11 ms·

What I would really like to know is what is the rate of criminality within the CA police force vs the public. Because 12,000 in a 10 year period is a LOT of fe

What I would really like to know is what is the rate of criminality within the CA police force vs the public. Because 12,000 in a 10 year period is a LOT of felons that have worn or still wear a badge. From what I can find, the US average for all adult residents is about 8.6% (about 1 in 12). For officers in CA, I found estimates of 90,000 to 100,000 on several sites. However, a survey of specific cities seems to indicate roughly 15 officers per 10,000 residents (http://www.governing.com/gov-data/safety-justice/law-enforcement-police-department-employee-totals-for-cities.html http://www.governing.com/gov-data/safety-justice/law-enforce...). CA has about 40 million residents, which would be about 60,000 officers. Going with the 60,000 number, that's 20%! If we go with the higher estimate of 100,000 officers, that's still 12%! And don't forget - the 8.6% US average number is for anyone who has a felony record - meaning it covers their entire adult life, not just the past 10 years. That makes the officer numbers even worse! From what I can gather, the rate of criminality for officers (at least in CA) as far, far above the average for everyone else.

shereadsthenews 8y ago
This isn't just felonies. It includes things like misdemeanor drunk driving.
- turc1656 8y ago
  Good point. They mention felonies and list some very serious specific ones so it primed me to think the list was all felonies, even though it did say "felonies and other crimes that would disqualify them". I'd still be very interested in knowing what the rate comparison is.
- natch 8y ago
  Well drunk driving is a pretty serious matter no matter how the legal system categorizes it. I realize it was an example. Just not a great example.
kodablah 8y ago
I think the ~12k convictions includes police officers no longer active or that may just have been applicants. TFA says less than a third match police personnel records and that it is unclear which may just be for applicants. I don't think we should speculate with these ballpark numbers if we can count on the results coming out later.
Balgair 8y ago
Remember, the average American commits ~3 felonies per day: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229 https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp... If anything, this list indicates that the legal system in the US is in need of an overhaul. That officers would be swept up in the same net we all are, should not be unexpected. Given their daily proximity to law enforcement, having a higher number than the average population should not necessarily come as a surprise. The way to tell if they really are more 'criminal' than the rest of the population would be to look at the felony rates of judges, para-legals, lawyers, court-recorders, bailiffs, wardens, people who live/work close to precincts, etc. If your physical proximity to an officer is related to the felony rate, then this should come fall out of the data. In essence, based on your napkin-math, further research is very much required for the sake of public safety.
- anigbrowl 8y ago
  No they don't and Harvey Silverglate is not a reliable reporter. He habitually misrepresents the cases of his current-and-former clients and frankly I think he's only one step away from being a con artist who separates legal losers from their money while telling them it's not their fault that they keep losing in court. This shouldn't be extrapolated into being a comment on the rest of the thread. There are all sorts of things wrong with society and the legal system but I wouldn't trust Harvey Silverglate to advise me on any of them.

shereadsthenews 8y ago

This isn't just felonies. It includes things like misdemeanor drunk driving.

turc1656 8y ago
Good point. They mention felonies and list some very serious specific ones so it primed me to think the list was all felonies, even though it did say "felonies and other crimes that would disqualify them". I'd still be very interested in knowing what the rate comparison is.
natch 8y ago
Well drunk driving is a pretty serious matter no matter how the legal system categorizes it. I realize it was an example. Just not a great example.

kodablah 8y ago

I think the ~12k convictions includes police officers no longer active or that may just have been applicants. TFA says less than a third match police personnel records and that it is unclear which may just be for applicants. I don't think we should speculate with these ballpark numbers if we can count on the results coming out later.

Balgair 8y ago

Remember, the average American commits ~3 felonies per day: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229 https://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp... If anything, this list indicates that the legal system in the US is in need of an overhaul. That officers would be swept up in the same net we all are, should not be unexpected. Given their daily proximity to law enforcement, having a higher number than the average population should not necessarily come as a surprise. The way to tell if they really are more 'criminal' than the rest of the population would be to look at the felony rates of judges, para-legals, lawyers, court-recorders, bailiffs, wardens, people who live/work close to precincts, etc. If your physical proximity to an officer is related to the felony rate, then this should come fall out of the data. In essence, based on your napkin-math, further research is very much required for the sake of public safety.

anigbrowl 8y ago
No they don't and Harvey Silverglate is not a reliable reporter. He habitually misrepresents the cases of his current-and-former clients and frankly I think he's only one step away from being a con artist who separates legal losers from their money while telling them it's not their fault that they keep losing in court. This shouldn't be extrapolated into being a comment on the rest of the thread. There are all sorts of things wrong with society and the legal system but I wouldn't trust Harvey Silverglate to advise me on any of them.