...is your forum to voice concerns and complaints regarding the law enforcement officials of Harbor Country. So keep it honest and clean. -H.C.C.W. is totally anonymous, and is hopefully a step towards us getting our police departments back to an acceptable, professional standard. So feel free to report and/or discuss any less than respectable behavior on the part of our local boys/girls in blue.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Accountable says
I don't understand how some people can be so NARROW minded that they can't realize the objective of this blog. To those of you defending the officers, your intent is commended. You are right in that officers and their families make tremendous sacrifices and put their lives on the line daily. No one here is denying that. However, can you please be open minded and logical enough to realize that others still have a right to expect and demand courtesy from law enforcement? Democracy only thrives because of accountability. Our forefathers fashioned the system of checks and balances to hold public servants accountable. It’s only human nature to lean towards abusing power and if you were honest you cannot deny that some officers have abused their power by using the same condescending tone toward the public that SGT has used on this blog. This blog is simply following our democratic example and holding officers accountable in hopes that they will cease to abuse power. If you know of an officer who does not abuse his/her power (and I know a couple), then this blog is not referring to that officer. You can be proud of that officer. However, you should NOT want to silence those who are asking every officer to behave like the officer you know. If you are an officer that truly respects and serves the public; than you should be happy for this blog. You also should appreciate that the public is demanding the same behavior from your co-workers that you work hard to display each day. EVERY AMERICAN should praise a website that follows the example set by our founding fathers and uses the democratic virtue of accountability to restrain the abuse of power. Please be open-minded and logical enough to realize that THIS BLOG IS NOT BASHING OFFICERS, IT’S SIMPLY EXPOSING ABUSE OF POWER. And NO ONE should be against exposing abuse.
For Posting: I support the American way and free speech. I support holding public officials accountable. But if I put on an eye-patch that doesn't make me a pirate and that is not what this site is. If you want to make a complaint go the the desk and fill out a form. Put your name on it and stand up. Or you can do what this site is intended to do. You can continue to bash the police with unsubstantiated claims. As for those of you that feel wronged because you were pulled over by the bored police. Speed limits are part of the law no matter how small you think it is. Also remember when you feel that you have been talked down to because you were told to shut up when you called for the domestic it is because we don't have time to referee and argument. We are there to end the confrontation for the time and move on to the next one. If you are mad be cause we did not waive perhaps we are looking for someone who has broken or is breaking the law. That is not the time for our happy face and parade waive. Maybe you are mad because we did not take you home when you were drunk. Police used to do that but one of you decided to get into another car and kill some one. And what did the officer get for his kind act to the community he and his department got sued. Then there is the new way of speaking to the police. The people in this area think that because the police are "public servants" that we owe then something. We do we owe them protection from violators of the law and if you are the violator (no matter the law) then you will be held accountable. By the way "public servant" does not mean that we are to do the bidding of the public. We are there to protect it. I don't believe that everyone needs or should be talked down to but there does come an occasion where a person will understand nothing else. I am a police officer, I do not ask for your pitty for the long hours, low pay, or the time away from my family. I don't ask for you to be kind to me or to understand that I have bad days to. I demand that you obey the law and allow me to protect others and serve the "public good" and if you interfere expect to be dealt with for the greater good. I don't expect you to respect me but the law was written by the elected officials and enforced by those that they have hired. I will not ask any of the writers to this blog to step up and stand a post. It was not your calling it was mine and I will serve the people.
ReplyDeleteMSN Reports - Leyritz charged with DUI manslaughter,
ReplyDeleteEvery day we wake up hit the snooze button, attempt to wake up, walk to the living room turn on the news and eat some breakfast, before hopping in the shower and heading to work. What we forget to do is realize that while we were in our beds sleeping there were men and women out on the streets. before we start bashing on the police we must realize what its like to be critisized for doing our jobs. Now im not condoning the mistreatment of lawbreakers nor am i condoning the mistreatment of our police. all im saying is that we should take a second watch the news see what police deal with and try to walk a mile in their shoes. http://youtube.com/watch?v=BoIaVMBuk0w
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s-eiJyHkRMM
To the officers and families of those officers god bless you and I hope the new year brings one more safe year!
I agree and Im sure most police will agree that they are held accountable for their actions!
If you have a complaint take that complaint to the local department and be heard, im sure a valid complaint will be dealt with harshley.
To the men and women who serve our communities as police officers, God bless you. However, when viewing this blog, please remember to be honest when making a comment. Most police officers that serve Harbor Country, serve their communities with honesty, integrity, loyality, and with ethics. If a person believes that he or she is being harassed, or their rights violated; instead of complaining about it, do something about it. Report poor police behavior to their employers. The old saying, "one bad apple, can make the whole tree look bad." This statement is true, but instead of viewing all police officers "bad" in Harbor Country, pick the bad ones out, and make honest complaints to their employers. Police departments in Berrien County are holding their officers accountable for their behavior as to maintain a standard of professionalism.
ReplyDeleteI read many post about how this blog will accomplish nothing; how it's ignorant to post here; if you want to make a complaint - complain to the chief. So far those who are treated poorly by police are given one solution: complain to the chief and sign your name. However, we know from a previous post here that if one makes a complaint and those in blue, who protect each other, determine the complaint to be false, he faces charges. Not only that. Let's say, those in blue determine the complaint to be accurate and punish the officer. The one who made the complaint suddenly faces the chance that the officer and his officer friends now hate him. They have the power to retaliate and make his life miserable by consistently doing things like pulling him over for going 27 in a 25 or driving in the left lane down HWY 12 without passing a car (regardless that he may have plans to turn left in a few blocks). He even faces the chance that those officers would, out of spite, take their time responding to one of his calls for help.
ReplyDeleteNo one can deny that such consequences are possible and NO ONE wants to endure those consequences for merely filing a complaint on an officer. So most people shrug their shoulders and live with it. Does that solve the problem? Is that how people should live? Let me ask you, besides filing a compliant and signing our name, what is another way to get the message to the department that the public is dissatisfied with the conduct of many officers? Many of you say you hate this site and it's merely "police bashing". But I don't see you offering a practical solution to the problem.
How about going to your elected officials. You, in the community sense, have chosen them as your ture public servants. Take them to task when you feel that there has been unprofessional conduct. As far as when you feel that you did not breach the law or feel that it was not a breach of law that required enforcement action I believe that you have a court of law for such problems. These courts are also presided over by judges and prosecutors that the people have elected. Those are what I believe a reasonable person would conicer when they think there is no other option. Posting on a sight where questioning police procedure is the only thing allowed and that there is now to be no disgussion to the contrary does not fix problems and does not promote positive police and citizen interaction. I have had persons come to me and question my decisions in person. It does not make me hate them or seek retribution. I listen to what they say, and if it has merrit I take corrective action. If not I dismiss it and continue with my job. Believe it or not the majority of police want to do the best job possible and it is not a conspiracy to show that they have ultimate power over another individual. Believe it or not the majority of violator of the law have all of the power. They decide what is going to happen to them.
ReplyDeleteIf one goes to his/her elected officials, he/she still faces the chance of the retributions mentioned in my last post. The only freedom from possible retributions is to expose behavior anonymously. Perhaps most officers would not lower themselves to such retributions. However, the possibility is evident which is why most people don't file complaints. You state that this is merely a site to question police procedure. Sadly you've missed the purpose of this site. It is to expose improper police conduct. You state that most officers want to do the best job possible. Obviously Watchful I must think the same thing or what would be the purpose of this site. In reading the purpose, one can tell that this site is to expose improper conduct in hopes that the police will respond by making changes. One must have trust in police officers as a whole to believe this will work. Therefore, I'd say that those who deem this site as useless and ridiculous have less trust in the departments than those who see the virtue in this site and choose to partake in it productively.
ReplyDeleteThis site is a joke, and the police think it is as well. It does nothing except bring humor to them. It is hilarious to see the complaints on this site. Thank you for your ridiculously funny comments. Keep them coming!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's hilarious!!! Bad guys posing as concerned citizens..... What a hoot!!
ReplyDeleteIt's comforting to know that our communities' concerns are a JOKE to local police.
ReplyDeletePerhaps our system of checks and balances is also humorous to you.
Maybe we should do away with internal affairs as well so that our local law inforcement can do as they please?
This blog could serve as a means for positive and long overdue change. I would like to include the Lincoln Township Police Department in this forum> They certainly could use an understanding of how they are viewed.Too bad this has to be posted anonymous, but experience ,mine and that of others tell me that the alternative is problematic.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteTo DAC,
ReplyDeleteHow do you know any of this stuff on this website is written by the police? You'll have to share with all of us how your crystal ball works. So don't bash police for thinking that this is all a joke.
How about Michigan City police. There's a cop car on every block. If you're paranoid, better stay away from there.
ReplyDeleteIf we are going to include Michigan City then you can not leave out Long Beach. They have one particular officer who does not understand that we are a small community that does not need large town (or ex-county) police ideas and ways of doing things. Too many tickets and arresting upstanding community members for minor mistakes. We have tried to make it as hard on him as we can. Maybe he will see his errors and lighten up. Im sure that we would trade for any of your agressive officers.
ReplyDeleteThe problem here, as it is in most issues regarding public service/politics, is that there is too much polorization. If someone speaks out against wrongdoing, then they're "anti-cop". If they speak out in favor of the law enforcement community, they're "butt-kissers".
ReplyDeleteAs I stated during my interview on "Martin Dzuris Live", there are ways to deal with LEGITIMATE problems, if you have the guts to stand up in your community (as I did in mine when it was obvious that our former Chief of Police, Jim Kesterke, was as wrong as wrong gets).
1. You have to have the evidence of wrongdoing. You need to have your facts together.
2. You have to be willing to sign complaints. This is a tough step; most departments handle their own complaints, which (my personal opinion) raises "conflict of interest" concerns. I believe that complaints should be taken at the government building overseeing the police department (such as a Township or Village office); this protects the integrity of the department and allows the "oversight committee" to do their job properly.
3. You have to be ready to deal with insults, threats, and possible intimidation from "blind faith" supporters of the local police department. This part actually can be quite funny...some of the letters to the editor from supporters of Jim Kesterke here in Berrien Springs were absolutely hilarious in their lack of logic. (If I had been given a nickel everytime one of his supporters wrote about "how much love he has for his community/he grew up here, he'd never do anything against us/etc", I'd be as rich as Gates!)
4. Contact the Press. IF you have your facts together, and they show wrongdoing, the Press usually will be willing to publish a story about it. The Herald-Palladium was critical to our cause. They were tireless watchdogs of our rights as citizens and gave us "equal time" in whatever they printed. The South Bend Tribune, on the other hand, generally ran "hatchet jobs" on us (they were sympathetic to the fact that Kesterke did some questionable "charity work" in our community and allowed the personal feelings to over-ride their responsibility as journalists). Be careful how you phrase things; it's generally good to have a written statement to give them, and write it well ahead of time so that you have the opportunity to fact-check and proofread several times. ONE DAMAGING, POORLY-THOUGHT-OUT STATEMENT CAN RUIN YOUR CREDIBILITY!!!
5. BE TENACIOUS!
I knew that what I wrote and said publicly was absolutely correct, because I did my homework and had the facts in my possession. It took us two years to accomplish anything positive, but it was well worth it.
The government works FOR YOU, not the other way around. Be a pain in the ass if need be...come to meetings, speak your piece (again, preparation is critical), talk to the Press afterwards. Write letters, organize like-minded citizens.
REMEMBER: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS DIED FOR THESE RIGHTS! TO COWER IN THE FACE OF WRONGDOING IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THOSE WHO GAVE US...THROUGH THEIR BLOOD...THE RIGHT TO DISSENT!
That's my advice, free of charge, from someone who helped change his community for the better!