There are two types of police officers
In over a decade, I worked as a beating reporter in Los Angeles, I began to realize that there were two types of officers: the show boat and the real policeman.
The display boat was running around and talking about difficulties. They think they know a lot, but they don't. When you show up to cover up a story and evoke stories about bad guys, joint heads, and gangsters, they get stuck. They praised the blanket's measures, suppression, sweep. I had to learn how to overcome them and find me to go to the real police, they tend to be quieter but learn more.
The American moment is a summary of federal agents who imprisoned so-called immigrant gang members and transported them abroad. To make themselves look strong, the government plays the dangers they pose. At the same time, it gets rid of the unintentional work of following due process and avoiding errors.
I studied murder in the United States, so I had no fantasy about the gang and the murders I faced. In an online database of deadly violence, I have documented over 900 murders in Los Angeles County over a year, in my 2015 book, SlumsI followed the patient's investigation work and finally brought the killer of the LAPD detective's son to justice. I see the death and pain that is caused to thousands of Americans every year. I found so many people, especially on the left, seemed to reduce the homicide crisis in the United States. I understand the desire to make the wand disappear.
But any idiot can achieve police state. That's not innovation.
It is well known that governments that do not distinguish between the savages and ignore due process have been well known that the murder rate is very low: in the late 2000s, Syria's dictatorship reported the crime habit rate. half American. If you eliminate freedom, eliminating crime is not difficult.
but Not a businessto borrow a quote I often hear in South Los Angeles, which means fighting crime in the constitutional system, while being free and safe. This is more complex than Goonery alone and requires legal sensitivity. A real policeman is not just a security guard, a scarecrow or a social worker. They are legal professionals comparable to prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges. In the more than a decade of homicide units I have observed, I have never heard of detective complaining about passing court lawsuits. They know it's an integral part of the work.
Real police will not bypass the rule of law. They waved it to defend the weak. This morality prevails even if the victim is a criminal himself. Most gang violence is the result of members' attacks on each other, and many victims suffer from rap lists only if the attacker is attacked. The performance ship divides the world into bad guys and good guys, but when applied to gangs, the difference collapses.
The flashy overview they like is in stark contrast to the way real police work. The latter is subtle and focused. They do not waste resources on nonviolent or low priority goals. The Trump administration claims to focus on gang members, but even if that may be too broad. When I reported in California, there were more than 100 gang members listed in the old state database. That's because there are actually only a small number of gang members firing. The rest are small criminals, opportunists, hangers, parties, teenagers seeking protection or just trying to adapt. I know some boys join the threatened gangs, and some boys who were murdered for refusal.
Of course, the real police follow the killer and shooter, but they try to win everyone else. They worked on the weak links – Okam was filled with defectors – they provided the support they needed to victims and witnesses, depriving them of the power they gained from intimidation and coercion. The most successful police formed a quiet army of “friendship”, many of whom lost their family members to gang violence or were victims themselves. These officials gained more skills and gained more success so that witnesses could collaborate. Their police work allows people to rely on protection against the law, rather than protective rackets run by gangs.
Neither the political left nor the political right have much support for such efforts. Conservatives have long been over-expressing. When they should reach the scalpel, they can reach for the hammer. The current right-wing preference for federal intervention, indistinguishable sweeps and emergency statements will undermine the efforts of real police officers who have faced suspicion in many communities. The last thing they need is to be seen as an intruder.
Meanwhile, many have devalued any solution that relies on law enforcement on the left, a position that cannot adequately address the suffering of the victims. A popular leftist thinking line even believes that the only practical problem is moral panic or fear.
However, Americans are right to be angry with criminal homicide, including the parts committed by illegal immigrants. There is a real murder problem in the country that has been overlooked for too long, and certain groups, especially black men, have paid a disproportionate price.
But presentation is not the answer. Any fool will exert suppression. The real police imposed the law. This is the resilience we need now.