In an attempt to portray the entire NYPD as some type of anti-civilian, racist, army of occupation, the NBC bi-weekly "newsmagazine" Dateline, with the assistance of an admitted anti-cop hate-group called The Police Complaint Center, aka "Copbusters", sent "civilians" into various stationhouses with hidden cameras to see if the first cop they approached would jump to attention to give them a CCRB complaint form.
However, fair-minded people who watched it will agree that the segment, reported by historically anti-cop and wheelchair-bound reporter JOHN HOCKENBERRY, was, fortunately, a dismal failure.
Hockenberry quickly squeezed in the statistics of the "research" that was done: out of 15 approaches to stationhouse desk officers (yes, only 15 out of 74 precincts!), eight of the desks processed the request for the CCRB complaint form correctly! That makes it more than half, at 53%. Apparently not satisfied with those numbers, and hoping for a much lower result (and still feeling the sting of the CNN "Tailwind" false report), Dateline tried it again, with a 9 out of 17 correctly handled, which is 52%. Interestingly, the same so-called "news reporters" would have you believe that Bill Clinton is the president of the "majority" of Americans, although he only won both his elections with only 40% of half the registered voters of the country. Yet now, 53% is considered a failure.
In the newspaper stories about the Dateline reports, DCPI MARILYN MODE told the press, correctly, that no one knows what happened "before the tape began to roll...," which is a valid point. Commissioner Safir, however, in his normal inability to say what should be said, referred to one officer in the videos by saying "...maybe he should not be dealing with the public." Is that all it takes, Commissioner, to get off Patrol? Give a complainant a hard time over a CCRB complaint form? Prosay would not recommend that you say that too often or too loud, Commissioner, as we don't believe that there are THAT many spots in such units as the different boro Court Sections or the Barrier Unit! Detective John Wrynn felt very comfortable collecting his detectives paycheck in the Property Clerk for five years, and he almost had an undercover cop killed by giving him up to the mob. How bad could it really get for a cop that just happened to wake up on the wrong side of the bed?
Hockenberry continued to use the alledged LOUIMA incident as the fuse of the segment, by constantly referring to it, as if THAT incident is on every cop's lips at all times, at every encounter that a cop has, and that every cop should be jumping through hoops because of it, or cowering in fear upon hearing it mentioned. Hockenberry's use of an "expert," a professor from the University of NEBRASKA, to analyze the officer's response also proved to be useless, especially when the professor tried to compare the officers involved (which were mostly from 'A' houses) to DEPARTMENT STORES EMPLOYEES! Obviously, both Hockenberry the the professor should get out more, and stroll down Flatbush Avenue on a Friday or Saturday night.
The "media," especially broadcast media (as opposed to cable shows), are feeling the effects of dropping viewers and lower income due to cable news shows, as well as the INTERNET. They need these alarmist, sometimes incorrect, "news" segments to draw and keep those viewers who refrain from or do not have access to other types of information sources. Prosay need not remind readers of this Police Review to be cautious of what these shows transmit as "news".
Hockenberry's "report" will be continued on Dateline on Friday.
Editor's Note:The Police Complaint Center Web Site attempts to justify itself by indicating that several police departments have called upon them to give "sensitivity training" to its officers. Do not be fooled by that! Remember, the agencies, not the cops themselves, have asked "Copbusters" to give this training! The Politicians felt it necessary that this group "instruct" its officers, not in the way that legal police work can and should be done, but how "Copbusters" believes it should be done! This foolishness is only for the benefit of the politicians, within and outside the employ of the police departments involved, who will use it for a reference point for promotion or re-election. It is a sad day when a police administrator must reprimand an officer for failure to do what an outside organization called "Copbusters" has defined as good police work!
"Sensitivity training" and "conflict resolution" has already cost one cop his life in the NYPD.
The Friday continuation of the Dateline segment actually did Prosay a favor. By asking the right questions, John Hockenberry brought out the true motives of Diop Kamau of "Copbusters." Mr. Kamau admitted that he's out to "get even" for a misjustice against his father, himself a retired police officer. His video taping of police encounters is his weapon.
In one video, Kamau is taping a car stop of one of his friends in Beverly Hills. One of the two officers involved comes over to Kamau who has the camera rolling with video lights on. The cop attempts to move Kamau back in order not to distract the other officer from handling the stop. It's bad enough that one of two officers has to be distracted during the most serious of police encounters--a car stop--and Kamau makes it worse. When the officer simply touches Kamau to move him back, Kamau says "Now your hitting me..." When asked by Hockenberry what really happened, Kamau goes into a diatribe saying that if the officer can touch him, then the whole thing can escalate to the use of "tasers" and "batons," all from a touch. With that "explanation" on record, it is obvious that Kamau has a chip on his shoulder.
Hopefully, Mr. Kamau's motives have been exposed for what they really are. And it's also hopeful that departments and colleges that were considering bringing in "Copbusters" will reconsider. But Prosay is not that optimistic. No one that wears a uniform would condone unnecessary violence by a police officer---or by anyone else, for that matter. But if someone is to provoke a situation, or to escalate an encounter in an attempt to prove a point---whether it's political or personal---has really no one to blame but themselves when the episode goes bad. The letter to Dateline from the Beverly Hills Police regarding the episode said it best, when it basically stated that police work is hard enough that they shouldn't have to deal with "staged encounters..."
Prosay realizes that the present political and social atmosphere makes it literally fashionable to nickel and dime every move a cop makes today. But those who are making money and appearing "politically correct" by doing it....do they realize the damage they are doing to the social structure? What will these media types do if, at some point, the "good" cops (who, contrary to media and political belief, are in a majority) throw up their hands and say, "The hell with it..." rather then get blamed for something they didn't do?
