Quality Policing Podcast and Blog

Police, Ethography, Sociology, Crime, and How Things Work

I always like academics who can explain things simply. I rarely find any greater knowledge or meaning hidden behind esoteric words and jargon-filled academic prose. Here’s Professor Jay Livingston on the difference between ethnography and survey research. While it’s not a distinction that most non-academics give two-beans about, it’s a great description. From A Shot…
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New Development in Rev. Ayers Case

Turns out that Billy Shane Harrison, the officer who killed Ayers, didn’t (and doesn’t) actually have police powers. He let his firearm training lapse. Oops (and from TV news). Maybe if this drug officer had had proper training, oh, I don’t know, he could have figured a better tactical way of stopping an innocent man…
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It’s back!

This was taken down for a while but is now back up. The funniest YouTube video I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s only hilarious if you are or were a cop and don’t speak German. But I think it’s probably funny regardless.

NYPD Stop and Frisks

Lenny Levitt poses an interesting question is his weekly column: From 2004 through 2009, [New York City] police have had nearly three million stop-and-frisk encounters, which involve patting people down or questioning them. Virtually all of those stopped are black or Hispanic. In 88 per cent of the cases, the people searched or questioned were…
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Fewer State Prisoners

Barely. And the population of federal prisons grew 3 percent. But still… “Fewer State Prisoners” is a headline that hasn’t been seen since 1972.

Isn’t killing people a crime?

I have lots of smart readers. Can someone please explain to me why it’s not a crime to kill somebody if you’re driving. If it were any other situation, it would be crime, right? Hell driving drunk safelyis a crime. But killing somebody sober isn’t? I don’t get it. Here’s just the latest example.

Foot Patrol Working in Philly

It’s always tough when you knowsomething but can’t convince others. I know foot patrol works. At least I think I know. I’ve done it. But there’s so little research out there. There’s no reason we should all still be quoting a study from 30 years ago (which did show that foot patrol reduced public fear).…
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I got a plan. It can’t go wrong.

This story blows me away both in terms of chutzpa and stupidity. Say you’re NYPD and need some extra money. Work overtime in the three-four? Naw. You don’t play that game. Instead… rent five vans, hire 16 day laborers, and then go to a perfume warehouse in Jersey where you have a connection. Then wave…
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Off Duty and Black in Montgomery County

I recently received this from a (black) Baltimore police officer: If you want to know what an Eastside drug dealer feels when confronted by Baltimore Police, show BPD ID to Montgomery County police. They tossed me out of a restaurant in Bethesda because my shirt rode up and my holstered weapon with the badge adjacent…
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It’s Baltimore, hon!

Lest people think Baltimore is all ghetto, I’ll link to a Sunfeature showing some of the homes in nice neighborhoods. [The low prices listed for these neighborhoods almost make me want to move back!] Funny that Greektown, where I lived, didn’t make the cut.