our priorities in this country. I could not imagine going through what the people in the link have to go through. Let's stop the nonsense and get down to being the keeper of our brothers and sisters. Also, please read some of the comments attached to the video and see what your fellow human beings think about this situation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq0Joi1ELps&feature=fvw
Pope Opens Holy Week Amid Sex Abuse Crisis
If the Pope is found to be complicit in this matter, what punishment should he receive? Be careful what you write, God might be watching.
Pope Opens Holy Week Amid Sex Abuse Crisis - AOL News
Friday, March 26, 2010
No more police courtesy...say it ain't so!!!
The highest-ranking female officer in the Port Authority Police Department has been suspended after being arrested on DWI charges in Chatham Township, officials said.
Susan Durett, 58, of Summit was charged with DWI on March 19, township Lt. William Behre said in a statement released Thursday.
Durett was suspended with pay, and has been assigned to administrative work with no gun or badge, according to John Kelly, a spokesman for the Port Authority.
Kelly said he did not know the length of the suspension.
Durett did not return messages left at her office and home.
A 30-year veteran of the Port Authority police, Durett has been the department's highest-ranking woman since 2004. She serves as an inspector, directly under assistant chief.
The arrest took place around 10 p.m. on March 19, when a motorist called police to report a possible intoxicated driver on Shunpike Road, Behre said. Police responded and located a car traveling very slowly, crossing several times over the center line of the road.
Police stopped Durett on Shunpike Road by Driftway Street, and determined she had been drinking alcoholic beverages, according to their release. After conducting field sobriety tests, officers placed Durett under arrest and brought her to police headquarters, where she was processed, charged and released pending an April 7 hearing in municipal court.
They did not release details of her blood-alcohol level. The legal limit in New Jersey is 0.08 percent.
A New Jersey native, Durett worked as an officer for the Union County Prosecutor's Office before joining the Port Authority police in 1980. In 2004, she was promoted from lieutenant to captain, commanding officer at the World Trade Center and Holland Tunnel. There had been only two previous female captains in the department, one of whom was killed in the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Colorado Trooper Arrested for On-Duty DUI - PoliceLink
I thought that law enforcement officers took care of each other. Did someone break the "blue wall of silence?" There have been an influx of whistleblowers in policing. Are we seeing a sign of the times that unprofessionalism and corruption will not be tolerated? We should all hope that more of them come forward to report the behavior.
Colorado Trooper Arrested for On-Duty DUI - PoliceLink
Colorado Trooper Arrested for On-Duty DUI - PoliceLink
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Is whistle-blowing a welcomed change in the NYPD?
Officer Frank Palestro, the latest cop to call foul on corruption in the NYPD, has gotten serious flak from his fellow police and the union, though he maintains he was just doing his duty. The union delegate and nine-year police veteran was outed after secretly reporting Lt. Susana Seda for behavior such as telling cops to write summonses for traffic violations they didn't witness, refusing to take complaints and tampering with a gun at a crime scene. Since then, he's been transferred so he won't have to deal with the wrath of his peers in the precinct. "I was the [Patrolmen's Benevolent Association] delegate, and now I'm labeled a rat for doing what I was supposed to do," said Palestro. "This will stay with me for the rest of my career."
According to Palestro, union reps rarely report the infractions of their fellow officers. "I wrestled with it for a while because I'm a delegate and we don't do things like this," he told the Daily News. In the end he made three anonymous phone calls reporting corruption within his precinct, but the log of his calls somehow made its way into the vents of his locker at the stationhouse! "[Seda] told everybody I was a 'f------ rat,'" he said, adding that the union has also reprimanded him. So far no action has been taken against the accused lieutenant.
Palestro's allegations follow a study that revealed widespread and deeply ingrained corruption regarding how the NYPD's crime statistics are obtained, as well as whistleblowing by several other members of the force.
This is an example of an NYPD Whistle-blower.
I have often spoken about the courageous act of a police officer who breaks the official "blue wall of silence." The officer depicted in this news video is one such person. Unfortunately, he is working for a rather large police organization. His predecessor, Serpico, felt the complete wrath of his department when he was shot in the face for a similar courageous act. Let's hope and pray that nothing happens to this young man.
An Eyewitness News investigation talks to a police officer who reveals the pressure they are under to make quotas.
When Officer Adil Polanco dreamed of becoming a cop, it was out of a desire to help people not, he says, to harass them.
“I'm not going to keep arresting innocent people, I'm not going to keep searching people for no reason, I'm not going to keep writing people for no reason, I'm tired of this,” said Adil Polanco, an NYPD Officer.
Officer Polanco says One Police Plaza's obsession with keeping crime stats down has gotten out of control. He claims Precinct Commanders relentlessly pressure cops on the street to make more arrests, and give out more summonses, all to show headquarters they have a tight grip on their neighborhoods.
“Our primary job is not to help anybody, our primary job is not to assist anybody, our primary job is to get those numbers and come back with them?” said Officer Polanco.
Eyewitness News asked, “Why do it?”
“They have to meet a quota. One arrest and twenty summonses,” said Officer Polanco.
This audio recording exclusively obtained by Eyewitness News seems to back up Officer Polanco's assertion of a quota. You can listen to one officer as he lectures his rank and file officers during roll call at the 41st precinct.
“Things are not going to get any better. It's going to get a lot worse,” said a police officer.
He lays out clearly that they need to bring in the numbers.
“If you think 1 and 20 is breaking your balls, guess what you're going to be doing. You're gong to be doing a lot more, a lot more than what they're saying,” said the officer.
In another recording, the 41st Precinct Patrol Supervisor appears to step up the pressure to write more and more summonses:
“Next week, 25 &1, 35 & 1, and until you decide to quit this job to go to work at a Pizza Hut , this is what you're going to be doing till then. Do you understand?” asked the patrol officer.
“He's being clear, the only choice that we have is to do it,” said Officer Polanco.
Eyewitness News asked, “Are you telling me they're stopping people for no reason, is that what you're saying?”
“We are stopping kids walking upstairs to their house, stopping kids going to the store, young adults. In order to keep the quota,” answered Officer Polanco.
“Yeah, they locked us up for nothing,” said Zebulun Colbourne.
The Colbourne brothers say they and three other friends were the victims of quotas. All were arrested a few months ago after one of them had fallen while racing each other.
Eyewitness News asked, “You fell and that's how you hurt your eye?”
“Yeah, and they just wanted to arrest us. I told them I fell but that didn't matter to them,” said Elijah Colbourne.
All five were accused of engaging in tumultuous and violent conduct that caused public alarm, given a summons for unlawful assembly and locked up overnight.
Eyewitness News asked, “So you're locked up waiting to see the judge, right?”
“Yeah,” answered the Colbourne brothers.
Eyewitness News asked, “Then what do they do?”
“We don't see the judge, they let us out the back door after they kept us for a day and some change,” said Elijah Colbourne.
The charges were dropped, but Officer Polanco says the patrolman still got 5 summonses toward their monthly quota.
“At the end of the night you have to come back with something. You have to write somebody, you have to arrest somebody, even if the crime is not committed, the number's there. So our choice is to come up with the number,” said Officer Polanco.
One Police Plaza declined our requests to interview the 41st precinct commander. But, Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said, “Police Officers like others who receive compensation are provided productivity goals and they are expected to work.”
Officer Polanco says if they are just goals, why are officers who fail to make them, re-assigned to different shifts or relocated far from home.
It's the consequences of not making the numbers or quotas, he says, that forces officers to give out bogus summonses.
“I cannot be more honest than I've been. There's no reason for me to lie, there's no reason for me to get into the trouble I am, cause I just could've kept quiet and made the money,” said Officer Polanco.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7305573
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7307340
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Hunterdon County correctional officer sues state citing hostile environment - Topix
This is a former student. As I have told many of my female students, the law enforcement profession is difficult to enter and even more difficult to remain employed. Make sure you weigh all the information before getting involved.
Hunterdon County correctional officer sues state citing hostile environment - Topix
Hunterdon County correctional officer sues state citing hostile environment - Topix
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
You make the call.
This police involved incident is under investigation by the Newark Police Department and the Prosecutor's Office. All the facts are not in, but this video speaks volumes. I will reserve judgment, but tell me what you think.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Census, how will you self identify?
The 2010 Census is coming in the next few days. It will be very important for everyone to be counted. The alleged rift between the Blacks and Browns of America needs to be addressed. For those who know me, I often say, "Yo soy boriqua paque tu lo sepa" which translates to I am Puerto-Rican and you know it. It will be important to Latinos, who do not identify as "White" to acknowledged that you are Black and Latino. As of this date, there are approximately one million Latinos, in America, who identify as Afro-Latino. In order for more resources to be funneled into minority communities, the number of minorities must be counted accurately. For those of my students who this applies , please do your homework and decided how you will self identify. Please look at the posted link for added information. Remember, we are all in this together. One Love, One Race. Peace.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The pressures of young people and mental health.
I have tried to express the importance of mental health to my Criminology class. This is a prime example of what happens when it is not addressed. This young lady had a promising career. What drove her to take her life will be a mystery. Please pay attention to the signs.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
To reveal or not to reveal?
This issue will place an indelible scare on the New Jersey State Police. Regardless of guilt, these gentlemen will have to face their resepctive families and hopefully they will be forgiven. Now, as a taxpaying citizen of New Jersey, can you forgive them? Please read through the entire article and at the bottom, read what your fellow taxpaying citizens think as well.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
What is going on in Newark?
Are the walls starting to crumble? It appears that human behavior is rearing its evil head in the City of Newark. What the residents do not need is more scandal and corruption. Let's give Newark the benefit of the doubt right now, but I would expect Mayor Booker to check those around him. He still has a very promising future, if this latest debacle does not get to him.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/ex-newark_official_facing_corr.html
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
New York State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt Retires Amid Scandal - AOL News
Please do not think this is only germane to New York. In the end, this person has to look at himself in the mirror.
New York State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt Retires Amid Scandal - AOL News
New York State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt Retires Amid Scandal - AOL News
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)