tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post7589720725535074082..comments2024-03-23T12:05:23.537-05:00Comments on The Wild Reed: Quote of the DayMichael J. Baylyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-79122098280016795932017-07-19T19:26:50.793-05:002017-07-19T19:26:50.793-05:00A follow-up comment by Ken Darling (via Facebook):...A follow-up comment by Ken Darling (via Facebook):<br /><br />"I appreciate the sentiments of [MN Rep Ilhan] Omar's <a href="http://www.startribune.com/statement-from-state-rep-ilhan-omar/435312913/" rel="nofollow">statement</a> [on the police shooting death of Justine Damond], but, to be honest, it is merely that, an expression of sentiment with little actual effect. We are hearing too much of this fuzzy, emotional talk, when what we really need is pragmatic change that demands improved accountability and better management of police.<br /><br />"Police reform must focus on three, concrete actions: 1) Eliminate the power of police unions to protect problem officers, set work rules and resist change. This will require Democrats in the legislature and on city councils to place reforming police behavior over their now overriding commitment to public employee unions, a huge political problem that must be addressed. 2) Empower police chiefs so they can be held 100% accountable for results. That means chiefs must be able to hire, fire, reorganize and discipline officers at will with the goals of changing police behavior at the street level and, most important, ferreting out dangerous and incompetent officers before they shoot an unarmed civilian in an alley. Chiefs, held accountable by city councils and mayors, are the key to change, but they must have real power; they don't now. 3) Develop strong and mandatory rules for bodycam and other camera use, which not only provides evidence after a problem but changes behavior because cops know they are being watched. Bodycams provide teaching opportunities and evidence for firing bad officers before they become lethal. <br /><br />"Police culture won't be changed by wishful thinking or heartfelt statements about peace and nonviolence; culture change will only happen through effective, empowered leadership, greatly reduced union power and much stricter accountability."Michael J. Baylyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-20714567554793982192017-07-17T23:51:58.761-05:002017-07-17T23:51:58.761-05:00Writes civil rights attorney and Minneapolis mayor...<br />Writes civil rights attorney and Minneapolis <a href="http://www.minneapolisfornekima.com/" rel="nofollow">mayoral candidate</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nekima_Levy-Pounds" rel="nofollow">Nekima Levy-Pounds</a>:<br /><br />“The tragic and senseless death of Justine Damond at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department illustrates everything that is wrong with our system of policing in the US. For years, activists and community members have raised concerns about the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality amongst some police officers. Beyond that, police officers have routinely escaped accountability for perpetuating violence against civilians and have been allowed to kill with impunity. Justine Damond is the latest casualty of a flawed system of policing, that is urgently in need of being overhauled. The fact that her case has been shrouded in a cloak of secrecy merely reinforces concerns surrounding a lack of transparency and accountability within this system.”<br />Michael J. Baylyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.com