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Regarding the money aspect: for someone living in western Europe, the police budget and income system in the USA seems crazy. How could they possibly do that th

Regarding the money aspect: for someone living in western Europe, the police budget and income system in the USA seems crazy. How could they possibly do that they are supposed to do (uphold the law) with a system that forces them to select their actions based on the money it will generate for them.

jMyles 9y ago
What do you mean here? Fines?
- macintux 9y ago
  Asset forfeiture is arguably more pernicious than fines.
  - jMyles 9y ago
    Oh heck yeah - it just wasn't clear to me if that's what oneplane was talking about.
smokeyj 9y ago
"Upholding the law" is such a subjective idea. An officer can uphold the law by running a speed traps and earning the department more money. They could alternatively do difficult investigatory work looking into violent crimes that would deliver more value to the community. If a community is the employer of officers it seems strange that officers would be held accountable to anything besides the needs of the community. Developers live in a world of scrum, points, and delivering value. I think whoever pays for the officers salary should be the "product owner" of the police department.
- mitochondrion 9y ago
  "I think whoever pays for the officers salary should be the "product owner" of the police department" Like what, the local governor/censor/consul/manor lord?
dankohn1 9y ago
Look particularly at the system that Ferguson used to generate most of their revenues from traffic tickets and resulting fines from African-Americans: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/us/ferguson-missouri-racism-tickets-fines/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/us/ferguson-missouri-racism-ti... As an American, it is shocking and appalling to see that we have recreated a version of debtors prison.