Originally Posted by Hawk Wheels
And for all you internet tuffys who type 'off the man, etc.' please remember that the PD are the only people who will come when you call, even in the face of mortal danger.
if that was addressing to the black panther chant quote in my sig... it's a quote--a quote from a group of people who used psychology and symbols against those who they felt opressed them so that they didn't have to use violence.
the fact of the matter is that in going back thru this thread, i'm one of 2 people who has offered up concrete, practical, legal suggestions as to what people on the board can do if they actually want to make a difference. most of my suggestions are things i've already done. if you've got a problem with my sig, don't read it.
if you've had friendly interactions with cops, that's great. i have too. unfortunately, more often than not though, i find that even when addressing a cop in a completely civil manner, as soon as you ask them a question about something they're doing, some of them take offense that respect for their actions is not unconditional. while this doesn't apply to all cops, in my interactions, it's been the case more often than not. i was brought up to understand that *no one* deserves my unconditional respect. people deserve civility. if they're dismissive or rude in the face of civility, respect isn't in the cards. i'm pretty sure that most people reading this have had interactions with cops. i'm sure that 99% of them make efforts to have those interactions unravel in a civil fashion. sometimes they do. sometimes they don't.
the issue that the OP brings up though is interesting. the precinct directed cops to do outreach with businesses by making visits and explaining the laws that they'd be enforcing while also explaining that they'd be actively enforcing those laws in sweeps. why doesn't the NYPD take ads out in all of the daily papers, flyer locked bikes and affix posters explaining the same to lock-up spots? do businesses deserve more respect than the community? because that's what that behavior says to me. in going thru the trouble to do selective outreach, the NYPD is setting up a situation where fines and court-hassles become the burden of the community. it's kind of sneaky.
i suggested that people be proactive about doing something to resolve that situation.