DOJ "Ankle-Bracelets" The Chicago and Baltimore Police

With only days left at her job as Attorney General, Loretta Lynch announced that she has reached a "consent decree" with the cities of Baltimore and Chicago.  Under the "consent" of those two cities, the police departments will be forced to address the findings of abuse and violations of civil rights that were found to be "systemically" present in the year-long investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).  As a result, police compliance under these "consent decrees" will be subject to a federal judge's review over the next 5 years and extending beyond 5 years, if compliance isn't achieved.

What is interesting is that there are now 20 police departments under "consent decrees" in this country, and in every case, the civil rights and abuse charges were always the same.  They are always defined by the DOJ as "systemic".  In other words, the violations are part of a "planned" and police-wide policy.  Even a reasonable person might find that claim to be quite unbelievable. Especially when it involves the arrest and treatment of minorities.  More importantly, the word "systemic" implies that there is rarely fair treatment of minorities by the police in these communities. 

The Washington Post/Frontline studied the DOJ's record of changing police departments as a result of these "consent decrees" and the results were mixed.  In many of those communities that were under federal supervision, crime spiked.  Also, in many cases, compliance can take more than a decade because of a revolving door of police chiefs during the process, coupled with a high rate of officers quitting.  In Detroit, for example, the compliance took 11 years and required the replacement of 8 police chiefs.  In Los Angeles, the taxpayers paid $300 million for reforms.  I think this quote from the Washington Post/Frontline report says it all:

"Officer morale in some of the departments plummeted during the interventions, according to interviews. Collectively, the departments have cycled through 52 police chiefs as the agencies tried to meet federal demands. Some departments have struggled to sustain reforms once oversight ended, and in some cities, police relations with residents remain strained."

With murders and crimes rising in major cities,  the intervention by the DOJ appears not to be having a positive effect.  Barack Obama's DOJ -- more than any previous administration -- has been particularly heavy-handed at adjudicating against the police; always occurring after the shooting of an  unarmed black person reaches national prominence in the media.  That, in my opinion, makes these investigations both reactionary and political.  More importantly, these kinds of "scathing" reports by the DOJ are putting targets on the backs of our police officers as each new report concludes that they are racist.  More police were killed in 2016 than in any of the previous 5 years, combined.

References:

January 12, 2017: Baltimore, DOJ Reach Agreement On Consent Decree For Baltimore Police: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/12/509479934/baltimore-doj-reach-agreement-on-consent-decree-for-baltimore-police

January 13, 2017: Feds release scathing report on Chicago police abuse: https://www.yahoo.com/news/doj-release-report-chicago-police-abuses-062249940.html

The DOJ’s jaw-dropping report about the Cleveland Police Department: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/12/05/the-dojs-jaw-dropping-report-about-the-cleveland-police-department/?utm_term=.1d21c14fed22

The 12 key highlights from the DOJ’s scathing Ferguson report: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/03/04/the-12-key-highlights-from-the-dojs-scathing-ferguson-report/?utm_term=.223c48fde486

Ferguson’s Violent Crime Rate Skyrockets In Aftermath Of Brown Shooting: http://dailycaller.com/2016/09/28/fergusons-violent-crime-rate-skyrockets-in-aftermath-of-brown-shooting/

Washington Post/Frontline: Forced reforms, Mixed results Federal interventions at troubled police departments across the country drag on for years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2015/11/13/forced-reforms-mixed-results/

DOJ investigations: 20 departments under enforcement agreements: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-doj-investigations-police-departments-20170112-htmlstory.html

After Bloodiest Year, Baltimore Murder Rate Still Rising: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/06/bloodiest-year-baltimore-murder-rate-rising/

Last year, Cleveland suffered a 90 percent jump in homicides: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-ferguson-crime-cops-murders-laquan-mcdonald-perspec-0131-jm-20160129-column.html

More police officers shot and killed in 2016 than in past 5 years: http://www.nbc26.com/news/national/a-look-at-the-shootings-of-police-officers-in-2016

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Was This the Reason for the Charlotte Policeman's Killing of Keith Scott?

Just recently, the Brennan Center for Justice released its 2016 preliminary report of projected year-end increases in violent crime activity in the 30 largest cities.  Based on the news reports, one would think that Chicago would be number one on the "Brennan" list.  But, no.  Instead, San Antonio saw the largest increase in projected violent crime for 2016 at 52.5%. In second place was Charlotte, with an increase of 22.5% over 2015.  Chicago was actually third at 16.2%.

While spending years working as a manager, I can honestly tell you that when the workload increases unexpectedly, the level of stress goes up, and even the best employees, will start to make mistakes.  This is apparently the case for the police in Charlotte.  A 22.5% projected increase in violent crime, along with increases in almost every other category of crime in 2016, has apparently caused a quick increase in stress in just a short time.  The police chief has called for enough money to hire 50 more officers, 20 additional dispatchers, and five more crime scene techs, in order to deal with the relatively fast increase in crime activity.

I can't say that stress was solely responsible for the police shooting and killing of Keith Lamont Scott, but it certainly could have been a contributing factor.  And, why, unlike other cities, Charlotte's crime rate is soaring is a question that has to be addressed to insure that police aren't overworked; making what is already a tough job a lot tougher.

References:

Study: Violent Crime And Murders Slightly On The Rise This Year In Largest Cities: http://www.npr.org/2016/09/19/494293952/study-violent-crime-and-murders-slightly-on-the-rise-this-year-in-largest-cities

Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Crime on the rise in nearly every major category:  http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/cmpd-to-release-2016-q1-crime-stats-announce-summer-initiative/261701976

The U.S. Has Nearly a Quarter Million Unsolved Murders Since 1980

Much of the recent news about Chicago has been regarding this year's number of shootings and murders.  What isn't well publicized is the fact that only 21% of murders in the city are cleared (solved).  A similar problem exists in Detroit where only 30% are cleared.  Los Angeles is only slightly better at 40%. In the country as a whole, only 64% of murders are solved.  This average is well down from 90% in 1965.  All told, nearly a quarter of a million murders have gone unsolved since 1980 with another 5,000 added each year.

One would have thought that with today's high tech tools such as DNA and the national fingerprint data base and identification system, crime fighting would have gotten much better.  But, the ability to solve murders still relies heavily on the human element.

In Chicago, the low clearance rate is a result of three factors that are probably common to many of the cities that have this problem.  First, many of the murders are committed by gangs and the members of the community fear that they too will be murdered if they come forth as witnesses.  Additionally, there is an increasing mistrust of the police; and again, witnesses not coming forward.  Finally, because of budget cuts, too few personnel are available to perform proper crime scene investigations and  detective work.

It always seems as if videos are taken when a police officer shoots someone, but where are those same cameras when someone is being murdered or shot without police involvement?  Also, mistrust has only increased because we have a President and other leaders that continually imply that police are guilty of racial bias.

Something has to change, or many more murders will go unsolved.   This is especially true due to the rising murder rates in our major cities as a result of the Ferguson effect.  Sending in the Justice Department to discipline our police on the reckless assumption that they're racist isn't going to resolve anything.

References:

Getting Away With Murder: Police fail to make an arrest in more than a third of the nation’s killings: http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21656725-police-fail-make-arrest-more-third-nations-killings-getting-away

As Chicago killings surge, the unsolved cases pile up: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-homicide-clearance-rate-20160909-story.html

Shoddy LAPD record keeping muddies murder statistics: http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140628/shoddy-lapd-record-keeping-muddies-murder-statistics

Social Justice in Ferguson, Mo? But, At What Cost?

In the 18 months following the shooting death of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson, Eric Holder's Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted a civil rights review of the Ferguson police force; even though Darren Wilson was exonerated of any charges.  Then, in 2015, the DOJ  found that the Ferguson police force was racist and that a substantial makeover was necessary.

Since then, the City Council determined that the makeover would cost almost $4 million in additional spending in the first year, and millions more in each of the subsequent years.  This, in a city that already had a $2.8 million deficit on a $14.5 million dollar a year spending budget.  Thus, the compliance with the demands of the Justice Department would result in a deficit of nearly 50% or $6.6 million in the first year; and increasing each year until bankruptcy, or unless the citizens of the City were willing to pay at least 50% more in taxes to reverse the deficit and comply with the Justice Department.  Knowing that taxes really couldn't be raised, because 1 in 4 Ferguson citizens were already in poverty and the average household income is 26% less than the  in the country as a whole. Therefore, the 50% increase in taxes would be a heavy burden on the citizens as businesses are forced to raise prices in an already poor community. The City had no other choice but to unanimously vote not to implement the required Justice Department demands.

Since that decision, the Federal government has sued the City of Ferguson in order to force the Council to implement the changes; no matter what the costs many be. And, those costs will be high; both economically and socially.

As a result of the lawsuit, the City's bond rating has been so significantly downgraded that no buyer of municipal bonds would ever risk investing in a Ferguson bond issuance.  Already, existing bonds are selling at a nearly 40% discount; and if the City loses the suit, the cost to borrow money will rise significantly.  Because a 50% increase in taxes is probably out of the question, this only leaves cutting costs to reduce the deficit.

As a result there will be fewer police and absolutely no overtime during low staffed hours.  This, in a city that is already experiencing extremely high crime rates. The number of firemen, too, will have to be reduced. It also means less road repairs or other government services such as garbage pickups.  These reductions, in turn, will result in ever lowering property values until, like Detroit, people are willing to sell their houses for a dollar to avoid paying property taxes. 

These are the costs that the predominately black community will pay to insure that not one iota of racism exists within the Ferguson Police Department.  The death of that City is a high cost to pay.  Of course, instead of suing, the federal government could pay for the demands they are making; leaving Ferguson to struggle with their existing debt problems.  But, this would establish a precedent and the Justice Department would be saddled with all the bills that it created in all the cities it declares racially biased.

File this under "Be careful for what you ask for".

References:

Federal government sues Ferguson, Missouri: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/10/federal-government-expected-to-sue-ferguson-missouri.html

Ferguson Bonds Downgraded: http://www.ericgarland.co/2016/01/27/ferguson-bonds-downgraded/

Ferguson Missouri Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/29/2923986.html

Crime Statistics for Ferguson, Mo: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ferguson-Missouri.html

You Can Buy a $1 Detroit Home. But Should You?: http://moneynation.com/can-buy-1-detroit-home/

United States Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

Tyshawn Lee: The Forgotten Black Life That Mattered

In Chicago, while the "Black Lives Matter" crowds have been protesting over the cop shooting of Laquan McDonald, another life cut short went completely ignored.  Tyshawn Lee was a nine year old boy who was executed by gunfire by a gang, as payback for his father's "sin" of being a member of a rival gang.  The executioner was a felon who should have never owned a gun under Federal law and, for sure, under the even more rigid gun restrictions of Chicago.  But, he and two others had guns that were probably purchased on the streets.

The sad fact is that there are all too many "Tyshawn Lee's" in Chicago and around the country.  Many of these murders go unsolved because people in the community are afraid to talk; or, there were no witnesses due to the all too many drive-by shootings. Far more than the 33 unarmed blacks that have been shot and killed this year by police in the entire United States as of this writing (as reported by "The Counted").

Where is the outrage over the children killed almost weekly by these gangsters?  Most of these are black lives.  Again, not just in Chicago, but in every major city with high black populations. I think "Black Lives Matter" has its priorities upside down.

References:

Demonstrators protest Laquan McDonald shooting for 5th day: http://abc7chicago.com/news/demonstrators-protest-laquan-mcdonald-shooting-for-5th-day/1102565/

Chilling Details Revealed in Bond Hearing for Suspect in Tyshawn Lee's Murder: http://abcnews.go.com/US/chilling-details-revealed-bond-hearing-suspect-tyshawn-lees/story?id=35454416

14-Year-Old Killed, Another Teen Injured in Drive-By: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/14-Year-Old-Killed-Another-Teen-Injured-in-Drive-By-Shooting-in-Kenwood-328413991.html

Rapper Capo and 1-Year-Old Boy Killed in Drive-By Shooting: http://www.etonline.com/news/167824_rapper_capo_and_a_1_year_old_boy_killed_drive_by_shooting_chicago/

The Counted: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database# 

Tarantino's Misguided Attitude Toward Cops

In this country, the arrest rate per 100,000 residents is 3888.2.  That means that over 2-1/2 million arrests are made each year.  In making those arrests, a police officer never knows if the person being arrested will attempt to kill him/her or not; even during a routine traffic stop.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics,  nearly 20% of all inmates in state prisons were armed at the time of arrest.  For federal prisoners, the rate is 15%.  Often, the decision whether or not to use deadly force is made in a split second.  And yes, there will be mistakes, and unarmed people will die.  Whether its a young boy with an air gun that had its normally identifying orange tip removed or, a woman pulling out a cell phone at the wrong time.

So, here are the stats on police killings as of this writing.

According to a website run by The U.K. Guardian called 'The Counted', through November 15th, a total of 964 persons were killed by U.S. police in 2015.  20% of those (190) were unarmed at the time of their death.  Also understand that we don't know the circumstances surrounding those 190 deaths and whether or not the police personnel causing them were found to be guilty of murder, or whether or not the deaths were deemed accidental or justified. For example, 47 of those 190 deaths were as a result of being tasered; a supposedly non-lethal tool for cops to use when someone is resisting arrest.

To me, Quentin Tarantino's charge that cops are "murderers" is totally unfounded.  Given the number of times the police have had to arrest someone committing a crime -- 2-1/2 million times -- the number of unarmed deaths-by-cops is extremely small.  This proves that U. S. cops are showing relative restraint before using deadly force.  And, where is  the gratitude from Tarantino for the 2-1/2 million arrests made while enforcing the law, putting themselves in jeopardy,  and keeping people safe?

References:

Pressure is on Tarantino to apologize for calling cops murderers: http://nypost.com/2015/11/02/quentin-tarantino-to-apologize-for-calling-cops-murderers/

The Counted: Numbers Killed By Police: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database#

Fatal shooting of teen with toy gun was reasonable, experts say: http://nypost.com/2015/10/11/fatal-shooting-of-teen-with-toy-gun-was-reasonable-experts-say/

Uh Oh! Not Again! Unarmed Black Woman Shot to Death by Police in Georgia!: http://newsbuzzdaily.com/uh-oh-not-again-unarmed-black-woman-shot-to-death-by-police-in-georgia/

Arrest Rate in U.S.:https://www.google.com/search?q=number++of+arrests+per+year&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Bureau of Justice: Firearm Use by Offenders: http://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf

The Violent Criminals are Gaining Control of our Streets

With the execution of two white police officers, just days apart, the media has been focused on the increasing number of cops that have been killed since last year's Ferguson riots.  There has also been much attention drawn to the surging murder and other violent crime rates on our major city streets.  All this because many feel we have a President and a Department of Justice that is too quick to blame the cops, and not the criminals.   Thus, weapons are being left on  city streets at increasing numbers because the police have been intimidated into "NOT" conducting traffic stops of suspicious people; especially when it is a car full of blacks.

But, the one thing that the media has not focused on, is the fact that amid rising crime, many police departments are shrinking at an alarming rate.  Back in July, ABC reported this:

Police Face Severe Shortage of Recruits

With the number of applicants down more than 90 percent in some cities, police departments may soon be posting more signs that say “Help Wanted” instead of “Most Wanted.”

Then, too, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran this story about the police department of St. Louis County (the home of Ferguson, Mo.):

St. Louis County police losing officers at increasing rate

St. Louis County police officers are quitting the force in what may be unprecedented numbers, leaving commanders scrambling to fill vacancies.

Also, there was this headline about the Camden County Police Department, in one of the most violent counties in Pennsylvania:

Camden County Police Department struggling to keep officers

Nearly 120 officers - including large swaths of recruiting classes - have resigned or retired, making the department's turnover one of the highest in the state.

Simply, because of the politics of policing, existing and potential cops just don't want the job anymore. America's population is increasingly becoming the prey of the violent criminal. I would also expect, that the increased murder of cops will only result in even more resignations; more early retirements; and fewer police recruits in the future.

Thank you Mr. Obama for fundamentally changing America.

References:

Police: Off-duty officer killed in Texas - CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/01/us/texas-abilene-police-officer-killed/

Fox Lake officer's killing: Police find new evidence: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/04/us/illinois-police-officer-joseph-gliniewicz-death/

Several big U.S. cities see homicide rates surge - USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/07/09/us-cities-homicide-surge-2015/29879091/ 

Police rattled by spike in violent crimes across US: http://www.rt.com/usa/312776-homicide-crime-rate-spike/

Police Face Severe Shortage of Recruits: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=96570 

St. Louis County police losing officers at increasing rate: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-police-losing-officers-at-increasing-rate/article_cc4dd3ef-0aaa-512d-8c34-1824b1676cf0.html

Camden County Police Department struggling to keep officers: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20150517_Camden_County_Police_Department_struggling_to_keep_officers.html

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Really? The Baltimore Cops are the Problem?

When it comes to crime, the Baltimore police have their hands full.  Baltimore is a city of just 623,000 people.  Yet, every year, they have more than 40,000 crimes. That's one crime for every 15-1/2 residents. Theoretically, that means that each resident will experience one crime every 15 years.  That 1-in-15-1/2 also creates  a helluva lot of suspects within that population; and may be why so many residents think they're being harassed by the cops. 

Based on the murder rate per 1,000 people, Baltimore's is 9-1/4 times higher than the national average.  The rape rate is twice that of the nation as a whole.  The robbery rate stands at 6 times higher, and assault is almost 3 times the norm. All together, the violent crime rate per 1000 residents is nearly 4 times higher than the U.S. average. 

According to the U.S. Attorney General and the Baltimore Mayor, the city has a civil rights problem within its police force.

To that, I say that the city -- which is 63% black and has a police force that is nearly half black -- has a civility problem.  Not a civil rights problem.  Police don't cause crime. They enforce the law and protect against it.  When you have 438 crimes per square mile each year, something is seriously wrong and it isn't the police.  They are simply being scapegoated for other more politically relevant problems; such as a 24% poverty rate and very high unemployment. Just 42% of the working-age adults in Freddie Gray's neighborhood have a job. Overall, young black men have a 37% unemployment rate in that city.  Also, 36% of Baltimore's adult population are functionally illiterate and can't read at even a basic level. High poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy have all been linked to higher crime rates. Baltimore has them all.

References:

After Freddie Gray death, U.S. starts civil rights probe of Baltimore police: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-justice-announce-20150508-story.html#page=2

Baltimore Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/24/24510.html

Baltimore Police Department: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Police_Department

Just 42 percent of the residents in Freddie Gray’s neighborhood are employed: http://fusion.net/story/127163/just-42-percent-of-the-residents-in-freddie-grays-neighborhood-are-employed/

Baltimore's economy in black and white: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/29/news/economy/baltimore-economy/

The Relationship between Crime and Unemployment: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1069&context=parkplace

Poverty and Crime | National Dialogue Network: http://www.nationaldialoguenetwork.org/poverty-and-crime/

Baltimore Literacy Rate: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-04-19/news/9904170418_1_adult-literacy-literacy-rates-welfare-recipients

Two-Thirds of Students Who Can't Read by the Fourth Grade Will Either Wind Up in Jail or on Welfare: http://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html

Better Policing Won't Solve High Rates of Black Crime

In the wake of Ferguson, President Obama has called for better education for the police so they can find their softer side when dealing with the black community.  But, at no time is this President willing to admit that we have a serious problem with black crime in this country that results in too many confrontations with the police.

Currently, blacks make up 13.1% of the population.  Yet, 37.4% of the prison population is black.  Meaning that they are nearly 3 times more likely to have to deal with the police. In defense of the high black prison population, many point to the fact that they are being disproportionately arrested for holding, using, or selling drugs.  However, this flies in the face of FBI statistics that show blacks commit 51% of all murders, 69% of all robberies, and 32% of all crimes, while only committing 23.5% of all drug violations.  Obviously, drug arrests are disproportionately lower when compared to other black crime rates.

In 1991, a Lehigh University study found that 70% of prison inmates came from single-parent (broken) homes.  It's not surprising then, that the black prison population is so high. Blacks had a single-parent percentage of 67% in 2013.  That's double the all-race average of 35% in that same year.  Also, that same Lehigh study found that 80% of all inmates were in some way learning disabled; including 50% of all minorities who were functionally illiterate.  Obviously, there is a direct correlation between low rates of education, low literacy rates, and high rates of crime.  In 2009, President Obama's own Department of Education found that 50% of 4th grade African Americans were illiterate, and by the 9th grade things worsened with 56% being illiterate.

As the first black President, Barack Obama was in the unique position to focus in on black literacy and family unit problems as a means of reducing black crime.  Because, if crime rates among blacks more closely matched their population levels, police confrontations with blacks would be significantly fewer.  Instead, Obama constantly focuses on cops as the problem.  We had a sense of this in July of 2009, when a friend of his, a black Harvard professor, was arrested by two Cambridge, Mass police for breaking into his own home.  He wasn't arrested for the break in but instead, for his belligerence at the scene.  Yet, the President attacked the actions of the white police by saying they "acted stupidly". 

Simply, every problem is a result of some cause.  If you want to improve policing in black communities, lower the crime rates.  In doing so, attitudes by cops towards blacks would also improve and blacks would be targeted less for arrests.

References:

Obama Calls for Changes in Policing After Task Force Report: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/us/politics/obama-calls-for-changes-in-policing-after-task-force-report.html

Federal Bureau of Prisons: Inmate Statistics: http://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsp

FBI: Crime Statistics by Race: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/43tabledatadecoverviewpdf

70% Of Criminals Are From Broken Homes, Expert Says: http://articles.mcall.com/1991-11-15/news/2826825_1_inmates-psychology-professor-raymond-bell

Children in single-parent families by race: http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/107-children-in-single-parent-families-by#detailed/1/any/false/36,868,867,133,38/10,168,9,12,1,13,185/432,431

The Drug War And Mass Incarceration By The Numbers: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/drug-war-mass-incarceration_n_3034310.html

What’s up with African American literacy rates?: http://ourweekly.com/news/2013/oct/03/whats-african-american-literacy-rates/

Obama: Police who arrested professor 'acted stupidly' - CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/22/harvard.gates.interview/

Henry Louis Gates arrest controversy: Go to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates_arrest_controversy Police report and 9-1-1 dispatcher recordings:

Is It Now Open Season On Our Nation's Police?

The attempted murder of two cops in Ferguson was inevitable. My guess is, it won't just stop there.

When the two top law enforcement officials -- President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder -- declared that the Ferguson cops are racist, it became music to the ears of those who already hate police.  Further, to some, it may have been a green light to even the score for the shooting death of Michael Brown and others.

But, Obama and Holder didn't just label the Ferguson PD as being racially biased, they went on to say that the problem wasn't limited to Ferguson.  Thus, the crazies who may be inclined to murder police officers may not be limited to that now-famous town in Missouri.

Simply, racial tensions are on the rise because of the way Ferguson and other similar racial issues have been handled by the President, the Attorney General, and many black leaders.  In a CNN/ORC poll in 2009, 6% of whites and only 2% of blacks thought race relations had gotten worse.  After 6 years of Obama's presidency, that same poll -- taken just last month -- found that 45% of whites and 26% of blacks think race relation have worsened.

These stats are horrible and not what was expected to happen with a supposed post-racial President in charge.

References:

Eric Holder believes all cops are racists: http://nypost.com/2014/12/07/eric-holder-believes-all-cops-are-racists-targets-unconscious-bias/

President Obama Acknowledges Ferguson's Racist Police Practices. Not an 'Isolated Incident':   http://www.politicususa.com/2015/03/06/president-obama-acknowledges-fergusons-racist-police-practices-isolated-incident.html

Chief: 2 officers shot in Ferguson were 'ambushed': http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/12/shots-fired-ferguson/70194012/

2009: Henry Louis Gates arrest controversy: Obama: "police acted stupidly":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates_arrest_controversy

CNN/ORC poll: http://www.pollingreport.com/race.htm

By Calling Ferguson PD Racist, Holder Cites 'Disparate Impact'

In law, discrimination may be proven by something called "disparate impact".   What disparate impact really means is that if a minority is x-percent of the population, then, any percent of arrest activity "above" that x-percentage is disproportionate and racially biased.  Thus, in the Department of Justice's Report on Ferguson, Attorney General Eric Holder claims that the police department is racist because, while blacks "only" make up 67% of the population of Ferguson, they are involved in 85% of the traffic stops and 93% of all arrests. Therefore, in accordance with the concept of disparate impact, the predominately white police force must be racist.

The problem with the concept of "disparate impact" is that it fails statistically; especially when it comes to the black community.  Blacks, as a whole, makeup 13.2% of our entire population.  Yet, according to Eric Holder's own FBI reports, they commit 49.4% of all murders in this country.  54% of all robberies.  32% of all forcible rapes and, the list goes on.  In addition, blacks makeup 34% of all gangs.

What really matters is whether or not the 85% of traffic stops and 93% arrest rates are justified.  Something that Holder and his gang of attorneys don't seem to want to prove with these top line statistics.  If, in fact, the high arrest rate produces few convictions, then there is truly racial bias.  Or, if too many of the traffic stops weren't justified then, that too, proves racial bias. So, where is that data?

To call the Ferguson Police racist because blacks disproportionately commit crimes is a crime in itself.  If Holder and Obama want to see less black arrests and traffic stops then work on the black community -- not the cops --  to reduce black arrests.  Blaming white cops for the high number of black arrests is a form of political subterfuge of the worst kind; and, it does nothing to solve the high crime rates among blacks in this country. 

References:

Racial disparities in stops and arrests conducted by the Ferguson police department: http://documents.latimes.com/racial-disparities-stops-and-arrests-conducted-ferguson-police-department/

Holder Frames Ferguson PD For Racism Using Bogus 'Disparate Impact' Stats: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/030515-742174-holder-frames-ferguson-pd-with-bogus-stats.htm

Disparate Impact: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disparate_impact

USA Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

TABLE 43a: FBI Crime Statistics By Race: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2012/crime-in-the-u.s.-2012/tables/43tabledatadecoverviewpdf

Gangs in the U.S.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangs_in_the_United_States

Black Lives Matter and the N-Word

Every time I hear the newest mantra that "Black Lives Matter", I am reminded of the use of the N-Word.  Among blacks, the N-Word can be freely used as both a noun and an adjective.  But, have one white person use that word, and it's racism. On the other hand, its apparently alright, that of the 10,000 to 12,000 murders each year, half are black and, of that half, 93% (roughly 5100) are committed by other blacks.  But, have one white cop kill an unarmed black person -- even for a justifiable reason -- and it, too, is racism. 

The simple fact is that the killing of unarmed blacks is quite rare when compared to the daily killing that takes place between blacks themselves in this nation. The website Gawker and their page titled "Unarmed People of Color Killed by Police, 1999-2014" shows the faces of a total of 70 unarmed blacks who have been killed by police in the last 15 years:

In that same Gawker site, it mentions that the NAACP tweeted that a total of 76 unarmed blacks had been killed by cops since 1999.   Whether it is 70 or 76, it's an insignificant number when compared to the number of blacks killing each other; every year.

So, in my opinion, the "Black Lives Matter" mantra is nothing but a political buzz phrase that does a complete disservice to the police in this country. If black lives really do matter then, people like Hillary Clinton and the Al Sharpton should be focusing on the main cause of all black murders.  Simply focusing on a the approximately 5 unarmed blacks dying at the hands of cops each year, cheapens the deaths of so many others that are being killed -- many of which are drive-by executions -- by persons of their own race.

References:

Black Lives Matter | Not a Moment, a Movement: http://blacklivesmatter.com/

Protesters mark New Year with 'Black Lives Matter' marches across US: http://rt.com/usa/219191-new-year-black-lives-protest/

Hillary Clinton denounces torture and says 'black lives matter': http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/hillary-clinton-denounces-torture-black-lives-matter-article-1.2048047

Thousands join Al Sharpton in 'Justice for All' march in D.C.:Thousands of demonstrators streamed down Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday, shouting “Black lives matter": http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/sharpton-to-lead-justice-for-all-march-in-dc/2014/12/13/36ce8a68-824f-11e4-9f38-95a187e4c1f7_story.html

 Unarmed People of Color Killed by Police, 1999-2014: http://gawker.com/unarmed-people-of-color-killed-by-police-1999-2014-1666672349

Race and crime in the United States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_crime_in_the_United_States

The Sad Truth About Black Murder In America

The only time that President Obama, Al Sharpton, or Jesse Jackson ever show any concern about a black person being murdered in this country is when a white cop is involved.

Yet, of the approximate 12,500 victims of murder each year, 50% are black.  This despite the fact that blacks only makeup 13% of the population. And, of those deaths,  93% of them are at the hands of other blacks.

By ignoring these statistics and only focusing on killings involving cops, black leaders are cheapening the deaths of all too many blacks.

According to the FBI, in 2011 there were only 393 officer-involved deaths.  So, cops killing Americans of any color is a small fraction of the murders in this country.  Certainly, nowhere near the 6,329 blacks who were slain in 2011; primarily by other blacks.  In my opinion, this tells us that we don't have a policing problem.  However, one would think so, based on all the commentary and protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Grant.

I think its time for black leaders -- including our President -- to focus in on the real problem of black murders in this country instead of sidestepping the issue by only blaming cops. While there are no statistics to prove it, I'm quite sure that the total number of black murders would actually be a lot higher without the police doing their jobs and maintaining order in highly black populated neighborhoods.  Every time a police officer (black, white, or whatever) is able to remove an illegal gun from someone following a traffic stop or in some other interaction, the chances are pretty good that a life may have been saved as a result.  In Chicago, alone, 7,000 illegal guns were taken off the streets in 2012.  If even 1% of those guns would have ultimately been used in a murder, that's 70 lives saved;  probably 35 of which would be statistically black. 

As a country, we need to appreciate the roll of our police and not denigrate them.

References:

FBI: Expanded Homicide Data: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded/expanded-homicide-data

A look at statistics on black-on-black murders: http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2013/jul/17/tweets/look-statistic-blacks-and-murder/

Why does Chicago have so many illegal guns?: http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/10/22/why-does-chicagohavesomanyillegalguns.html

The Ray Rice Battering Case: A Failure Of The Police And The Justice System

A lot of people are angry that the NFL didn't act quicker and more decisively in meting out punishment to Ray Rice for literally cold-cocking his fiancee in that elevator.  But, instead of targeting the NFL, we should be more upset with a policing and justice system that failed to jail Rice that very night and subsequently file charges against him.  What he did was assault and battery and, potentially, could have killed Janay Palmer.  This is a crime for which Rice could have served up to 6 months in jail.

Blaming the NFL for not acting is to ignore the real villains.

How many of the thousands of battered women in this country can expect the NFL to mete out justice to their particular batterer? Are we now expecting employers, not the justice system, to intervene on behalf of battered women?

Our anger should be aimed at the Atlantic City police department and the criminal justice system in that state for not acting on behalf of the victim, Janay.  It is apparent that they put Ray Rice's celebrity ahead of justice.

The NFL should only have been involved in punishment if Rice failed to show up for work because of his having to serve time for assault and battery; or, punished because of some "morals clause" in his contract. Just like any other employer.

References:

New Jersey Assault and Battery Laws: http://www.assaultandbattery.org/new-jersey/

Does Anyone Remember The Bill Clinton "COPS" Initiative?

Now, with President Obama heavily pushing for a jobs package to keep teachers, police, and fireman working, it would be a good time to recall President Clinton's initiative called C.O.P.S. (Community Oriented Policing Services) whereby, as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 100,000 new police officers "were" to be put on the streets to combat crime.

But the problem with C.O.P.S. is that it actually didn't put that promised number of police on America's streets.  Depending on which study you looked at, the number added by the program was somewhere between 50 and 80 thousand.  In many cases, police departments used the money to hire already-budgeted officers or to fill vacancies.  Others used the money to buy computer systems and equipment that would keep more cops in the streets and away from doing desk time and paperwork. Though, often, that freed up time away from the desk didn't even equal the cost of hiring a single full-time police officer.  In some extreme cases, one-man and two-man police departments, in low-crime sleepy towns, were given money to hire a totally unneeded additional officer.  Lastly, the program was a one-year cash program; leaving the community holding the bag for the cost of the police officers they hired a year prior.

C.O.P.S. proved that a top-down, federal program to hire people should always be suspect.  When Obama talks about adding 280,000 teachers to the state payrolls and keeping thousands of police and fireman on the job, one would be wise to cut that optimism by as much as half or more; especially with his lousy track record. Back in 2009, President Obama instituted a mortgage assistance plan (called HARP) that was touted by Obama to help as many as 9 million families.  By last count, only 900,000 benefited from his plan.  His stimulus plan was supposed keep unemployment under 8%; yet, it shortly zoomed to over 10% and has been above 8% ever since.  So, now, we are all supposed believe his latest fairy tale.  You know, the one about jobs.

Valerie Jarrett: GOP Forcing Layoffs of Police, Teachers, and Firemen

On yesterday's "Morning Joe" show, Valerie Jarrett re-iterated her attack on the GOP for their blocking of Obama's American Jobs Act by saying that the non-passage of this bill would lead to the layoffs of teachers, police and firemen.

Unfortunately, Ms. Jarrett is too ideologically stupid to understand the consequences of such an action. First and foremost, the federal government is not responsible for local education and police and fire protection. Secondly, handing out federal taxpayer money to the states in order for them to retain public unionized workers only causes those states to stop looking for better ways to get their own budgets under control. As a result, the states will have then become dependent on that funding and the federal government will never be able to discontinue it in the future. Once again, it will have created another "entitlement".

What Valerie is telling the world is that this funding is simply a down payment to the unions for the support that Obama expects to get in the run up to the fall elections. The American Jobs Act is just another way that Obama proliferates big government in this country. The money would be better spent in job training programs so that the millions, already out of work, can match up with the over two million job openings that actually exist in this country but remain open for the lack of qualified applicants.

Obama's Emergency Budget Request

Late last Saturday evening, a day and time that's truly odd for an American President to introduce any new plan or program, Obama sent a request to Congress to immediately act to appropriate an unspecified amount of emergency funding. This was to be used to keep the jobs of teachers, police, and fireman from being effected by the ongoing budget cuts in state and local governments. This President, who has done nothing to create any real private sector positions, finds himself compelled to fight for the jobs of the union personnel who got him into office.

Of course, the readers of this blog know that I object to any such actions because it only sustains the out-of-control spending by too many Democratically controlled states; many of whom find themselves nearing financial bankruptcy.

Interestingly, many Democrats also seem to be balking at this request for more spending because they know that the voters may be reaching their breaking point. At the same time, I find it interesting that the mainstream media might be tiring, too, of the outrageous and extravagant spending of this President. This is clearly evidenced by an opinion piece in yesterday's normally left-wing Washington post titled: Myths about the teacher layoff crisis. I think it is a very interesting and truthful article that exposes the lies that Obama and the Democrats are willing to put forth to support their personal political agenda. Please take the time to read it.

Obama Is Being Im-Palin-ed

If you haven't noticed it, Barack Obama's campaign for the Presidency is starting to look a little like a beginning bike rider who's taking his first ride without training wheels. He's wobbling; can't keep a straight course; and, looks like he is about to fall off his bike. His poll numbers and his favorability ratings are falling dramatically. He's losing more support from women and Independents. He is spending more time defending "they don't speak for me or my campaign" gaffes and his own dumb comments; and, he is spending less and less time talking about the issues.

Whose fault is this? I think Sarah Palin! He's is literally being im-Palin-ed by this woman!

Since the Palin announcement as McCain's running mate, Team Obama, the Democrats, and the Main Stream Media have been in total disarray. Before that announcement they were sitting back in their easy chairs, picking their teeth with a toothpick or puffing on their cigars and nearly nodding off as they thought McCain would pick Romney or some other white guy and they could just cakewalk to the Presidency.

Well, surprise! surprise! McCain and, especially, Sarah Palin have kicked the soapbox from beneath Obama's feet. So, now, Obama has decided to stop running against George W. Bush and John McCain and, instead, has begun running against Sarah Palin. He has decided to go "mano a mano" with this "lady" and that has made him look less presidential and look both weak and sexist. In a parallel path, the mainstream media has followed the lead of the left-wing bloggers and other blindly biased propagandists by publishing false rumors as news in order to protect their candidate, Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the media has consistently wound up with egg on their face because the rumors that they followd have always been proven wrong. Then, you have moronic anti-Palin Democrats popping up all over the place with comments that can do nothing but make Democrats look sexist and stupid. One such dumb comment, just his week, was from the Democratic Chairperson from South Carolina, Carol Fowler (See Full Story). Her fouler-than-any-Fowler remark was that Sarah Palin was only picked (by McCain) because she didn't have an abortion. This is the wife of the other foul Fowler, Don, who claimed that Hurricane Gustav was sent by God to disrupt the Republican National Convention. You've got to wonder. Who's running the Democratic Party? A bunch of escapees from an insane asylum?

I just think that Team Obama is not ready for prime time. His campaign manager, Axelrod, has never run a successful national campaign. His only claims to fame are wins in Democratic strongholds where Axelrod seems to know what appeals to the left and far left of the Democratic Party. In appealing to Independents and any moderate Republicans, he's totally flatfooted. That was obvious from the run to the center by Obama after being so far left. Being left won Obama the nomination. But, quickly running to the center resulted in people on the left questioning their previous votes for Obama. Further, the Independents and Moderates saw Obama either as a flip-flopper, a phony, or someone who doesn't stand his ground. Apparently, Axelrod has heard that you have to start your candidate out from the left so as to appeal to your base and to win the nomination. Then, you are supposed to move to the center to win Independents and Republican leaners. Unfortunately, for Axelrod and Obama, no one apparently told them to gradually shift to the center over time. I guess that's why Obama almost immediately ran to the center on almost every issue right after clinching the nomination. Since then, Obama's poll numbers have done nothing but weaken.

Obama keeps claiming that he wants to get away from the peronal attacks and get to the issues. But Team Obama just keeps up the personal attacks on Sarah Palin. He make a pig gaffe and, instead of saying he shouldn't have said that, he keeps it up by taking it to the Letterman Show that night. Is this guy dumb or what?

Just Blame. Never Praise

There are White cops in every major city in this country who are putting their lives on the line and working in Black neighborhoods to protect Blacks from, generally, Black-on-Black crime. Never once does the Black leadership in this country acknowledges this. Only if there is an "error" in judgment are they ever noticed by people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the NAACP. Only then, those cops are "recognized" as they "are" publicly "raked" over the coals; often, long before "all" is known about the situation. Many times, after having been convicted by public opinion, those cops are actually exonerated by Federal and local investigations and/or by our judicial system. Are there some racist cops? Yes, I think so; but not all. Maybe some racists are some Black cops and some Black civilians, too. But, all too often, the Cops, both White and Black, are painted as the enemy in the Black Community.

Often, a Black youth will be asked: "Why did you run?" Generally, they respond that they were afraid of the cops. Given the sheer volume of interactions by White cops in Black communities, you have to wonder about this kind comment. However, I personally think that this "fear" of White cops is perfectly logical. It is both a "manufactured" fear and a real fear. On the manufactured side, if the only thing that a Black youth knows about White cops is what they hear or see in the news, they should be afraid. That's because all they ever hear is that cops "kill Blacks". And, this is how White cops have been "consistently" stereotyped in both the press and by the Black leadership. On the "real fear" side, cops operate in the "high crime" neighborhoods. For Blacks living in the most depressed areas of our cities, they unfortunately live in those crime-ridden area. So, police presence is very high. And, any mistakes in police protocol and behavior will be "amplified" in those neighborhoods from the sheer high level of interface between the cops and the community.

Barack Obama recently gave his speech on race. He asked for dialog. This is mine. I think the onus is on the Black leadership of America and the national press to re-establish "faith" in our police in this country; especially those who are sincerely trying to protect and serve in our Black communities. That kind of trust would go a long way in moving crime "out of" the depressed areas of our major cities. Just my opinion!