this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
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THE POLICE PROBLEM

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    The police problem is that police are policed by the police. Cops are accountable only to other cops, which is no accountability at all.

    99.9999% of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct is never investigated, never punished, never makes the news, so it's not on this page.

    When cops are caught breaking the law, they're investigated by other cops. Details are kept quiet, the officers' names are withheld from public knowledge, and what info is eventually released is only what police choose to release — often nothing at all.

    When police are fired — which is all too rare — they leave with 'law enforcement experience' and can easily find work in another police department nearby. It's called "Wandering Cops."

    When police testify under oath, they lie so frequently that cops themselves have a joking term for it: "testilying." Yet it's almost unheard of for police to be punished or prosecuted for perjury.

    Cops can and do get away with lawlessness, because cops protect other cops. If they don't, they aren't cops for long.

    The legal doctrine of "qualified immunity" renders police officers invulnerable to lawsuits for almost anything they do. In practice, getting past 'qualified immunity' is so unlikely, it makes headlines when it happens.

    All this is a path to a police state.

    In a free society, police must always be under serious and skeptical public oversight, with non-cops and non-cronies in charge, issuing genuine punishment when warranted.

    Police who break the law must be prosecuted like anyone else, promptly fired if guilty, and barred from ever working in law-enforcement again.

    That's the solution.

♦ ♦ ♦

Our definition of ‘cops’ is broad, and includes prison guards, probation officers, shitty DAs and judges, etc — anyone who has the authority to fuck over people’s lives, with minimal or no oversight.

♦ ♦ ♦

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♦ ♦ ♦

ALLIES

[email protected]

[email protected]

r/ACAB

r/BadCopNoDonut/

Randy Balko

The Civil Rights Lawyer

The Honest Courtesan

Identity Project

MirandaWarning.org

♦ ♦ ♦

INFO

A demonstrator's guide to understanding riot munitions

Adultification

Cops aren't supposed to be smart

Don't talk to the police.

Killings by law enforcement in Canada

Killings by law enforcement in the United Kingdom

Killings by law enforcement in the United States

Know your rights: Filming the police

Three words. 70 cases. The tragic history of 'I can’t breathe' (as of 2020)

Police aren't primarily about helping you or solving crimes.

Police lie under oath, a lot

Police spin: An object lesson in Copspeak

Police unions and arbitrators keep abusive cops on the street

Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States

So you wanna be a cop?

When the police knock on your door

♦ ♦ ♦

ORGANIZATIONS

Black Lives Matter

Campaign Zero

Innocence Project

The Marshall Project

Movement Law Lab

NAACP

National Police Accountability Project

Say Their Names

Vera: Ending Mass Incarceration

 

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[–] jordanlund 169 points 6 months ago (7 children)

A lot of police departments are just... gifted this shit by the military industrial complex.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarization_of_police

They don't have a need for it, but it looks cool parked at the county fair.

The problem is, once they have it, they reach for reasons to use it.

[–] BigPotato 71 points 6 months ago (1 children)

DOD doesn't want to pay upkeep and it was designed for roadside bombs in remote mountains not Iranian drones.

Might as well give it to the cops, in case one of their supporters accidentally hits it while trying to bomb a women's shelter or something.

[–] Madison420 26 points 6 months ago (8 children)

They're specifically not to be used on roads because they don't fit, rollover if sneezed at and destroy our roads but fuck it they're police right?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What are you talking about, that would fit perfectly parked in the bike lane

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[–] Sarmyth 101 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I feel like these should be used as a sort of honey pot. If your police department buys one of these, fire everyone and start over from scratch.

[–] Melonpoly 27 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think these are handed down for cheap/free by the military. Not that a police department needs these types of vehicles.

[–] ShunkW 17 points 6 months ago (4 children)

Precisely this. If the military donates it, they can get budget to get a new one.

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[–] phoneymouse 98 points 6 months ago (1 children)

IUD jokes aside, I think the way the cops are grinning is enough to say they don’t need it and they view it as a toy.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago

I mean, I'd be pretty excited to get to drive one.

[–] [email protected] 93 points 6 months ago (22 children)

Let's say you're a cop and you get a call: there's a hispanic gay crossdresser armed with a .50BMG sniper rifle with explosive rounds reported on the roof of the KwikeeMart, and they're threatening to shoot the Walmart across the street unless they're called by their proper pronouns, black lives/matter. This situation calls for an immediate response with at least a MRAP, and that's only because they don't have the funding for an airstrike from an A-10.

[–] Avatar_of_Self 49 points 6 months ago

Yeah I mean they would need an MRAP to keep them safe while they wait for the shooter to finish up or run out of ammo. We've got to think of the officers and their safety.

[–] Maggoty 17 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Fun fact. That MRAP does not protect against .50 cal rounds.

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[–] Linkerbaan 89 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Slightly too big to fit through a school hallway. Just big enough to wait outside in the parking lot. We'll take it - TX police

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[–] ZMoney 69 points 6 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 36 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Lol yeah, i like how no one else realizes it’s supposed to be IED (Improvised Explosive Device)

[–] WoolyNelson 61 points 6 months ago (1 children)

They meant what they said. It's Texas- they seem far more afraid of women's issues than explosives.

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[–] Got_Bent 26 points 6 months ago

It's Texas. They're terrified of the demon birth control.

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[–] Phegan 62 points 6 months ago (20 children)

I don't understand how normal people don't see this and instantly become radicalized

[–] Demdaru 19 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oh, me? Nah. Now, that car, damn that's radical. Imma gonna enlist! :D

No, really, why do you think they post these?

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 6 months ago (1 children)

This is a little town on the north outskirts of the Dallas metro area with a population of about 38,000. The reasons they need it are innumerable. /s

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[–] boatsnhos931 54 points 6 months ago (9 children)

Protect from IUDs?! intrauterine devices?? They sure are taking birth control seriously in Prosper boys..

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 6 months ago

Looks like they are ready to violently suppress the rioting MAGAts when they riot after their criminal leader is imprisoned. What's that? Those that work forces are the same that burn crosses? I guess they're ready for any counter-protestors.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 6 months ago (1 children)

IUD?

Intra-Uterine Device??

How much of a threat is female birth control to these people??

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago

insert joke about police officers and domestic violence here

[–] StaySquared 45 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Militarization of police.

Can't use military on U.S. soil against its citizens? Turn police into the military to be used against its citizens.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 6 months ago

POV your local police department turns into an occupying military force. This is beyond dystopian. 2024 ❌ 1984 ✅

[–] FlyingSquid 44 points 6 months ago (22 children)

Prosper, Texas.

Population: 37,746

Crime rate per 1000 residents: 9.54

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/prosper

Nearby Dallas' crime rate? 46.06 per 1000 residents.

Is it me or is this not exactly justified?

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[–] Exusia 42 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

Police don't but they often want a vehicle for SWAT related reasons, but SWAT trucks costs hundreds of thousands. Meanwhile MRAPs are "free".

Prosper, Texas is home to 40,000 people. In 2010 their population was under 10k. They have quadrupled in size and are near the DFW area, so it's not really a surprise they took the 1033 offer for an MRAP. That said most of these decom'd heaps of shit are loathesomely expensive. "High Cost of Free MRAPs" by Strongtowns. Most MRAPs being given out are first and second gen versions. And for those first gens, they got sent to the front lines of the GWOT and got beat to shit while newer ones were tested and approved. These old models they're "giving out for free" have tire drum parts never used on later versions, transmissions like that of an F650 with half the reliability, and are ticking time bombs of use. Most cities often estimate maintenance costs at $5k per year, until something actually breaks and they have to get a second MRAP to cannibalize to fix the first. (Hint - that's why you often see them picked up in pairs or more)

That's before the optics. Petaluma, California has one and the police chief has even said "yeah it kinda has some bad optics sending police around in a former war machine".

If your city is wanting to pick one up, it's because someone who has zero experience with them really likes the idea of a big scary diesel monster rolling up on drug houses, and hasn't actually considered that if they can't pony up thousands of tax dollars every 6 months to keep the moneymonster fed, the only place it's gonna drive is into a storage shed.

Edit: I should add that these vehicles are incredibly versatile and aren't necessarily a bad thing for municipalities. With their ride height, sheer bulk, and high torque engines, Fire and rescue could probably make great use them in several cities. They make fantastic road clearing vehicles in the event of large accidents needing to move to the side of the road, or pushing debris out of the way. Additionally in flood prone areas they make very good rescue vehicles due to their ride height and "crew space" inside. They DO have value outside of terrorizing civilian populations, just that that's all PDs will use them for.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 6 months ago (6 children)
[–] Fetus 28 points 6 months ago

It's Texas, you never know when someone might be in danger of wanting to have some level of control over their own body.

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[–] Hugin 31 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

This is probably more dangerous for them then a normal car. The features that make a MRAP good at surviving an IED also make them top heavy and easy to roll. I'm fairly sure they are more likely to have a reckless driver behind the wheel then have a roadside bomb.

[–] GoofSchmoofer 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I have a feeling this will sit in a garage most days. It will only come out for July 4th parades and to drive through some brown persons house "accidentally" during a welfare check.

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[–] peetabix 31 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Looks like it already has an oil leak

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[–] Snapz 29 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

"Yippy Dippy Doooo!!!! We can hide in here as the kids get killed in Uvalde!!!!" - Texas Cops

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 6 months ago

The Pedestrian & Protester Pulverizer 9000™️

[–] [email protected] 27 points 6 months ago (1 children)

OBVIOUSLY it's so that next time there's a SCHOOL SHOOTING they can rock up in STYLE while they wait for the Shooter to run out of Bullets or Bodies whichever happens first!

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[–] IzzyScissor 27 points 6 months ago

.. to hide in while your children are being shot at.

[–] MehBlah 27 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Iud's are baby killers. They stop cop sperm from impregnating their victims.

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[–] Shotgun_Alice 26 points 6 months ago

Someone spent their civil forfeiture money at the military surplus store.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago (6 children)

I've never wanted to blow something up so bad in my life. I mean, I don't want anyone to get hurt and I wouldnt actually do this since its stupid, but the desire is very strong.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I like that it pissed itself.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago

I love how they are displaying their parking skills

[–] owenfromcanada 22 points 6 months ago

Mobile oppression palace?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago

If you need this type of vehicle as police, you're the issue, not the people around.

[–] Cosmicomical 21 points 6 months ago

To counter those vicious abortists

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago

The fun thing is a lot of smaller departments find out after they get something like this, they can't afford to actually use or maintain them. Shit be expensive yo.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (3 children)

My extremely rural county of 60k population has one for some reason. The best part is, the one time there was actually an armed and dangerous individual on the run, they called in aid from a major city an hour away. They did however parade around with it and strongly consider actually pulling at the tractor pull with it

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