According to the November 14, 2014 edition of AM NY, “Two bills introduced in the City Council [last week] would make it a crime for NYPD officers to use choke-holds & require them to inform people they encounter about their right to refuse to be searched.” I think that this is an important step to improving “police & community relations” & I hope that this article makes people aware of their rights. Sadly in today’s society, police officers that were once considered civil servants & apart of the community are now a nuisance, feared, & stayed away from especially if of different skin colors.
Individuals cannot be ‘stopped & frisked’ by police officers merely based on suspicion; there must be probable cause in order to search for someone. Unfortunately, this palpable rule is rarely followed in what many think is a racially tolerant city.
Moreover, I cannot believe that we need a new bill to prohibit police from using a choke-hold. Obviously, they can’t do this…DUH! It is a complete abuse of power. If the person is out of control, there are a variety of ways to restrain a person without harming them, which officers are trained & more than equipped to perform, but choose not to.
It is sad that the authority figures in the great city of New York have sunk so low that they cannot be trusted. I hope that there is a change to come from these bills. However, with the racism & yearn for power that still exists, I think this will be an uphill battle despite what the do-good laws state.
Until next time... ciao 💗
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A "choke-hold" is just that.... choking. And yes, people die from choking. I don't understand why our police officers need military style weapons, to be honest... it's over-kill in my opinion (literally). Unless, our streets really ARE that bad. I'm out of the loop, to be honest with you. I haven't lived in the US for a couple of years, and when I did it has been many years since I lived in a big city.
ReplyDeleteI'd really like to hear from someone in law enforcement to get another opinion on this subject. I have, in my youth, badmouthed cops until I needed one. I have very mixed views of law enforcement, as I have seen good cops and bad cops. I will say that I think racial profiling is wrong. However, I am one of those older Americans who is leary of a young man (any color of man) with sagging pants, bandana, tattoos, and a gold tooth (or two).