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Boston cops are very unhappy, and have drafted a long letter of complaint and demands. They want more weapons, more ammunition, more body armor, and no accountability. Boston is about to implement a body cam program, and the cops are absolutely against it. This is only a 6 month pilot program, and they are still adamantly against it. You really have to wonder why this is such a problem for Boston cops. If, as the letter states, they are truly frightened every moment for their lives, I’d think they would be enthusiastically in favour of body cams.
“You can sing cumbia (sic) ’til the cows come home, but that won’t stop a Rifle Round Aimed at a Police Officer’s Chest,” the letter stated. “We live in a world where a sitting President has basically ‘fanned the flames of Police hatred’ with political rhetoric and now a sitting Governor is politically afraid to speak.”
The letter, which was signed by the presidents of the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, and Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, demands not only an increase in department staffing but the issuing of long guns with “ample ammunition” for use by patrol officers, as well as ballistic shields and helmets and “extra-loaded” magazines.
The full, 3 page letter can be read here (pdf). This is yet another example, like the ‘blue lives matter’ bills, which clearly demonstrates that all the majority of cops want is unquestioning obeisance, a cowering fear in the face of their well-armed authority, and complete respect, without ever having earned that respect. When you’re busy bristling over wanting more weapons and refusing body cams, the implications are quite clear.
That letter is rage inducing.
They say “…the end of any hostility or conflict has to start somewhere…” but, of course, not with them. They want more weapons. Instead of accountability through body-cams or better community relations through conflict resolution training (or a simple effort to stop abusing their authority and stop the blatant lying on police reports which then get conflicted by video evidence), they think the public should love them because they hand out fucking ice cream!
Kengi:
Oh yes, and that’s an understatement. I’m amazed not one of them could figure out that the basic response to this is going to be “fuck cops”.
If I respected cops, they wouldn’t need guns.
Your move, cops.
Marcus @3: Pretty much sums it up. Well put.
Unfortunately, their ‘move’ is demand respect, usually from behind a lot of firepower. Most cops don’t seem to understand (or care about) the difference between respect and fear.
Am I the only one wondering what they’re trying to hide, here?
WMDKitty@5:
Nope. And while I don’t live in Boston, I do usually visit a couple times/year.
They sound like they’re two years old and mummy’s not letting them have another cookie before dinner. I can hear the feet stomping in the background, and I’m pretty sure someone’s flailing on the ground. At least kids grow out of it. The letter writers are completely divorced from reality.
Seriously? Police around the world, murdered on the streets and in their homes? This is their argument?
So, are they going to strike if they don’t get their demands, like the NYPD did a couple years ago (and nobody missed them)?
(To be fair, I’m pretty sure that giving them more radios, first aid kits and extra water wouldn’t be such a bad thing.)