A Los Angeles County sheriff's lieutenant sent a memo to deputies encouraging them to consider an individual's past and career potential before making a felony arrest, says the Los Angeles Times. Lt. Bill Evans offered the hypothetical example of a student "who seems like a decent kid" from a nearby Christian university caught with an illegal folding pocket knife. "Are you really going to put a felony on this guy," Evans asked. "Here is a kid that could have been planning on going into the military, being a cop or fireman, and/or just being a guy with a career."
Merrick Bobb, an attorney who monitors the Sheriff's Department, said he agreed with the memo's general message that police do not have to cite every lawbreaker they come across. He described discretion in police work as a "two-edged sword." "What if the same kid was a black student with long dreadlocks []? What if the same kid was a Latino and undocumented? A single-parent with a young child at home?" Bobb said. "I would hope the same ability to empathize and exercise compassionate discretion would be triggered in those instances also." Hubert Williams of the Washington, D.C.-based Police Foundation said that when making arrests, police should consider the behavior, not the individual. "The moment you start saying 'take the individual into account,' you've opened the door to allow bias into the decision-making process," Williams said.
Posted by fred
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 09:54
“Here is a kid that could have been planning on going into the military, being a cop or fireman, and/or just being a guy with a career.”
Not like those other types. You know what I mean. wink-wink; nuff said.
Keep the heart-felt memos in your pants people.
- the management
Posted by Cassius N. Hall
Monday, August 16, 2010 12:33
This is a great article and an eye opener for many who don’t think profiling exist. My son who is a military brat as we travel the world for 22 years, was a full time college student with no record past/present and has dreads. He was associated with the wrong people when he was with them as he was asleep in the back seat of his car when they went to beat a girl up because she was pregeant for one of the suspects. They were arrest about 1 week later my son told them everything and the judge denied bail twice after the detective stated he was not involved, but the judge stated he feared intimidation and there has never been any history with son of his his family. The southern states especially Georgia should be investigated because they have wronged many of the young latinos and african americans. That is why so many of the young generation do not respect the police.