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I absolutely agree with everything you said with one exception. > "Protect and Serve" Everyone thinks that the police's job is their motto. It was some strate

by fritzw 9y ago

I absolutely agree with everything you said with one exception. > "Protect and Serve" Everyone thinks that the police's job is their motto. It was some strategic messaging, but they came up with that. Police weren't created to protect and serve. Going back to the foundations of the country's policing strategy, police exist to maintain order. That's why they arrest protesters, shoot unarmed guys who are noncompliant, arrest people for selling cigarette singles. That subtle shift in how we perseve their job explains vertically all of their behavior as of late.

infosample 9y ago
Interesting you chose those specific examples. Police killing black men in those instances did the opposite of what you claim. They turned orderly to disorderly.
- NoGravitas 9y ago
  That's because they don't exist to protect order as such. They exist to protect a particular social order.
  - codefined 9y ago
    Seems like an odd argument for the reason of such shootings. I think what they did actually exacerbated the issue more than helped keep a particular social order. Reminds me a little bit of a situation that occurred in a book I read whereupon events like this just caused more problems [0] (NSFW site, SFW story). [0] http://storiesonline.net/s/46291/greenies http://storiesonline.net/s/46291/greenies
pjc50 9y ago
> Going back to the foundations of the country's policing strategy, police exist to maintain order Very un-Peelian policing. Could you give more background on how and when the foundations of US policing strategy were laid, because it seems to be very fragmentary and local?
- fritzw 9y ago
  I hate to cheap out and just send you to a history podcast, but it really is a great collection of remarks on the history of policing in the US. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-protect-a-history-of-the-police-rebroadcast/id281261324?i=1000374334022&mt=2 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-protect-a-history-... It's well worth a listen, the entire series is great as well

by fritzw 9y ago

infosample 9y ago

Interesting you chose those specific examples. Police killing black men in those instances did the opposite of what you claim. They turned orderly to disorderly.

NoGravitas 9y ago
That's because they don't exist to protect order as such. They exist to protect a particular social order.
- codefined 9y ago
  Seems like an odd argument for the reason of such shootings. I think what they did actually exacerbated the issue more than helped keep a particular social order. Reminds me a little bit of a situation that occurred in a book I read whereupon events like this just caused more problems [0] (NSFW site, SFW story). [0] http://storiesonline.net/s/46291/greenies http://storiesonline.net/s/46291/greenies

pjc50 9y ago

> Going back to the foundations of the country's policing strategy, police exist to maintain order Very un-Peelian policing. Could you give more background on how and when the foundations of US policing strategy were laid, because it seems to be very fragmentary and local?

fritzw 9y ago
I hate to cheap out and just send you to a history podcast, but it really is a great collection of remarks on the history of policing in the US. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-protect-a-history-of-the-police-rebroadcast/id281261324?i=1000374334022&mt=2 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-protect-a-history-... It's well worth a listen, the entire series is great as well