Okay, so, let’s talk about good cops. What with the recent national discussion on police brutality, and the even-more recent killing of two NYPD officers, my news feed is rife with high school classmates and former coworkers popping in to say “Well, most cops are good!” This is patently false. A “good” cop would not tolerate police brutality, abuse of power, extrajudicial killings, false charges, or any of the myriad other atrocities committed by US police forces. Sitting by and doing nothing, abiding by your “Blue Code of Silence,” thinking in your head “Gee, I sure do feel bad for those blacks who my comrades shoot!” while doing NOTHING to help is NOT being a “good cop.” Neither is having a family or being nice to your neighbors or occasionally engaging in altruistic acts while on patrol. Killers and racists have families and neighbors too. Want to know about some REAL good cops? Let’s talk good cops. Frank Serpico, who reported widespread corruption to superiors multiple times (and was ignored each time) until finally contributing to a front-page New York Times spread about police corruption in 1970. Cariol Horne, who, when a fellow officer was violently punching and choking a handcuffed suspect in 2006, pulled him off, only to be met with a punch in the face that broke the bridge of her nose. Adrian Schoolcraft, who recorded conversations relating to false imprisonment and arrest quotas, attempted to voice his concerns multiple times, before finally disclosing his findings to NYPD investigators in a confidential meeting in 2009. Adam Basford, who filed several complaints for excessive force, as well as complaints about the practice of officers turning off video cameras in order to abuse prisoners, in 2013. And what happened to these brave, good cops, you ask? Serpico was shot in the face after calling for backup and being ignored by his fellow officers, who refused to call an ambulance and abandoned him at the scene. This is widely alleged to have been a setup orchestrated by Serpico’s “partners.” Horne, who is black, was fired (and still does not receive pension) for “jumping on Officer Kwaitkowski’s back and/or striking him with her hands,” something that the officer himself (who is white) denied ever happening in a sworn statement. The abusive officer kept his job until being fired for an unrelated incident of violence. Schoolcraft’s home was raided by a dozen NYPD officers and he was interrogated by the deputy chief, before being involuntarily committed to a psych ward (for which he was billed $8,000). He was then dismissed from the force. Basford was shot in the knee by a gang member in full view of three other officers who, quite literally, stood around and watched as he grappled with the suspect. After the suspect was subdued, one officer drew his gun on Basford. Basford was pressured into leaving the force. Later in the year, he filed a civilian misconduct report against the same officer, who drew his gun on Basford AGAIN as a “joke” when they ran into one another. Basford now faces jail time for filing a false report. This is how American police forces reward “good cops.” This is what a white supremacist, fascist police state does to its enforcers who stop to think about what they’re doing. So stop telling me about good cops.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 07:28:26 +0000
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