Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe
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What I've really noticed is the difference in the day-to-day relationship between British and US police and the public. In the UK, it was much more common to see the police just walking around on the street - in a shopping area or whatever, whereas in the US pretty much the only time I see one out of the car is if he's directing traffic or at a construction site/roadworks. The UK police would chat to people. There's less opportunity to develop a positive relationship with the general public if the only time you speak to them is to deal with some kind of transgression.
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You live in suburbia. In NYC they walk around and talk to people a lot.
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@Copper said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
About 70 percent of America's firefighters are volunteers, and 85 percent of the nation's fire departments are all or mostly volunteer,
Make the PD work like the FDOh yeah. Elevated risk of bodily harm, elevated health risks, elevated depression, elevated divorce rate, elevated suicide rate -- and all for no pay! Great idea.
Not.
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Some thoughts...
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Community policing. I think it helps to have food with regular beats in urban areas. I also think it helps to have cops living in neighborhoods.
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I'm not sure bodycams help or hurt. They can police bad cops, but they also limit a cop's flexibility.
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Historically speaking, crime is not as awful as we think.
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Education and training can help alleviate poverty, which in turn lowers crime.
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People need some Jesus. Or Yahweh. Or Buddha. Or something to replace the nothingness of the secular life.
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Some procedures do need to be changed, such as doing away with No-knock Warrants.
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I can see having SWAT teams, but AFVs in a police department are a bit much. Next thing, they'll want helicopter gunships.
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Prisons. Prisons should be rural. They should grow much of their own food using innate labor. Emphasis should be placed on training and education. And churches. I'll flesh that last statement out, if y'all want to know why.
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Respect for authority. A lot of blacks die by cop, simply because they are raised with no respect for authority.
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Agitators and outside money. I talked last week with a friend who was enduring a protest march in her hometown. She knows many of the police and all good her the same thing...Almost all of the protesters arrived by bus and it was very evident they were organized and commanded by one man and two helpers. I'm not sure what can be done about that, but outside people should not be disrupting a community (and costing them money) unless a certain percentage of the community wants these protesters brought in...
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@Jolly said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
Some thoughts...
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Community policing. I think it helps to have food with regular beats in urban areas. I also think it helps to have cops living in neighborhoods.
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I'm not sure bodycams help or hurt. They can police bad cops, but they also limit a cop's flexibility.
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Historically speaking, crime is not as awful as we think.
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Education and training can help alleviate poverty, which in turn lowers crime.
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People need some Jesus. Or Yahweh. Or Buddha. Or something to replace the nothingness of the secular life.
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Some procedures do need to be changed, such as doing away with No-knock Warrants.
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I can see having SWAT teams, but AFVs in a police department are a bit much. Next thing, they'll want helicopter gunships.
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Prisons. Prisons should be rural. They should grow much of their own food using innate labor. Emphasis should be placed on training and education. And churches. I'll flesh that last statement out, if y'all want to know why.
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Respect for authority. A lot of blacks die by cop, simply because they are raised with no respect for authority.
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Agitators and outside money. I talked last week with a friend who was enduring a protest march in her hometown. She knows many of the police and all good her the same thing...Almost all of the protesters arrived by bus and it was very evident they were organized and commanded by one man and two helpers. I'm not sure what can be done about that, but outside people should not be disrupting a community (and costing them money) unless a certain percentage of the community wants these protesters brought in...
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Yep. Trade schools and apprenticeships FTW
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And chokeholds
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Demilitarize. yes.
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Yes. We let prisoners lift weights, get stronger and come out of prison with nothing but more advanced criminal skills. Again, trade schools and apprenticeships. Here in Cincinnati we have a company called Nehemiah Manufacturing that has been very successful putting people released from jail into jobs. It's a model that can be followed anywhere. https://www.nehemiahmfg.com/
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Public hangings for paid, imported protestors and those who hire them. Whoops..that might be a little over the line. Not much, but still......
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@jon-nyc said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
You live in suburbia. In NYC they walk around and talk to people a lot.
I still think Phibes is right that the relationship to policemen is different. Talking to a policeman here feels like talking to any other person. The threat of authority and potential violence isn't permanently in the air. That's different in the US, I think.
I mean, just look at the protocol of a standard traffic check. Americans stay in their car and are worried that they'll be shot otherwise. Policemen approach the car under the default assumption that somebody might draw a shotgun or something at any second. It's a situation with a lot of tension. If they want to detain you, even for very minor things, they handcuff you and throw you into a car with security glass. These kinds of things are very different here.
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@Klaus said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
@jon-nyc said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
You live in suburbia. In NYC they walk around and talk to people a lot.
I still think Phibes is right that the relationship to policemen is different. Talking to a policeman here feels like talking to any other person. The threat of authority and potential violence isn't permanently in the air. That's different in the US, I think.
I mean, just look at the protocol of a standard traffic check. Americans stay in their car and are worried that they'll be shot otherwise. Policemen approach the car under the default assumption that somebody might draw a shotgun or something at any second. It's a situation with a lot of tension. If they want to detain you, even for very minor things, they handcuff you and throw you into a car with security glass. These kinds of things are very different here.
Lawyers.
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Speaking of prison jobs...Two jobs are very coveted at Angola:
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The golf course. Angola is the only prison in America with a nine hole good course. They have one to a) keep more guards on the grounds after their working hours and on the weekends and b) to train prisoners in all aspects of good course maintenance. The prison has a waiting list from outside, wanting to hire groundskeepers.
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Prison cook at Camp A. Camp A has the Death Row inmates, but it is also next to the Administration buildings. The best cooks from the various camps are pulled to Camp A to cook. There, they are taught all aspects of cooking in, and running a commercial kitchen. As trustees, they are then sent to the Governor's Mansion, where they serve our their term cooking for the governor and whomever he entertains. Those guys are usually hired immediately on release.
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@Mik said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
Teach a man to fish.
True, but not all of the time. There are some really talented guys down on The Farm. They are allowed to sell their art, craft projects, metal works and wood works at the prison rodeo.
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@Klaus said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
@jon-nyc said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
You live in suburbia. In NYC they walk around and talk to people a lot.
I still think Phibes is right that the relationship to policemen is different. Talking to a policeman here feels like talking to any other person. The threat of authority and potential violence isn't permanently in the air. That's different in the US, I think.
I mean, just look at the protocol of a standard traffic check. Americans stay in their car and are worried that they'll be shot otherwise. Policemen approach the car under the default assumption that somebody might draw a shotgun or something at any second. It's a situation with a lot of tension. If they want to detain you, even for very minor things, they handcuff you and throw you into a car with security glass. These kinds of things are very different here.
The difference is nothing new. An English friend of my dad's came over here in the 1960's, and got pulled over by the police for some minor infringement. As the cop walked over, my dad's friend opened the car door, with the idea of apologizing and explaining to the police. To his amazement, the cop pulled a gun on him.
And to repeat a point I've complained about in the past - if you want to forge a bond with the public, try ditching the militaristic looking riding breeches and the mirrored sunglasses.
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@Copper said in Police vs. Prisons in the US and Europe:
Deputize everyone
About 70 percent of America's firefighters are volunteers, and 85 percent of the nation's fire departments are all or mostly volunteer,
Make the PD work like the FD
Maybe use something like the military draft
Do you know how many Volunteer Firefighters are arsonists? You would be surprised. I would hate to see the same thing happen with police.