My long-standing opinion. (And only my opinion.) Raise the salaries for police officers. Raise the vetting process. Make it very hard to get through the training. Seriously assess their mental well being. Follow them through and take out the ones who have over-succumbed to the stresses of the job. Get them real help or get them out. Eighteen instances of questionable character should not be overlooked, union or no union.

I want someone who is mentally stable, not prone to rage, can put up with the awful stuff they encounter yet still maintain their professionalism. My cousin was one, for decades. I think my and others' lives are worth paying them much more than what they're getting now.

Pay more. Weed more. Maybe we'll have to ante up some more taxes. Something has to give here. It doesn't stop.

I totally agree.

I've read where most cops average in the mid $40's (with new hires much lower)...which is beyond ridiculous.

That kind of low salary will tend to attract those with "issues," with 'wanting a sense of power'...probably being the biggest issue. :ohdear:

Average Police Salary (click here)

Just a wierd thought, maybe most do it because they feel they can make a difference. Kind of like teachers, firefighters, EMS......etc. Seems to me there an awful lot of police, teachers, firefighters, EMS....on the payrole. Not that they et al, don't deserve more
Steve

I watched the video, and it is clear that the officer was in the wrong.
But I have a couple of questions for lots of the commentors:
1. Why are we saying this cops illegal actions were racist or he was a racist? Is there info that I have not seen that indicates that he was a racist? criminal actions yes, but where is the racist part coming from?
2. NOT DEFENDING HIS ACTIONS IN ANY WAY, but having 19 complaints against you in 18 years in a profession where very few people are happy with having to deal with you does not make him a bad cop (his current actions do and he was fired immediately). Complaints are not always valid. They may have all been valid, but the ones that he was reportedly punished for had to do with condescending tone or words ( I think).

I just think it is important that we are rational in these situations and it seems to me that there is very little of that these days.

According to this article the number of complaints filed against Chauvrin "were a little higher than normal". Also at least two of the other cops involved had had complaints files against them. There is no question complaints, warranted or not, are filed against cops all the time.

And there is no question that police unions will rally behind the 'thin blue line/blue veil' and defend bad cops, even though the good/decent police (the vast majority)...know who the scum are. :ohdear:

Well here's a lovely new piece of information. Derek Michael Chauvin, Minnesota cop, is also a registered voter here in Florida. And he has voted here in the last two elections according to reports. As has been widely reported he and his soon to be ex wife own a property in Windemere Florida near Orlando. Using the website Flvoters.com you can find Derek registered to vote,

CHAUVIN, DEREK MICHAEL was born 19 March 1976, is male, registered as Republican Party of Florida, residing at 7330 Brightland St, Windermere, Florida 34786. Florida voter ID number 123091464. This is the most recent information, from the Florida voter list as of 30 April 2020.

So voter fraud is real and it wears a police uniform. Before you say he didn't vote, yes he did. In both 2016 and 2018 in Florida. A complaint has been filed with the appropriate authorities but I think Chauvin has bigger legal problems right now.

But if somehow he gets away with murder, maybe he can spend a few years in prison here for voter fraud.

Windemere is not what it use to be. Tiger built a $40 million home in Jupiter Florida on the coast, he moved to Jupiter along with Ricki Fowler, Justin Thomas, Brooks Keopka, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Ernie Els, NIck Price and a few others about five years ago. Here's Tiger's home. Most 19 year veterans of the police force in a major city make six figure incomes. That house in Windemere is probably worth about $250K when he bought it.

https://static1.mansionglobal.com/pr...0309141820.jpg

https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/...p1-960x540.jpg

So the most interesting part of this "event" is that what used to be seen but not recorded is now recorded. That is very scary for people in power who only see written reports. They can actually hide people from responsibility, but the video camera can not. So the iPhone makes everyone an on the spot reporter. And of course, technological advances brings both positive and negative reactions, this being positive, other behaviors being negative.

But its better to film than not. . . know how to use it and don't be afraid to use it.

sportsguy