In Louisiana, It's Now A Hate Crime To Target Police Officers

[Evildrum]

Moar Police State news...

Louisiana's hate-crime protections now cover law enforcement and first responders. Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the legislation on Thursday after it had passed easily in the Republican-controlled Legislature, NPR's Debbie Elliott reports.

People convicted of intentionally targeting police officers, firefighters or emergency medical crews will now face stricter penalties — as one would for targeting someone for their race or gender, The Two-Way has reported. Other protected classes in the state are: age, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin and ancestry.

"Coming from a family of law enforcement officers, I have great respect for the work that they do and the risks they take to ensure our safety," the governor, a Democrat, said in a statement. "The men and women who put their lives on the line every day, often under very dangerous circumstances are true heroes and they deserve every protection that we can give them. They serve and protect our communities and our families. The overarching message is that hate crimes will not be tolerated in Louisiana."

The law is a win for the so-called Blue Lives Matter movement, which advocates for law enforcement and is a response to Black Lives Matter — a movement critical of policing in minority communities.

While supporters of the legislation say there is increased hostility against law enforcement nationwide, crime statistics actually show an overall decline in officer killings.

In the wake of the church shooting in Charleston, S.C., for which suspect Dylann Roof faces multiple hate crime charges, NPR's James Doubek took a look at the effectiveness of hate-crime laws.

Michael Bronski, co-author of Considering Hate: Violence, Goodness, and Justice in American Culture and Politics, told James that hate-crime laws "essentially come down to feel-good laws."

"I think part of what they do is that they actually misdirect us from looking at much deeper issues," the media studies professor said. "Racism is a problem, homophobia is a problem, violence against immigrants is a problem ... so we end up passing these laws and saying, 'Look at this, we're actually doing something.' "

The Anti-Defamation League, an advocate for the laws, has said moves like Louisiana's may ultimately "dilute" hate-crime legislation — opening the doors to adding protections for even more categories.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/26/479634098/in-louisiana-its-now-a-hate-crime-to-target-police-officers?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews

Clicked on this thinking a extra tool for the police state but then It states this covers firefighters or emergency medical crews as well. We all know resisting arrest can be open for interperation but I have seen plenty of paramedics dealing with drunks or addicts that get pissed because they are about to lose their high or end their night early. If a cop wants he can view that as a issue and here we go again filling jails full of people with mental health and addiction issues.

[1715187985]

1715187985

[1715187985]

1715187985

[xht]

I am against hate crimes because all lives and all people matter. We should not elevate crimes against selected people for harsher punishment but all crimes against anybody should be punished the same.

[Evildrum]

Just another day at a Trump Rally. Now these guys are armed and cyborg looking,freaky stuff!

[ObscureBean]

I would've thought that's a good thing no? I've seen the hatred people direct at law enforcement officers and it's mostly uncalled for. Sure there are a few who abuse their power but most of them are just doing their jobs. There are good cops as well out there you know.

[bryant.coleman]

I would've thought that's a good thing no? I've seen the hatred people direct at law enforcement officers and it's mostly uncalled for. Sure there are a few who abuse their power but most of them are just doing their jobs. There are good cops as well out there you know.

Agreed. Being a cop or fire-fighter is extremely tough, especially in the inner city areas and the ghettos where the criminals are always looking for opportunities to harass you. Attacks against law enforcement officials and fire-fighters during duty must be handled strictly, and the perpetrators must be properly punished. 

[Evildrum]

Disagree.

I gave the example of resisting arrest,which can be easily manipulated by twisting your hand and getting you to jump from that pain. So resisting can now be seen as a hate crime and this now gives power to throw people away for a much longer time.
This is not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing that has gone far off course from what it used to be.

- Revenue Generating
Its now common for all police forces to generate funds by handing out tickets and this is quite obvious near the end of the month when they need to fill their quota.

- Arm of Government not the People
When has a police force ever taken the side of the people in a peaceful protest?

You also have a high number in the states of returning war veterans that are stream lined into the police force.
So its not wonder the police forces are running more like military than a actual police unit. Factor in PTSD and you have a timebomb waiting to go off.

Not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing today is bullshit!
So there will come a time when people will be judged for deciding to wear a badge.
The issue of first response people being attacked is not good but we have charges for that,hate crime is a serious offense here and I am sure it holds even more weight in the States.

Pretty simple for me,not going to hand over more power.

[ObscureBean]

Disagree.

I gave the example of resisting arrest,which can be easily manipulated by twisting your hand and getting you to jump from that pain. So resisting can now be seen as a hate crime and this now gives power to throw people away for a much longer time.
This is not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing that has gone far off course from what it used to be.

- Revenue Generating
Its now common for all police forces to generate funds by handing out tickets and this is quite obvious near the end of the month when they need to fill their quota.

- Arm of Government not the People
When has a police force ever taken the side of the people in a peaceful protest?

You also have a high number in the states of returning war veterans that are stream lined into the police force.
So its not wonder the police forces are running more like military than a actual police unit. Factor in PTSD and you have a timebomb waiting to go off.

Not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing today is bullshit!
So there will come a time when people will be judged for deciding to wear a badge.
The issue of first response people being attacked is not good but we have charges for that,hate crime is a serious offense here and I am sure it holds even more weight in the States.

Pretty simple for me,not going to hand over more power.

So what are you saying? Power should be handed over to the people instead? Somehow I don't think you fully realize what that would mean. At least with the government, we know where we stand, their ultimate aim is for the country as a whole to prosper, I doubt there is a single politician out there who would want to see his country burn. If you give power to the people, they will only seek to use the power to further their own selfish ideals. And you're dreaming if you think "the people" would stand as one. You'll see small groups forming everywhere making their own rules and using terror/power to get what they want. It would be pure chaos and the country would be doomed. Just look at the Middle East and other countries where the government has very little power.
Police officers are outnumbered 263 to 1 (2008), without some protection from the law, they would be stomped on. The law needs to be updated every now and then to reflect the age we live in.

[apollofire]

How this falls into a hate crime? What about those crimes by police?

[bryant.coleman]

Disagree.

I gave the example of resisting arrest,which can be easily manipulated by twisting your hand and getting you to jump from that pain. So resisting can now be seen as a hate crime and this now gives power to throw people away for a much longer time.
This is not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing that has gone far off course from what it used to be.

Most of the arrests are video-recorded these days. So it is not that easy for the cops to manipulate the system. I agree that some of the cops tend to be violent. But if you take away their powers, then it will lead to a breakdown in the law and order siutaiton, which should be avoided. A balance between the two must be found.

[Evildrum]

Disagree.

I gave the example of resisting arrest,which can be easily manipulated by twisting your hand and getting you to jump from that pain. So resisting can now be seen as a hate crime and this now gives power to throw people away for a much longer time.
This is not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing that has gone far off course from what it used to be.

- Revenue Generating
Its now common for all police forces to generate funds by handing out tickets and this is quite obvious near the end of the month when they need to fill their quota.

- Arm of Government not the People
When has a police force ever taken the side of the people in a peaceful protest?

You also have a high number in the states of returning war veterans that are stream lined into the police force.
So its not wonder the police forces are running more like military than a actual police unit. Factor in PTSD and you have a timebomb waiting to go off.

Not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing today is bullshit!
So there will come a time when people will be judged for deciding to wear a badge.
The issue of first response people being attacked is not good but we have charges for that,hate crime is a serious offense here and I am sure it holds even more weight in the States.

Pretty simple for me,not going to hand over more power.

So what are you saying? Power should be handed over to the people instead? Somehow I don't think you fully realize what that would mean. At least with the government, we know where we stand, their ultimate aim is for the country as a whole to prosper, I doubt there is a single politician out there who would want to see his country burn. If you give power to the people, they will only seek to use the power to further their own selfish ideals. And you're dreaming if you think "the people" would stand as one. You'll see small groups forming everywhere making their own rules and using terror/power to get what they want. It would be pure chaos and the country would be doomed. Just look at the Middle East and other countries where the government has very little power.
Police officers are outnumbered 263 to 1 (2008), without some protection from the law, they would be stomped on. The law needs to be updated every now and then to reflect the age we live in.

Knowing where you stand even if its in horseshit is more important than change for the better?

The idea that people will group up is based on using the same faulty system that is in place but jigging it ever so slightly. We have the technology now or soon to make it possible to address issues in a free forum with out manipulation.
Tried and true does not mean better and sitting in horseshit because its what you are used to,does not mean you are living a better way of life.
You make it sound like I am endorsing Anarchy when all I have said is the police are being given way to many weapons to arrest innocent people with on a bad shift for them. Have you not looked at the prison system and seen it reflects mental health,racism and poverty. Why not put money into those issues instead of filling the beds so these jobs can prosper!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The numbers of cops vs the public almost tells me where you are coming from. Its a mentality that the whole public is going to rise up and attack. Those numbers reflect the ultimate worse case situation and if the whole public got together there must have been a damn good reason,like maybe killing innocent kids.

[BADecker]

Disagree.

I gave the example of resisting arrest,which can be easily manipulated by twisting your hand and getting you to jump from that pain. So resisting can now be seen as a hate crime and this now gives power to throw people away for a much longer time.
This is not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing that has gone far off course from what it used to be.

- Revenue Generating
Its now common for all police forces to generate funds by handing out tickets and this is quite obvious near the end of the month when they need to fill their quota.

- Arm of Government not the People
When has a police force ever taken the side of the people in a peaceful protest?

You also have a high number in the states of returning war veterans that are stream lined into the police force.
So its not wonder the police forces are running more like military than a actual police unit. Factor in PTSD and you have a timebomb waiting to go off.

Not a attack on individuals but the concept of policing today is bullshit!
So there will come a time when people will be judged for deciding to wear a badge.
The issue of first response people being attacked is not good but we have charges for that,hate crime is a serious offense here and I am sure it holds even more weight in the States.

Pretty simple for me,not going to hand over more power.

So what are you saying? Power should be handed over to the people instead? Somehow I don't think you fully realize what that would mean. At least with the government, we know where we stand, their ultimate aim is for the country as a whole to prosper, I doubt there is a single politician out there who would want to see his country burn. If you give power to the people, they will only seek to use the power to further their own selfish ideals. And you're dreaming if you think "the people" would stand as one. You'll see small groups forming everywhere making their own rules and using terror/power to get what they want. It would be pure chaos and the country would be doomed. Just look at the Middle East and other countries where the government has very little power.
Police officers are outnumbered 263 to 1 (2008), without some protection from the law, they would be stomped on. The law needs to be updated every now and then to reflect the age we live in.

Knowing where you stand even if its in horseshit is more important than change for the better?

The idea that people will group up is based on using the same faulty system that is in place but jigging it ever so slightly. We have the technology now or soon to make it possible to address issues in a free forum with out manipulation.
Tried and true does not mean better and sitting in horseshit because its what you are used to,does not mean you are living a better way of life.
You make it sound like I am endorsing Anarchy when all I have said is the police are being given way to many weapons to arrest innocent people with on a bad shift for them. Have you not looked at the prison system and seen it reflects mental health,racism and poverty. Why not put money into those issues instead of filling the beds so these jobs can prosper!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The numbers of cops vs the public almost tells me where you are coming from. Its a mentality that the whole public is going to rise up and attack. Those numbers reflect the ultimate worse case situation and if the whole public got together there must have been a damn good reason,like maybe killing innocent kids.

Besides, it is simply a politically nice way to tell us not to dial 911 in an emergency, both so that we aren't targeting useless cops for help or for further damages that they often do. Call a good buddy instead.

[ObscureBean]

change for the better?

You don't know that though do you? Have you looked at the situation in countries where the government is weak?

We have the technology now or soon to make it possible to address issues in a free forum with out manipulation.

Lol you can't possibly be serious with this one. I'm sorry but you're deluded if you think people would change just because you're using a different system.
The days when individual countries would try to conquer the world are gone right? The last attempt was by Germany. So these days the world stage is a little like the "free forum" you speak of with no single country claiming dominion over the world. And you're saying that there would be no manipulation?? I guess what you actually mean is that it's okay for there to be manipulations as long as it all happens under the hood outside of your awareness.

[Evildrum]

change for the better?

You don't know that though do you? Have you looked at the situation in countries where the government is weak?

We have the technology now or soon to make it possible to address issues in a free forum with out manipulation.

Lol you can't possibly be serious with this one. I'm sorry but you're deluded if you think people would change just because you're using a different system.
The days when individual countries would try to conquer the world are gone right? The last attempt was by Germany. So these days the world stage is a little like the "free forum" you speak of with no single country claiming dominion over the world. And you're saying that there would be no manipulation?? I guess what you actually mean is that it's okay for there to be manipulations as long as it all happens under the hood outside of your awareness.

You always go personal when trying to make a point?

You already made this argument about the way it is will be the way it will be.
Really has little to do with the discussion at hand,we are talking about abusive Police and the powers bestowed to them. The view on government is not what we are addressing here.

Why would you be willing to give up more liberty to feel safer or imagine you are safer?

No idea what you are saying in the bolded part because the thread is on police and nothing to do with my state of being awake.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/televised-police-chase-ends-with-officers-beating-suspect_us_5733a8d8e4b077d4d6f20ee5
Televised Police Chase Ends With Officers Beating Suspect

[eye-level]

You also have a high number in the states of returning war veterans that are stream lined into the police force.
So its not wonder the police forces are running more like military than a actual police unit. Factor in PTSD and you have a timebomb waiting to go off.

I've been saying this since 911 I could see it coming from a mile away...good to hear it brought up.

IMO this is why US police forces seem to no longer prefer to deescalate a situation.  You don't do that in combat.  That is one huge part of the problem...they are no longer soldiers - they're police.  Huge difference.

[ObscureBean]

change for the better?

You don't know that though do you? Have you looked at the situation in countries where the government is weak?

We have the technology now or soon to make it possible to address issues in a free forum with out manipulation.

Lol you can't possibly be serious with this one. I'm sorry but you're deluded if you think people would change just because you're using a different system.
The days when individual countries would try to conquer the world are gone right? The last attempt was by Germany. So these days the world stage is a little like the "free forum" you speak of with no single country claiming dominion over the world. And you're saying that there would be no manipulation?? I guess what you actually mean is that it's okay for there to be manipulations as long as it all happens under the hood outside of your awareness.

You always go personal when trying to make a point?

You already made this argument about the way it is will be the way it will be.
Really has little to do with the discussion at hand,we are talking about abusive Police and the powers bestowed to them. The view on government is not what we are addressing here.

Why would you be willing to give up more liberty to feel safer or imagine you are safer?

No idea what you are saying in the bolded part because the thread is on police and nothing to do with my state of being awake.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/televised-police-chase-ends-with-officers-beating-suspect_us_5733a8d8e4b077d4d6f20ee5
Televised Police Chase Ends With Officers Beating Suspect

Nah man nothing personal, sorry if it seemed like I was taking a shot at you. I respect your opinion, I was just expressing how I feel, your belief that people would just coexist peacefully if there was no law just seems incredibly naive to me. No offense but that's the sort of thing I imagine hippies were saying back in the sixties  Don't get me wrong, it's a nice ideal/dream but it simply wouldn't work in real life, humans are wretched things. Again I don't mean anything personal by any of this.

[Evildrum]

Should clarify I am not talking about no law and some fruity utopia where we all hold hands and get along.
I just do not like the movement towards militarization of police forces well giving them more power to use against citizens.

Police used to walk the beat and be part of the community,now they drive around with black sunglasses and rarely get out of their cars. The disconnect is to much and it comes out in the way they communicate with the public.
For example I live in a neighborhood that is all million dollar homes thanks to Chinese money flooding in,but at the same time we lead the country(Canada) in shootings! The dial a dope operations are luring one another to locations and shooting at each other and the police where unable to clamp down and make the community safe.
What they did do is setup more rights so that the police can now go directly to traffic cameras without a warrant to track people.
So they used a public issue to setup more surveillance on the public. Why not get the number and call these yahoos up and bust them. I mean its easy to see that a lot of these junkies being used for dial a dopes where packing guns every where they went.

Just tired of events being used to grasp the public by the throat ever so tighter each time something happens.

Another example:

Walking to the train and their was a gauntlet of security guards and cops waiting at the top the stairs.
Presumed they where checking for tickets so I had mine out to check,not one cop or guard was interested in my ticket and I sailed through. Looked back and they where profiling non white people,reason was immigration.
Funny that these same cops are no where to be found when people are being stabbed or sexually assaulted but can show up in force for a issue that is not even in their mandate.

You know a cop was awarded cop of the year when he was well known in my neighborhood for cracking heads as a kid!

If they got back to the old set up and stopped trying to use these psychological tactics against people it would be fine.

[Evildrum]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-mobilephones-idUSKCN0YM2CZ

U.S. court says no warrant needed for cellphone location data

Police do not need a warrant to obtain a person's cellphone location data held by wireless carriers, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday, dealing a setback to privacy advocates.

Just another strip down of the rights civilized folks have,sure glad I do not live in America. But what happens there usually festers its way into Canada.
Have to look into this faraday pouch that was mentioned by some one on my twitter feed. Looks like a interesting little gadget to have in the treasure chest.

[Evildrum]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/05/21/harlem-nypd-officer-gun-video/
NYPD Officer Stripped Of Gun, Badge After Pulling Gun On Video

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — An NYPD officer who was seen on video pointing his gun at a bystander who was filming a police encounter in Harem has been stripped of his gun and badge.

There seems to be some confusion by the Police as to how far they can go when people are filming them.
I know here in British Columbia,Canada they can not take your cell phone as evidence,no matter how much they may lean on you and act like they can.

[ObscureBean]

@Evildrum If you truly want things to change you'll have to look a lot deeper. You seem like a nice enough guy but the fight you're fighting is a superficial one, losing/winning it doesn't mean or change anything in the grand scheme of things. And if it doesn't change anything then It only serves to sharpen your sense of righteousness/self-righteousness. It grooms your ego and however the fight plays out you end up feeling vindicated.
You have to keep in mind that police officers are regular human beings invested with power. Without power they would be no different from you or your neighbor. With this understanding in mind, you are ready to face the root of your problem and look at humanity as a whole. Humanity has been in a position of power for a very long time, every human is born into power. You can't stomp out abuse of power within humanity while using that very power to maintain your dominance as a species. If that makes any sense.

[Evildrum]

This is not a reflection on my mental state or how grounded I am.
Its just a look into issues pertaining to the militarization of the police and the continued chewing around the edge of our rights as citizens. I spend maybe 10 minutes out of a day and I do not think about cops all day.

A family friend lost their son due to heavy handiness by the police and it irks me that they are pushing off the investigation waiting for the public to lose interest. Not even a year before that a neighbor lost her 14 year old son in a park beating and nothing has been done with that. The poor kid was half a block home before he succumbed to his injuries.

Do not be so quick to judge some ones character,I could be a complete asshole.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/1/11824118/google-android-location-data-police-warrants

Police are filing warrants for Android’s vast store of location data

Google's data is precise enough to place suspects at the scene of a crime

In February 2015, a man with a painter’s mask and a gun walked into a Bank of America office in Ramona, California, and walked out with more than $3,000. Police tried to track down the bank robber, but the mask prevented a positive ID and the trail went cold. Until, in November of the same year, someone matching his description robbed the same bank again. This time, witnesses identified Timothy Graham, a 64-year-old who had taken out steep loans from Chase earlier that year. When they searched Graham’s apartment, investigators found clothes and a gun matching those used in the robbery, effectively sealing the case.

The November holdup was solved, and there was reason to think Graham had been responsible for the February holdup too, but how could they prove it? None of the witnesses saw Graham’s face in February, and Graham himself wasn’t talking. He was physically similar to the man who held up the bank in February — but it was only enough to keep the case going, not enough to make it stick.

So investigators tried a new trick: they called Google. In an affidavit filed on February 8th, nearly a year after the initial robbery, the FBI requested location data pulled from Graham’s Samsung Galaxy G5. Investigators had already gone to Graham’s wireless carrier, AT&T, but Google’s data was more precise, potentially placing Graham inside the bank at the time the robbery was taking place. "Based on my training and experience and in consultation with other agents," an investigator wrote, "I believe it is likely that Google can provide me with GPS data, cell site information and Wi-fi access points for Graham’s phone."

That data is collected as the result of a little-known feature in Google Maps that builds a comprehensive history of where a user has been — information that’s proved valuable to police and advertisers alike. A Verge investigation found affidavits from two different cases from the last four months in which police have obtained court orders for Google’s location data. (Both are embedded below.) Additional orders may have been filed under seal or through less transparent channels.

It’s not clear whether either of the public warrants were filled. No Google-based evidence was presented in Graham's trial, and the other suspect plead guilty before a full case could be presented. Still, there's no evidence of a legal challenge to either warrant. There's also reason to think the investigators' legal tactic would have been successful, since Google’s policy is to comply with lawful warrants for location data. While the warrants are still rare, police appear to be catching on to the powerful new tactic, which allows them to collect a wealth of information on the movements and activities of Android users, available as soon as there’s probable cause to search.

The data is collected by Google's Location History system, which has been present in various services for years but was made particularly visible with the release of Timeline last July. Location History uses the data in Maps to build a persistent portrait of where a user has traveled with their phone, a history that can be viewed or edited in the Timeline tab of Google Maps. Every time Google Maps establishes a strong enough location point, the system makes an entry in the user’s Timeline history, establishing that the user was in that place at that time. Google Photos users can even incorporate photos into the stream if the systems are fully integrated. The result is meant to let users "visualize your real-world routines," as Google put it in Timeline's official announcement, similar to Facebook's persistent history of everything you've shared.

While a user's Location History is largely private, Google can still use the data to target ads, and it's accessible to warrant requests from law enforcement. It's also only collected if a user enabled Location History while setting up their phone, although declining to do so also disables Google Now and other features.

The data is far more accurate than what's available from other sources. Police routinely request location data from phone companies, but the result is determined on the basis of the nearest cell tower, which typically only provides a general estimate of a phone's location. (In Graham's case, AT&T warned that the results were "less than exact," and they were subsequently ruled inadmissible.) The location systems in Android and iOS combine that data with GPS, local Wi-Fi networks, and other sources. That lets Android pinpoint users to a single building, rather than a single city block.

This is just a thread to chew over the issues relating to rights,privacy and policing tactics.