Quality Policing Podcast and Blog

Happy Oχι Day!

It’s a Greek thing.

Get Ready to Ruuuuuummmmmble!

NYPD cars are getting a low-frequency device to supplement their lights and siren. Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like this. I think sirens should be quieter, not louder. We don’t need to escalate noise in the city. The problem isn’t that people don’t notice lights and sirens, it’s that they…
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Use of Force, eh?

A reader sent me this link: Here’s the news story. Abbotsford, by the way, has been labeled “the Murder Capital of Canada” [insert scary music here]. Abbotford, the Murder Captial of Canada,” has a homicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000. Abbotford, the Murder Captial of Canada, has a homicide rate lower than the U.S. homicide…
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Why 911 is a Joke

I love any story about how f*cked up 911 is. This one at Pepper Spray Me is a good one. And here he reminds you why grammar is important.

Taser risks

According to one study, which claims to be the only somewhat large-scale study, the risk of serious injury from a Taser is 0.25% Now mind you the sample size (1,201) isn’t that large so there were only three cases of serious injury which makes the 0.25% figure a bit dodgy. But still. Let’s assume that…
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Speaking for the Defense?

I don’t talk much about the death penalty. It’s not my passion. On one hand I think it’s wrong to kill. On the other I have very little sympathy for those put to death (except for the innocent ones, ‘course). But get a load of this (found here): Regardless of what you think about the…
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From Amsterdam: Lessons on controlling drugs

Hot off the virtual presses, here’s an article I wrote appearing in this coming Sunday’s Washington Post. I talk about the difference in policy and police attitudes toward drugs in Amsterdam and in the U.S.: In Amsterdam, the red-light district is the oldest and most notorious neighborhood. Two picturesque canals frame countless small pedestrian alleyways…
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The Curious Case of Barry McCaffrey

General Barry McCaffrey was the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (the “Drug Czar”) from 1996 to 2001. I can’t say much about his military career (1964-1996). I think it was just and honorable. He commanded a division in Operation Desert Storm and later the U.S. Southern Command. Wikipedia also says he…
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18-Year-Old Charged With Murder in Death of Woman, 92

“I don’t care about sob stories, bad background, poverty — none of that. As an adult, you know the difference between right and wrong. You have a choice and he made the wrong choice.” Well said. Too bad it’s from the daughter of an 82-year-old woman shot and killed.

Me and Lou Dobbs

I was on Lou Dobbs today. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I love immigrants. You can read more (and see the video) here.