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Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 7, 2006 20:37:21 GMT -5
February 7, 2006 - LOS ANGELES -- The city Police Commission is no longer releasing the names of officers involved in shootings.
The Police Commission made the change, overturning a 25-year-old policy, because officers' identities are protected under state law, said commission President John W. Mack.
Police union officials had long argued that releasing officers' names could expose them to danger, and union official had indicated they were prepared to sue over the disclosures, said Hank Hernandez, the organization's general counsel.
"This has nothing to do with whether or not the media should have access or the public should have access to this information," said Bob Baker, the LAPD union president. "There are people who could use (this information) for not legitimate purposes. And that's what our concern is."
The commission decided to make the change at a meeting two months ago, officials said.
Critics of the change say officers have to be made accountable for their actions.
"Part of the bargain when you get a badge and a gun is accountability," said Jeffrey C. Eglash, a former inspector general for the Police Commission. "Although police officers, like any employees, have an interest in privacy, their jobs are unlike any other in that they have the power to arrest and to use deadly force."
A week after the change, the commission unveiled a plan to "provide greater transparency" by posting detailed summaries of police shootings on the Internet. Officers' names are not included in those summaries.
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Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 7, 2006 21:15:16 GMT -5
Just imagine that the state you live in, that the politicians cared more about the rights of police officers and not the citizens of that state. Well that's California!
California is slowing turning into a "police state" and the people of California act like they just don't care! What is up with those people? Mindless robots just like the rest of the Nation, I guess?
You have a state that makes up a law to protect only police officers if they shoot someone. Yet if a regular citizen of California shot someone the police would give out the name of the shooter in a heart beat to the media.
Side note: Cops just love snitches and the media, without those two cops would have to actually work.
Then you have those nutty people in San Francisco that allowed their city government to ban guns? I have always heard that the people in San Francisco were fruity, but this tops the cake! Only cops and crooks will carry guns in San Francisco now? To the people of San Francisco, when someone breaks into your home in the middle of the night with a gun, go ahead and call "911" and the world will read your obituary the next day. That is if your expecting the cops to come save your stupid ass.
Well as far as officers names not being released after they shoot someone. I'm sure we will have "readers" that will contribute names of police officers that shoot someone in Los Angeles. You can't keep police officers names out of the view of the public. What they think this is Nazi Germany? If an officer is being paid by tax dollars, then the public should be able to hold him/her accountable.
This country doesn't have a Secret Police and nor does Los Angeles!
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