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Complaints Against Chicago Police Are No Surprise

Whether allegations of police misconduct during a raid -- including claims that several women were stripped searched in front of male officers and that officers "stole cash from a safe and coin-operated video games" -- are true, they beg the question: Why did the raid occur?

Police confirm they began the raid with a flash grenade, and that it happened at 11:30 p.m. May 30, 2008 .... That night, just over 20 people were attending a party inside the La Familia Motorcycle Social Club, 2500 W. Fullerton, and the department says the officers, wearing body armor and wielding assault weapons, were responding to a tip that illegal drugs were being used or sold there.

Does the war on drugs necessitate that level of force at a private party? All because of a tip? What's the point? [more ...]

Take a look at the video in the linked article. Imagine how terrified you would be if you were there and saw police barging in after an explosion, wearing body armor and wielding assault rifles. When the Chicago police declare "war" on drugs, they mean it. Do we want this senseless war to continue?

Yes, the "social club" is a gang. Yes, the police allege that they found drugs and weapons, although if that's true it's surprising that they only arrested two people: one for reckless conduct, and one on an outstanding warrant. The facts are in dispute, and the dispute can be settled by a jury. None of that changes the fundamental question: Is the war on drugs so important that the tactics of warfare are justified?

Police misconduct claims in Chicago are common; hundreds are filed every month. The Independent Police Review Authority, created to replace the ineffective Office of Professional Standards, hasn't necessarily improved the policing of the police.

[W]hile the agency's director Ilana Rosenzweig promised a finding within six months of an allegation, several high-profile cases, including the police shooting deaths of Aaron Harrison last summer and Freddie Wilson last fall, still have not been resolved. ... An IPRA spokesman said the agency still has not hired enough investigators to handle its large caseload.

If Chicago police used better judgment about the need to conduct armed assaults, they would likely improve their troubled relationship with the community they serve.

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    Yikes (none / 0) (#1)
    by befuddledvoter on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 07:55:14 PM EST
    I would love to see the warrant and affidavit in support.  This looks like it could have been Iraq with the weapons and armor.  What the heck were they expecting?  

    60 Minutes covered Chicago PD weeks ago (none / 0) (#2)
    by catfish on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 08:14:30 PM EST
    it was frightening. Almost like the movie Training Day or that show on FX.

    Recommended, I hope they repeat it.

    Does anyone read science fiction? (none / 0) (#3)
    by dianem on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 10:20:07 PM EST
    I do, and this sounds like something that would happen in a typical dystopian future world. Flash bombs, police in military armor, assault rifles. All they are missing is someone watching from inside a television set.

    The New World Order.... (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 10:22:50 AM EST
    is a dystopian vision, and we are starting to live it...no doubt.

    Straight outta Orwell or Philip K. Dick.

    Parent

    expect no changes, no charges, (none / 0) (#4)
    by cpinva on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 11:08:01 PM EST
    no nothing. police will continue to be absolved of every type of criminal act, by juries all over the country. why? simply put, they're afraid not to.

    we've already been threatened, by the police, with them refusing to do their jobs, should one of their number be convicted. their unions support this blackmail.

    our politicians need them, for their "law & order" platforms. once they're issued that license, it's pretty much a free ride. review boards are essentially useless, a waste of time, effort and money, what little budgets they have.

    as long as the general population is convinced that they are in danger of attack from the moment they leave their houses, and only the police stand between them and the barbarian hordes, this is what we'll get.

    frankly, we've brought it on ourselves.

    "Beg the question" raises a question ... (none / 0) (#5)
    by cymro on Sat Jun 14, 2008 at 11:36:24 PM EST
    ... about correct English usage:

    ... they beg the question: Why did the raid occur?

    Isn't the intended meaning here, "raise the question." If so, the idiom "beg the question" is not a synonym.