Another incident of police excessive force was seen around the world when video of an encounter between a Sheriff’s deputy and a teen girl in South Carolina went viral. Of course there has been much ink and video shed in support of the deputy, even some who are blaming the girl for her own assault. Before you support the deputy there are some things to consider.
It seems the deputy planned to use force from the start no matter what happened:
Findlay Mayor Draws Wrong Conclusion In Seeing Little Need For Police Cameras
For the first time in 16 years, a Findlay police officer shot and killed a suspect. When the press asked if there was body camera or dashboard camera footage of the stop the police said no. Findlay Police don’t have cameras and Mayor Lydia Mihalik said cameras are not cost effective. Obviously the Mayor has a short sighted view of cameras for police officers.
Editor Note: I will say first off that I am not hating on the Findlay Police Department. The incident on Tuesday is still under investigation so I have no reason at this time not believe the official version of events. My concern, in the current climate of eroding trust in the police in general, that body or dashboard cameras would add accountability and would improve citizen trust in the police here in Findlay. I disagree with the Mayor’s position on cameras.
Weed Should Be Illegal Because It Is So Easy To Obtain
An Ohio legislator has decided that it is time to legalize marijuana in the state. Of course some are opposed. In a TV interview, an undercover police officer made the false gateway drug argument and then claimed, without a sense of irony, that it is too easy to obtain marijuana. Yes, a 27 year veteran of the war on drugs basically said it has failed yet he doesn’t support legalization of marijuana.
Snow Emergencies – An Update
While checking out the stats on who has been visiting my blog and what they have been reading I noticed I had over 700 hits yesterday and other 500 today. It is the most visits I have had on this blog EVER. The most popular article is one I wrote in 2005 about Snow Emergencies here in Ohio.(check out A Level 3 snow emergency, doesn’t necessarily mean employees must stay home)
The reason that article is popular is because yesterday Ohio was hit with its largest snow storm since 2004 when we got hit with snow, ice, and then more snow. The article was about Hancock county leaders and business owners having a conference to complain about employees using a called Level 3 Snow Emergency to ditch work. The government leaders told the business owners that while a Level 3 means not to drive on the roads – they wouldn’t interfere with businesses that forced workers to drive in it to make it to work.
The employees think that an absence caused by complying with an order not to be on the roads should not count against them at work for missing time. Business leaders are worried about losing money if they have to close down because they don’t have enough staff to work. Hancock government leaders sided with the businesses and said even though the order was to stay off the road, law enforcement wouldn’t arrest people who did. They would only act if the driver caused an accident or impeded emergency workers from doing their jobs. The penalty would be no worse than a ticket depending on the seriousness of the action.
Today, a reader sent me a note that said:
I have more questions about these “Level 3 Snow emergencies”. They’re on the radio now saying that anyone on the roads will be arrested. They’re saying that any business that refuses to close will be issued a citation.
How can they do that? When were the police given such broad powers to ignore our right to work and earn a living? What law exists that gives the police such huge powers to prohibit legal commerce? How can this possibly be constitutional. Just because they have a gun doesn’t mean they’re god!
The answer is that police have powers to protect order and the health and safety of citizens. If you being on the roads during a severe snow storm interferes with any of those duties then they can arrest you if that is what is called for by your actions.
If they have to take the time to pull you out of a ditch then that is personnel and time you take away from someone who might really need help somewhere else.
Or if you are on a road that provides the only access to area and you have an accident that blocks that road. You might prevent another person from getting prompt medical care because you just had to earn a living.
The general rule about such powers is asking if the power is reasonable given the circumstances. I think for a Level 3 snow emergency – arresting offenders is a reasonable police power.