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[smjjames]

Or are most of them bad apples? A few bad apples wouldn't neccesarily throw the statistics off by that far.

The fact that they are a relic of pre-civil rights eras comes as no surprise from what I know of them.

[Darvi]

Or are most of them bad apples? A few bad apples wouldn't neccesarily throw the statistics off by that far.

Looks like somebody's snark-o-metre is broken.

[nenjin]

The Justice Department published a report a couple days ago giving more details into the extent of the racial bias of Ferguson PD. Those few bad apples must be arresting and searching a lot of people to throw the statistics off this far.

According to several officials who have been briefed on the report’s conclusions, the report criticizes the city for disproportionately ticketing and arresting African-Americans and relying on the fines to balance the city’s budget. The report, which is expected to be released as early as this week, will force Ferguson officials to either negotiate a settlement with the Justice Department or face being sued by it on civil rights charges. Either way, the result is likely to be significant changes inside the Ferguson Police Department, which is at the center of a national debate over race and policing.

...

Blacks accounted for 86 percent of traffic stops in 2013 but make up 63 percent of the population, according to the most recent data published by the Missouri attorney general. And once they were stopped, black drivers were twice as likely to be searched, even though searches of white drivers were more likely to turn up contraband.

Meanwhile, their investigation into the Michael Brown shooting could not confirm nor refute that Brown grabbed for his gun, or that the officer feared for his life, and so they're judgment is they just have to take his word for it.

It must be nice to be in that segment of society where people simply take your word for why you killed someone. That shit wouldn't hold up for even a second in your standard jury trial. But since we don't hold cops to a standard of reasonable doubt, they basically have to admit to wrong doing or be caught red-handed.

[Leafsnail]

I find the use of the term "bad apples" to defend police officers really strange.  Think about it: how does the whole expression actually go?

[Glowcat]

I find the use of the term "bad apples" to defend police officers really strange.  Think about it: how does the whole expression actually go?

One bad apple spoils your human rights?

Something like that.

[nenjin]

I find the use of the term "bad apples" to defend police officers really strange.  Think about it: how does the whole expression actually go?

"One bad apple spoils the bunch." Implying either that because one apple is bad, that all are bad, OR, that one being bad in turn causes all the others to go bad.

Yeah, you're right. That is a really strange phrase to decide to settle on since it has no real positive connotation towards the subject of police culture.

[Glowcat]

No positive connotation but very accurately describes a part of the problem, as psychological experiments have borne out. When people in authority positions begin misusing that power it's more likely that their peers either join in, avoid getting involved, or protect those who do from consequence rather than turning on "their own."

A whole lot of really disgusting (if unsurprising) evidence is coming to light in wake of the probe besides the skewed statistics.

Setting police dogs on people they've already searched and proven to be unarmed (police report's reason? "suspect may have still been armed").

Harassing a black family and arresting the mother for recording the cop.

And then there's the culture that's prevalent, such as anti-Obama/black "humor" being distributed in emails.

[SalmonGod]

It works, though... because as far as I can tell, that's what literally happened.  The bad ones have taken over and weeded out the goods ones over time.  I'm not the first person to note that there's a broad trend of acting like a good cop resulting in shunning or termination.

[UXLZ]

The corruption spreads down to deepest roots; it cannot any more be treated by trimming the branches; the weed must be removed from the soil~

In all honest though, at the moment it's almost impossible.

[nenjin]

I'm just sayin': you'd think someone's PR person would have thought over that phrase and been like "Actually, it kind of makes their point for them, maybe you should....try a different one."

[Helgoland]

It works, though... because as far as I can tell, that's what literally happened.  The bad ones have taken over and weeded out the goods ones over time.  I'm not the first person to note that there's a broad trend of acting like a good cop resulting in shunning or termination.

Didn't Saakashwili fire all the cops in Georgia because they were corrupt, and the streets became safer as a result? Maybe that could be a model for the US: Fire all cops, and then start re-hiring with a set of criteria that will keep all the racist nutjobs and trigger-happy sleazebags out.

[Xantalos]

It's simple, execute Order 66.

[nenjin]

It works, though... because as far as I can tell, that's what literally happened.  The bad ones have taken over and weeded out the goods ones over time.  I'm not the first person to note that there's a broad trend of acting like a good cop resulting in shunning or termination.

Didn't Saakashwili fire all the cops in Georgia because they were corrupt, and the streets became safer as a result? Maybe that could be a model for the US: Fire all cops, and then start re-hiring with a set of criteria that will keep all the racist nutjobs and trigger-happy sleazebags out.

US Cops have these things called Unions which are designed to prevent exactly that kind of thing. Firing a city employee that's part of a Union is designed to be a slow, arduous process where the bar is set high, so government officials can't arbitrarily fire city employees for personal or political reasons. On the other hand, it also provides a shield for poor officers who by all rights should be fired but the paper work and discovery and everything else dissuades terminating them.

[NullForceOmega]

Realistically there is no simple fix to the Police problem in the US, the various elements are to thoroughly ingrained to adjust without drastic action.
In the hypothetical, the 'nuclear option' of mobilizing the Military could be used for the purposes of transitioning from our current police structure to newer, hopefully better designed one.  The downside is the precedent it would set for Federal authority overriding State and Civil, and the truly terrifying difference in basic function between the Military and the Police.
Sadly, at the current rate of breakdown, total collapse and revolution are vastly more likely than an intelligent, organized, and effective response to the issue.

[Glowcat]

Dismantling the policies that make up the "War on Drugs" and pushing against the desire to criminalize for solving problems would do a lot towards ending the Police State.