DOJ finds Cleveland police have a pattern of excessive force

[zoegirltx]

Yesterday, a Justice Department investigation found that there’s been a pattern of excessive force used by the Cleveland police department.

www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/us/justice-dept-inquiry-finds-abuses-by-cleveland-police.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 

WHAT’D THE INVESTIGATION SAY?

It found that Cleveland police are poorly trained and have unnecessarily used blows to the head, shots, Tasers, and chemical spray on suspects, including on mentally ill people. The findings come amid national criticism over a Cleveland police officer fatally shooting a 12-year-old boy who was reaching for an airsoft gun in his waistband. The officer mistook it for a real firearm.


WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY?

A wave of protests started across the US after grand juries decided not to bring charges against white police officers for the deaths of two unarmed black men: Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO and Eric Garner in Staten Island, NY. Last night, thousands of mostly peaceful protesters in cities across the US took to the streets, chanting and holding signs with messages like “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.” Crowds shut down major highways in some cities including NYC.


theSKIMM

The Justice Department is conducting civil rights investigations into both Brown and Garner’s deaths, which could result in federal charges for the police officers in question. And next week, civil rights leaders have planned a march on Washington, DC.

[zoegirltx]

I'm wondering if the other investigations will find a similar pattern in other places.

It's too early & I didn't read the article. Was there any mention of racial relations between police & the citizen they are tasked with protecting?

[FloFTW]

This whole situation is just tearing me up. I don't live IN Cleveland, but I work here. This police force is supposed to protect me and basically everyone I know; all day, every day. When the shooting happened that set off this investigation, I was furious. The community (at least the community that I know) was enraged. Officers were indicted. We were told things would change. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because I love my community. We have problems. Huge, fucking MAJOR problems. But I honestly do feel like we all do want to make it better. There's a strong sense of community here.

I was already heartbroken over Trayvon, and Michael, and Eric...and then Tamir. I KNOW his neighborhood. I drive by the gazebo he was playing in every day. I have friends that live down the street and walk their dogs there. I was one of the people that gave the police the benefit of the doubt right at first because of the stupid fucking "3 warnings" and "didn't know it was a toy" and "he reached for the gun". That video literally made me vomit in my mouth. I felt so stupid.

Now I feel so helpless. Is talking and shouting enough? Is it all we can do? Are these reports going to change anything?

I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I just feel like...is it happening? Is the crazy "the government is going to try to take over its citizens and that's why we need guns" shit that I used to chuckle at really not crazy?!?! I want it to still be crazy.

[zoegirltx]

wow- that's awful FloFTW I don't think people who do not live in one of these impacted communities can really understand they dynamics of these type of situations until they've lived through it.

[downtoearth]

The referenced article states this:

As a result of the federal investigation in Cleveland, the city has agreed to work toward a settlement with the Justice Department, known as a consent decree, that will overhaul practices, tighten policies on the use of force and subject the police to oversight by an independent monitor. Consent decrees in other cities, including Albuquerque, Detroit, New Orleans and Seattle, were put into effect after investigations into questionable police violence and other abusive practices. In Mr. Holder’s first five years in office, the Justice Department opened 20 civil rights investigations into police departments, more than twice the number in the five years before.

This is what I think needs to happen PREMPTIVELY at thousands of other police departments. And it needs to be done very publically. Hold town meetings and meetings with community leaders to show stats and historic responses and then let everyone talk about what might make things better.  Then implement training and practices that allow people to feel safe and protected by police and not at odds with them all the time.  This won't happen overnight b/c trust is in shambles between public and police (at least for most people I know) and it will take a decade or more to overwrite that. But it needs to be transparent and the police need to be open to have the community describe what changes they want without dismissing it as unsafe for their officers immediately.