No Chief, This Is Not An Anomaly

[Meddle]

Detroit police chief calls recent spurt of criminal allegations against officers 'an anomaly'


DETROIT, MI -- Detroit Police Chief James Craig calls recent criminal allegations made against three of his officers, the latest charges of criminal sexual assault filed against Officer Deon Nunlee, concerning, but not the norm.

Earlier this week, Detroit Police Officer Johnny Ray Bridges was accused of detaining and beating a woman, with whom he'd been drinking earlier on the night of March 3, and firing a gun into the air inside a residence.

On Sunday, Detroit Police Officer Dana Bond, 41, who was already suspended without pay because prior retail fraud charges, is accused of crashing into another vehicle while drunk, injuring two passengers and attempting to flee the scene.

The only anomaly is that at least some of them are getting caught. How many dozens more are wearing blue while beating and robbing the public? Have you forgotten about the two arrested last fall for armed robbery?

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...calls_rec.html

[Honky Tonk]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...calls_rec.html

The only anomaly is that at least some of them are getting caught. How many dozens more are wearing blue while beating and robbing the public? Have you forgotten about the two arrested last fall for armed robbery?

WOW, who do these guys think they are, City Council members?

[DetroitPlanner]

I know lots of DPD personally. I grew up with a lot of cops who came from cop families. I don't know anyone who is a monster like this guy.

[Honky Tonk]

I know lots of DPD personally. I grew up with a lot of cops who came from cop families. I don't know anyone who is a monster like this guy.

Were they cops recently, or are you talking old school? It SEEMS when I was younger, cops took their assignments more seriously, and had morals and scruples to boot. Nowadays, it seems like you flip a coin as to who you'd rather deal with, the cop or the con. Maybe I was just greener and more wet behind the ears then.

[Wesley Mouch]

Rogue cops are not unique to Detroit. Think cinema. Hardly new.

As a city, Detroit has decayed in almost every area of behavior. Our priorities changed. We put race and residency ahead of experience and qualifications. Especially in management. Then in a few years, we lost the real skills. Not because the new staff and officers reflected the community better, but because we tossed out the baby of quality with the bathwater. The old guard didn't reflect the community, but they were very good in many ways of city management. Well, I'm getting off track here. So back to the point.

I believe we lost our moral compass. So a few more officers did more outrageous things in Detroit than New York City -- but not by much. Think Louima. Every department had idiots. We just weren't a very good department to reign in the bad and cultivate the good.

I agree that this was an anomaly. There are always anomalies. The question is how you deal with them. We haven't been good at it.

Chief Craig's reaction is precisely right. Keep eyes open. React to problems you see. ignore all the BS and just be a good department.

[DetroitPlanner]

Were they cops recently, or are you talking old school? It SEEMS when I was younger, cops took their assignments more seriously, and had morals and scruples to boot. Nowadays, it seems like you flip a coin as to who you'd rather deal with, the cop or the con. Maybe I was just greener and more wet behind the ears then.

Both. I grew up with lots of kids dad's being cops and most followed dad into the DPD.

[Meddle]

React to problems you see.

Not enough. Root out the problems and deal with them before they harm someone. Restore integrity in the Badge.

It's hard to deal with a corrupt and dysfunctional city when you have a corrupt and dysfunctional department. This is one place where the should be Zero Tolerance.

[Wesley Mouch]

Not enough. Root out the problems and deal with them before they harm someone. Restore integrity in the Badge.

It's hard to deal with a corrupt and dysfunctional city when you have a corrupt and dysfunctional department. This is one place where the should be Zero Tolerance.

I never support Zero Tolerance. Its the land of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot. So did you hear the one about the 2 year old that got 'suspended' from daycare because snuck a home-make cheese sandwich in a sealed ziplock bag into school. OMG, because it was homemade, it might have peanuts, and well we just can't be responsible for that, so let's expel her.

But that said, I agree that a good department is proactive and looking for problems before they happen -- but I hope without going on witch hunts.