DOJ opening investigation into Minneapolis police dept

[Lemon Drop]

Can't imagine why.

Just being announced, all I can say is good and let's look at some others too.

[cbelt3]

Lemon Drop wrote:
Can't imagine why.

Just being announced, all I can say is good and let's look at some others too.

Deperately overdue.

Police shootings ALWAYS need a VERY independent investigation.

[sekker]

Wasn't there a recent gathering of the last 4 Minneapolis Mayors (and from both parties), all asking for this last year?

[Lemon Drop]

sekker wrote:
Wasn't there a recent gathering of the last 4 Minneapolis Mayors (and from both parties), all asking for this last year?

Bill Barr wasn't going to go there. He didn't think we had any problems with structural racism.

[SteveO]

I saw this headline and my first reaction was like, "About f-ing time. And I hope they have a LOT of time...they need to do this for um...probably every department in the nation."

[deckeda]

Just wait until the inevitable complaint that after some kind of “reform” that police “were forced to stand by and watch” as someone commits murder. It’ll be a tragedy, and still likely a mischaracterization overall.

[Ca Bob]

SteveO wrote:
I saw this headline and my first reaction was like, "About f-ing time. And I hope they have a LOT of time...they need to do this for um...probably every department in the nation."

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was under a federal consent decree for about 10 years, and was finally released from federal court oversight in 2013. I think that there was significant progress over that time. The county sheriff department continued to be a problem and still continues to be questionable.

It's interesting that the LAPD was the "model" for television's serialized cop shows such as Dragnet and Badge 714. I can still remember a show or shows where Detective Friday questioned some suspect for 18 hours straight. This was before the Miranda decision and (if a true depiction of practice at the time) would have been a good argument in favor of the Miranda decision. New York City (Blue Bloods) seems to be the current model, along with a lot of reruns of Chicago PD.

Violent crime -- particularly murders -- fell by about half over a 20 year period. As Kevin Drum has reported at length, this is most likely due to the removal of lead from gasoline, which results in this crime reduction with a 20 year lag time. The reduction happened not only all over the United States, but all over the world where lead was no longer used. The problem is that we still carry the mindset of the 1990s in which violent crime was scaring people and legislatures reacted.

[SteveO]

That's interesting - I did not know that about the leaded gas/violent crime connection. EDIT: Rest of your post was also interesting, thank you for sharing that info.

There was a very good documentary on police reform and its complexities as exhibited in the Oakland PD...the film was called The Force. See it if you can. I was able to view it at a film fest 3-4 years ago and it was riveting.

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/the-force/

[cbelt3]

the leaded gas theory is among many. In older urban areas the kids get more lead from paint chips, especially in substandard housing. It's endemic in inner city older neighborhoods in the rust belt.