Quality Policing Podcast and Blog

Oh, Taser. How you kill.

In an instructional manual for Taser use. This picture seems like an example of what notto do. Don’t Taser naked men standing on ledges. But it’s not that simple. Here’s story in The Daily News. The police were tying themselves to the fire escape to try and grab the guy. The guy takes a large…
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Republican fiscal mismanagement

You mean ending government regulation, raising spending, cutting taxes, and helping the rich doesn’t make the economy strong? Wow. Who would have thought? You do realize that $700 billion is more than $2,000 for every man woman and child in the United States. That is, as they say, “real money.” I’m no economist. And I…
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Another reason to legalize drugs

The Agitator has a story about a drug raid gone amok. I had never heard about Ryan Frederick or Detective Jarrod Shivers. There is so much I don’t like about this: the war on drugs, a bad CI (confidential informant), a drug raid, and (most of all) a dead police officer. I hate the war…
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Baltimore appearances this weekend

To everyone in Baltimore, I’m heading down there this weekend for a variety of on Saturday appearances. First at the Highlandtown Library, then at the Book Festival. For details, look at the “upcoming events” listed in the right column. Then come say hi.

Interview reschedule

If any of you were planning on hearing me on the Phil Hendrie Show tonight, it’s been rescheduled for next Tuesday night, 1:30AM (eastern time). Something about breaking news. I bet it’s not the shootings in Harlem.

Police aren’t soldiers

And soldiers aren’t police. Going from the armed forces to a police department may seem like a natural transition. It’s not. A different mentality is needed. Most soldiers can make the transition. Some can’t. De-emphasizing the military aspects of police departments would help. Here’s an interesting article in the Austin Chronicle about the problem for…
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Cooking the books

In 2007, the Kansas City Police Department reported a 22% drop in crime to the state (and to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report). Now it turns out that crime actually went up 10%. The department basically blames this mix-up on a paperwork mess. Sounds fishy. But having worked in a real big city police department,…
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Harlem Shootings (IV)–You read it here first

Now it’s officially in the news. The Daily News, to be precise.

Buy Cop in the Hood

It’s a great book. And I’m not the only one who says so. “Riveting…. An unsparing boys-in-blue procedural that succeeds on its own plentiful—and wonderfully sympathetic—merits.” —The Atlantic “Never mind ‘The Wire.’ Here is the real thing.” —The Wall Street Journal “[A] riveting tale of policing…. A must read.” —Sudhir Venkatesh “Hard-edged sociological analysis…. A…
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Harlem Shootings (III)

Seems like you’ve officially entered the blogosphere when you’re quoted in other blogs. More on the Harlem shootings at Gothamistand NYC The Blog and great pictures at Harlem Hybrid. Seems like my initial report of 14 guns and 7 shot was right on the mark (at the time I hedged the shooting number with “give…
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