DP. Reducing staffing levels is unlikely to improve morale and decrease stress for officers. Further, the officers that have any other alternative employment will take it. That's not going to leave MoCo with the best of the best, but the exact opposite. And finally, the first thing cut from any budget is training. Which will make you call for further decreases in budget and staffing due to ineffectiveness. The beatings will continue until morale improves. |
Different poster, but this was my first thought, too. The current council’s (and exec’s) method of reimagining policing is remarkably ineffective. They had the opportunity to evaluate what MCPD was doing right, which was a lot, and then they could have worked WITH the police in order to improve practices. Instead, they created such a hostile environment that we won’t even be able to attract the people who would want to take on this difficult work. They also failed to realize the many current officers who would have been up to the challenge had they not been treated so poorly by politicians. Blair could have breathed in some fresh perspective and things could rebound. Elrich? It’ll be more of the same demise. |
Yea, there are bad cops. But are you telling me that you won't be calling the cops if your child is getting the sh1t beat out of them? Who are you going to call? Elrich? |
It’s important to note that charges were filed against those officers and two remain: assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/two-years-after-police-berated-5-year-old-boy-some-county-officials-want-to-settle-familys-lawsuit/ I appreciate calls for police accountability. MCPD has a good track record of doing that. Most (almost all) MCPD interactions contain no use of force. Our officers are mostly professional, respectful, responsible, and they want to do a great job. |
And what happened to that "bad" cop? Is he gone? Has MCPD had a "Breonna Taylor " incident ? Something bad happens in another state, different police department, so that must be the case with MCPD? So, if there are several incidences of burglary, or violent attacks committed by, oh say, some black men, should we hold all black men accountable? Profile them? |
Thank you for your response to my response, PP. I may come back later and respond in a more detailed way. For a bit of context, I’ll add that I have spent much of my life attending and working in schools — mostly public schools. I am also the person who wrote the post at 12:04. While I have had excellent personal and professional interactions with many police officers, whether or not I, personally feel “safer” with SRO’s in the building depends completely on the particular SRO. I have worked with well-trained, compassionate SRO’s — and I have worked with SRO’s and Community Police Officers who would view handcuffing and threatening a 5 year old as all part of a successful, if irritating, day at work. I guess my point is simply that to talk about “policing” and increasing SROs without acknowledging both the history and current realities of ways in which people in these roles have abused them, it may be impossible to reach a common ground. While I think surveys are useful, they also have serious limitations, and are quite often lacking in specificity and nuance. I feel safer with SROs like Officer R. in the building, and truly appreciate the sensitive way his knowledge of the kids and the neighborhood community serves to prevent problems. I feel less safe with the ones like Officer P. who yells at small kids, and threatens them with jail, CPS, or worse, and actually provokes —or fails to prevent—many incidents, with his attitudes and behaviors. Most surveys are not nuanced enough to accurately capture the experiences of large groups (community members) who are responding based on their own individual experiences— which may be extremely different, with little overlap (Officer R vs Officer P vs both). In general, understanding opinions, particularly minority opinions, might require steps beyond surveys and any general and specific limitations that they might have. (Not knocking surveys, I just view them as step one in a multi-step process, particularly about issues as important as policing.) As to Blair, I’ll simply say that you trust him with things that I do not — which is one of the reasons I value actual experience —which can be assessed and critiqued — over “something new”. I’m consistent in this even when the something or someone new is — like Wes Moore — an extremely attractive candidate in other respects that are consistent with my personal and political values. Thank you for your thoughtful responses and your willingness to engage in dialogue about these thorny yet critically important concerns. |
In reality, I’d probably call the cops, and I’d be desperately hoping that I got one of the “good” ones. And I say this as someone who has had multiple, direct experiences with both — or, more accurately: multiple— types of cops. I will also continue to work for training and recruiting cops who truly want to protect and serve ALL members of their communities. |
pp here.. 100% agree with you But, demonizing the entire MCPD is not the way to move forward, just like demonizing an entire racial group for the bad actions of a few across the country is not right, either. I question Elrich's competency in this regard given his choice of the Civilian Police Chief overseeing this. I mean, was this person the best Elrich could do if he was serious about making sure MCPD disciplined bad cops? https://wjla.com/news/local/carmen-facciolo-montgomery-county-civilian-assistant-police-chief-fired-let-go-removed-multiple-alleged-violations-abuse-of-power-executive-marc-elrich-mcpd-law-enforcement-violating-department-policy-maryland |
too close to call. I will believe it when it is in the Washington post |
I agree 100%. When you treat ALL officers as bad officers, the very ones you want to serve are going to leave. Very few people are willing to take constant abuse as they try their best. Our officers are vilified by politicians, insulted online and in public, and are supposed to accept blame for society’s ills. If Elrich had worked with the police, supporting them in their roles, he would have had my vote. |
| Well, it's clear MoCo residents give zero craps about their economy. The county continues to circle the drain like a turd. |
No..actually almost half of them do according to those who voted in the primaries. If some people had switched their party to Democrat, Blair would have won |
Well know they need to vote for Sully. |
| *now |
If democrats were not so dumb, Blair would have won. |