Seven Cops for the City of Frederick
Frederick
City now welcomes newfound grant money to fund 75% of the cost of seven
fresh officers; this newly granted windfall reportedly will last for
three years, and then the bill will be passed along to you.
As reported last Wednesday by The Frederick News-Post’s
Jeremy Arias, we were the only Maryland locality to “benefit” from this
fund, which was publicly justified by our many reports of gunfire in
the City of Frederick.
So, why do I feel like this will free up more patrol units for speeding tickets?
We
will certainly continue to benefit from more of former Chief Kim Dine’s
“community policing initiative.” But my simple question is: Where will
this escalation end? We seem to be ramping up our policing size and
capabilities daily; remember the heavy weaponry taken on recently,
including armored cars and machine guns from the federal government?
My
observations of downtown driving include many scenes where one can
routinely see three patrol cars at the same time from a single driving
vantage point. Check out East and Patrick Streets, or Church at Market
Street.
We
seem to be approaching policing levels of the Chinese system where
populations are assigned “minders,” who rove almost on a one-to-one
ratio, a person to be with each of us, in order to pacify a dynamic
population, intimidate away crime, and catch somebody doing something
wrong.
The
contrast between active and passive policing can be confusing and
daunting to the casual observer; me, I’d rather not look upon our
beautiful historical Frederick as a police state.
I’m
all for better policing, but not necessarily for more policing. A fair
evaluation of systems will tell you reliably and specifically that when
an overarching capability exists – albeit for worst case scenarios – it
ultimately will get used.
Just
ask the peaceful scientist that developed the atom bombs during World
War II, who were promised that their work was just in case the enemy
developed “the bomb” first….and we all know how that one worked out.
The
other problem with omnipresent policing is that we have been provably
becoming a “prison planet.” With more and more punitive laws, many with
mandatory minimum incarceration terms hitting the books, the danger of
accidentally falling into the trap of the Justice-Industrial-Complex
begins to become so much more realized.
Much to the betterment and glee of the Trial Lawyers Association!
Unemployment
becomes homelessness, which can cause unsightly loitering and
accidental trespassing. Idleness among the entitlement-trapped can
become drug addictions and support the circular justice system; bringing
them in, turning them around into better dealers and junkies, and back
for more. The revolving door serves many a social bureaucracy seeking to
justify funding levels.
The
circle of poverty also allows for easy access for clannish gang
activity to take root and prosper; perhaps acting upon this would be a
better spend than for the traffic beat units …. that seem to live simply
to augment the mechanical speed cams.
Now,
important questions arise, such as: Is the police force focused to
control the population or to protect it? Are we protecting our property
or our individual rights to move about within our world? Do police
armaments serve to protect them, or is the new prerogative to have an
offensive capability? You know, just in case?
Also
do yourself a favor and Google-search for “fusion centers.” This much
hushed-up term is for the union of local and state police agencies with
the military and federal agencies to “watch ourselves” more efficiently
…. much opportunity for dirty tricks if controlled by the wrong parties.
Remember the Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department being compromised recently for political gain?
Yes, Virginia, it can happen here; and don’t bother to call me paranoid.
Remember
back to the temporarily lawless city of New Orleans during the Katrina
storm. Civilization did break down. Emergency transit workers abandoned
their buses; cops took care of their own and went vigilante, settling
old scores under the veil of the convenient circumstance of anarchy.
Stranger things can and will happen within your lifetime; be ready!!
But keep our beloved local police to their traditional tasks and avoid the “brown-shirt syndrome.”
No comments:
Post a Comment