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That's why it needs to be a crime to impersonate law enforcement. I thought it was already, but here we are.

by jjoonathan 3y ago

lotsofpulp 3y ago
Is there any indication or evidence anyone impersonated law enforcement?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- CobrastanJorji 3y ago
  I guess it depends what you mean by "impersonate." Are you asking whether they literally claimed to be a police officer? If so, they almost certainly did not. But they probably showed up with a uniform and a brass badge with words like "sergeant" and "national" and "service" on it next to maybe an eagle and a flag, and they probably talked about how the homeowner was in trouble with the law.
  - jjoonathan 3y ago
    Intimidation tactics like that should count as impersonation. If they don't, there's your problem.
  - ipaddr 3y ago
    That would still be under impersonated law enforcement
  - jstarfish 3y ago
    Detectives wear plainclothes. These types flash a badge, mumble the words "detective" and "agency" in the same sentence, then immediately pivot to babbling about fines and jailtime before you have a chance to question their authority. It's a high-pressure sales tactic masquerading as law enforcement, without crossing the line of impersonation. To those ends, they back down quickly when you poke back with childish questions like "wait, so you're not the police?" (If they say yes, they're in trouble.)
gabereiser 3y ago
It is but we also have PI’s. Usually ex-cops or ex-military members with an intelligence angle. These are intimidating people by design. If you had a squad of paramilitary at your door, and you were the typical magic player, you’d give them the keys if they asked.
- jjoonathan 3y ago
  "By design?" Let's dig into that. Their CV, or non-LEO uniform, or physical size does not give them license to walk into peoples' houses or to threaten to do so. Everyone knows that. Which means they probably made a threat, and if that threat in any way suggested that they represented law enforcement, it should absolutely be illegal and they should be locked up for impersonation.
  - gabereiser 3y ago
    I’m not saying it does, but agencies have typically hired a certain type of physique and mentality that comes from military service.
    - jjoonathan 3y ago
      If they used their physique and mentality to suggest that that they were affiliated with law enforcement, that's a problem. If they used their physique and mentality to threaten extrajudicial violence, that's a problem. If they were crystal clear that they didn't represent law enforcement and that they weren't threatening extrajudicial violence, cool. Society has an interest in ensuring that goons can't bluff their way into LEO privileges, so if that's what they did, we have a problem.
- philsnow 3y ago
  > If you had a squad of paramilitary at your door, and you were the typical magic player, you’d give them the keys if they asked I haven't played MtG since the 90s, so I'm maybe not clued in on what a "typical magic player" is, but I would expect them to be pretty rules-lawyer-y (both on and off the table) and would stand their ground on principle.

That's why it needs to be a crime to impersonate law enforcement. I thought it was already, but here we are.

lotsofpulp 3y ago

Is there any indication or evidence anyone impersonated law enforcement?

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
CobrastanJorji 3y ago
I guess it depends what you mean by "impersonate." Are you asking whether they literally claimed to be a police officer? If so, they almost certainly did not. But they probably showed up with a uniform and a brass badge with words like "sergeant" and "national" and "service" on it next to maybe an eagle and a flag, and they probably talked about how the homeowner was in trouble with the law.
- jjoonathan 3y ago
  Intimidation tactics like that should count as impersonation. If they don't, there's your problem.
- ipaddr 3y ago
  That would still be under impersonated law enforcement
- jstarfish 3y ago
  Detectives wear plainclothes. These types flash a badge, mumble the words "detective" and "agency" in the same sentence, then immediately pivot to babbling about fines and jailtime before you have a chance to question their authority. It's a high-pressure sales tactic masquerading as law enforcement, without crossing the line of impersonation. To those ends, they back down quickly when you poke back with childish questions like "wait, so you're not the police?" (If they say yes, they're in trouble.)

gabereiser 3y ago

It is but we also have PI’s. Usually ex-cops or ex-military members with an intelligence angle. These are intimidating people by design. If you had a squad of paramilitary at your door, and you were the typical magic player, you’d give them the keys if they asked.

jjoonathan 3y ago
"By design?" Let's dig into that. Their CV, or non-LEO uniform, or physical size does not give them license to walk into peoples' houses or to threaten to do so. Everyone knows that. Which means they probably made a threat, and if that threat in any way suggested that they represented law enforcement, it should absolutely be illegal and they should be locked up for impersonation.
- gabereiser 3y ago
  I’m not saying it does, but agencies have typically hired a certain type of physique and mentality that comes from military service.
  - jjoonathan 3y ago
    If they used their physique and mentality to suggest that that they were affiliated with law enforcement, that's a problem. If they used their physique and mentality to threaten extrajudicial violence, that's a problem. If they were crystal clear that they didn't represent law enforcement and that they weren't threatening extrajudicial violence, cool. Society has an interest in ensuring that goons can't bluff their way into LEO privileges, so if that's what they did, we have a problem.
philsnow 3y ago
> If you had a squad of paramilitary at your door, and you were the typical magic player, you’d give them the keys if they asked I haven't played MtG since the 90s, so I'm maybe not clued in on what a "typical magic player" is, but I would expect them to be pretty rules-lawyer-y (both on and off the table) and would stand their ground on principle.