Outrageous Police Action or Not?

[Crazed Rabbit]

Ariz. cop had black men rap away ticket
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061202/...lice_tv_show_9

The segment appeared on "Tempe StreetBeat," a program produced by police in the Phoenix suburb that followed several officers on patrol. It shows Sgt. Chuck Schoville pulling over two men in August in a mall parking lot.

He first asks for a name and ID from the driver and then asks the two men if they know how much the fine is for littering.

The officer then tells the men that they can avoid getting a littering ticket "if the two of you just do a little rap about — what do you want to do a rap about? Littering? About the dangers of littering."

The two men agree, and each performs a short rap, laughing afterward. One says, "The dangers of littering, you will get a ticket. If you ain't wit' it, you better be experienced."

The second man raps, "Yo, I just got pulled over 'cause I threw my trash out the window when they rolled over. They got behind me and pulled me over."

Later, Schoville talks football with the men, one of whom agrees with his prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make it to the Super Bowl this year.

Schoville then says, "You know why you say I'm right? Because I got a gun and badge. I'm always right. That's the way it works, right?" The three laugh and the two men get in their car.

Well- is this cop a filthy pig or just an ordinary guy? Does this deserve the response its getting?

I'm inclined to think not.

Crazed Rabbit

[BigTex]

Ariz. cop had black men rap away ticket
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061202/...lice_tv_show_9



Well- is this cop a filthy pig or just an ordinary guy? Does this deserve the response its getting?

I'm inclined to think not.

Crazed Rabbit

I seem to be missing whats wrong here. The cop decided to avoid handing out a ticket if they agreed to perform something that would take up their time and be a little embarrassing. Perfectly acceptable, if they didn't want to sing a little song they could have just enjoyed the ticket, which can be quite hefty for littering in some cities. Betting that they will think twice before doing that and that it did far more good then just tossing them a ticket.

As for the NAACP getting involved, give me a break. For starter's you can't claim to promote black culture and then deny that it's part of that culture in the same breath, doesnt work. Also what in the world warrants getting involved in this, it's a littering ticket. Not to mention the cop seemed to get along fine with the men afterwards, talking football and all. There are other matter's they could be actually making a difference in. Like banning the "N" word from radio stations.

[IRONxMortlock]

Does this deserve the response its getting?

Most definitely not. It's absolutely ridiculous!

[Dave1984]

Wasn't there a judge somewhere in the US who'd let people off if they sang in the street as a punishment, or something along those lines?

What is important is that it all seemed good humoured, and the guys were pulled up on what they did. Professionally speaking the officer did a good job.


Police work doesn't have to be all about banging people's heads off car bonnets or hoods or whatever you call them.

[Dâriûsh]

I wonder what “show” he would have made other ethnicities do.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I see where people are coming from on this, like that scene in Crash "hey let me feel up your wife a bit or I'll make a lot of trouble for you", but this isn't objectionable in the slightest. He knows he's on camera and doesn't want to look like a dick busting people for littering so he jokes around a bit and lets them off, if you watch the video they're having fun.

[macsen rufus]

Seems reasonable enough to me - saves paperwork, makes the point to the perps so they'll think twice, probably enhances relations with the force rather than giving more ground for grievance.

But it does give a new meaning to the phrase "beating the rap"

[Fragony]

The man has a sense of humor, very rare with cops. Seems like all three had a good laugh, I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Vladimir]

I wonder what “show” he would have made other ethnicities do.

A fireworks show?

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Palniy Funny,but Stupid..

[Spino]

A cop asks two litterbugs to sing their way out of a ticket and then proceeds discuss football with them?!? Oh the humanity!

Someone call the ACLU, these poor minority youths are being oppressed!

Hmm, I wonder how many people out there would love to be given the opportunity to sing and dance their way out of a ticket?

[GoreBag]

Well, they were men, after all. It's not like he could just make out with them or something.

[Goofball]

Well, they were men, after all. It's not like he could just make out with them or something.

Why couldn't he? What do you have against homosexuals? To hell with you and your judgement...

[GoreBag]

He was on camera, silly. Imagine the fuss if America discovered that a cop was gay.

[BDC]

So instead of fostering anger and suspicion, he had a laugh with them and earned some respect. How's that bad? Proper policing.

[Del Arroyo]

Gaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!

..

EDIT:

[Husar]

Any response to that is just too much I agree with what most here said, he was making the police look nice and friendly, since when does that need any appology?
And why do "black community leaders" not like that? Would they prefer him to be nasty and maybe make some racial jokes humiliating them? Why do I get the impression that some people will always complain?

[Blodrast]

Imo, a valid reason to complain about this is because it's simply not fair.
The law is one, and it should apply equally to everybody. The law says: he litters, he gets a fine. Period. It shouldn't be to the discretion of the cop to do whatever he pleases. He is supposed to apply the law, not change it or interpret(*) it.


(*) Yes, I am aware that in some instances, a certain degree of interpretation will be necessary. However, this was not one of them. Moreover, he already did decide they were guilty of the offense, otherwise there would have been no argument about a ticket (why would they get a ticket if they were innocent to begin with ?).

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Imo, a valid reason to complain about this is because it's simply not fair.
The law is one, and it should apply equally to everybody. The law says: he litters, he gets a fine. Period. It shouldn't be to the discretion of the cop to do whatever he pleases. He is supposed to apply the law, not change it or interpret(*) it.


(*) Yes, I am aware that in some instances, a certain degree of interpretation will be necessary. However, this was not one of them. Moreover, he already did decide they were guilty of the offense, otherwise there would have been no argument about a ticket (why would they get a ticket if they were innocent to begin with ?).

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

That's not the purpose of the law though. It's not about punishment. If people like and respect the police it's better for everyone.

I don't know anyone who drives and has never broken the speed limit.

[Xiahou]

Was it a nice gesture ? Perhaps. But it's not fair, and it's not what the law says. That makes it wrong.

That's the only possible angle I see on it. It's definitely not a big deal.

OTOH, if I ever get pulled over for littering, Im going to sue for discrimination if Im not allowed to rap my way out of it.

[doc_bean]

eh...were they listening to rap music in their car ? If they were it probably means they like the genre and then asking them to rap has little to nothing to do with race.

Cops don't always have to give a ticket when they see an offence, often people get of with a warning, this was a funny way to warn them.

Be outraged when they burst through a door and start shooting everyone in sight, not over something like this.

[Don Corleone]

I have to agree with Blodrast. I don't view it as racist or abusive so much as the officer assuming an authority he does not have (by design). Personally, the idea of a police officer determining what punishment he sees fit to mete out on the spot is a little spooky.... what happens next time this guy and his buddy get a call to a domestic disturbance? Phonebooks and nightsticks for the male? Only to find out the woman didn't really get hit, she was just mad?

Another detail seems to have eluded everyone. The police officer makes the prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make the Superbowl (all season, this prediciton defies the bounds of reason and by now, impossible, but I have no idea when the video was taped). He then forces the 2 men to agree with him, and then underscores the symbolic act by highlighting and getting group agreement that the reason his prediction is correct is because of his gun and his badge. This troubles me much, much more than the rap stint. He sounds like Judge Dread... "I am the law....".

[Husar]

Another detail seems to have eluded everyone. The police officer makes the prediction that the Oakland Raiders will make the Superbowl (all season, this prediciton defies the bounds of reason and by now, impossible, but I have no idea when the video was taped). He then forces the 2 men to agree with him, and then underscores the symbolic act by highlighting and getting group agreement that the reason his prediction is correct is because of his gun and his badge. This troubles me much, much more than the rap stint. He sounds like Judge Dread... "I am the law....".

The article says they were joking.
About police officers following the law to the letter, what if the law is for example wrong or inhumane? What if the law says beat them to death for littering? Do you expect them to always follow that?
I personally prefer human policemen with a sense of humour instead of robots who apply the law to the last letter and read some paragraphs to me.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

The cop may not have a racist bone in his body. BUT

Having the litterers do a "rap" suggests implicit racism in the same fashion as if he had made native Amerinds perform a "sun dance" or if he had forced persons of Indian extraction to say "ball point pen" a few dozen times. It is trading on ridicule that is based upon the ethnicity of the individual -- NOT kopacetic.

Don't mistake my point. I think sentences that involve a little public humiliation for minor offenses --e.g. wear a sign saying "I throw trash on my own city streets" for 2 weeks or making the fine $200 less $1 for each pushup you can complete or forcing a driver to put a sign on their car reading "I don't know what a red traffic light means" with one of those stupid smilies -- might be more corrective than simple fines etc.

However:

Such a penalty should be imposed by the polity via legislation and NOT the arresting officer.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

The cop may not have a racist bone in his body. BUT

Having the litterers do a "rap" suggests implicit racism in the same fashion as if he had made native Amerinds perform a "sun dance" or if he had forced persons of Indian extraction to say "ball point pen" a few dozen times. It is trading on ridicule that is based upon the ethnicity of the individual -- NOT kopacetic.

Yeah, IF the suggestion is that liking rap music is a bad thing. This is one of those harmless assumptions that people make. Also, lot's of people like rap music, isn't it the most popular genre? "Sun dance" is hardly a fair comparison.

[yesdachi]

I saw this on the “entertainment” news my wife was watching last night. It doesn’t seem to be a big deal, the guys said they were rappers and the cop asked them to do a rap, the cop was kind of an arrogant goof-off but so what, I have encountered cops that I thought were going to beat the snot out of me for looking at them wrong. I would have much preferred this guy.