Harvard scholar's arrest raises profiling questions

[Fandango 1,439]

No, certainly, seeing a car in the driveway wouldn't do much. But that is not what police officers have access to when they run someones name, address, or driver's license through their database. They have a wide array of information about a person, place, or automobile. They should have known when they pulled up, who was the owner and who was the current resident of that address as well as a picture of their Mass. ID. I think that's more than enough information for them.

But how would having any of that information preclude them from knocking on the door and telling said person they were investigating reports of a break in, can I see some id?

[_Simpson_ 250]

Please try to discuss this item without the name calling. I'm sure you can do it if you just tried.

The VJ po-po is here, everyone be nice.

I have a spare taser if Kathryn needs it.

[HAL 9000 96]

A good approach would've been, *knock Knock* "Someone reported suspicious behavior around here, we are going house to house to let everyone aware of the situation, are you ok? Nothing out of the norm you have experienced?" That is probably a good way to kindly ask questions.

How do you know that didn't happen?

By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside. Police say he refused to come outside to speak with an officer, who told him he was investigating a report of a break-in.

I don't know Cambridge all that well, but I will say my initial response is 'why the attitude when the cops got there?' I can imagine from the professor's standpoint he was annoyed that the cops were called...he prolly thinks 'oh someone aw a black man shoulder his way into the door, all of a sudden I'm a criminal' when the cops were only doing their jobs....I don't know about whatever database keeps getting mentioned, but seeing a certain car in the driveway doesn't do sh!t afaic..

Putting myself in his shoes, I'd be thankful that my neighborhood peeps were lookin out for me. *shrug*

People are people. If having an attitude was suddenly cause for abuse of authority... half of the regular posters in this section of VJ would have been permanently banned ages ago.

I'm not talking about VJ, I'm talking about the scenario as mentioned....cops show up at door...investigating a break in..can I see some id? Knowing he just shouldered his way into his home should make him realize the situation that someone thought there was a break in...ok, produce id, thanks for comin out...bye. Why refuse to show id? Cman, you realize how that looks to a cop?

I'm no fan of the police dept, and I do think they abuse their powers quite often...however, in this scenario...the initial problem IMO did not come from them.

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Please try to discuss this item without the name calling. I'm sure you can do it if you just tried.

The VJ po-po is here, everyone be nice.

I have a spare taser if Kathryn needs it.

Hehehee, thanks for the offer but I read that article about the taser setting the man on fire - I think I'll stick to warnings and suspensions. But thanks for the thought!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The police are not prone to be broken by words.

That's not the way they act. They act like those insecure and vengeful medieval Gods who must answer every insult with wrath.

[HAL 9000 96]

The police are not prone to be broken by words.

That's not the way they act. They act like those insecure and vengeful medieval Gods who must answer every insult with wrath.

I thought you'd follow that up with...

Rethuglicans.

But yeah it is really weird how some cops behave like 6 year old bullies.

[Fandango 1,439]

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

I agree, attitude is no excuse, and once he produced id, that should have been the end of that....but to accuse the cops of profiling in this case is just stupid. They were called. They investigated, asked for id, he refused, etc. How is that profiling? What should the cops have done instead of asking for id?

I don't think he should have been arrested afterwards, I do think it's a judgment call that didn't need to be made...the guy was obviously uncooperative...well, the cops should have just gone about their day, and not looked to 'prove a point'...but asking for the id? Not profiling.

[HAL 9000 96]

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

I agree, attitude is no excuse, and once he produced id, that should have been the end of that....but to accuse the cops of profiling in this case is just stupid. They were called. They investigated, asked for id, he refused, etc. How is that profiling? What should the cops have done instead of asking for id?

I don't think he should have been arrested afterwards, I do think it's a judgment call that didn't need to be made...the guy was obviously uncooperative...well, the cops should have just gone about their day, and not looked to 'prove a point'...but asking for the id? Not profiling.

By what the call to police claims in the breaking and entering.

Asking for ID is not profiling, correct. Arresting a black man at his house after getting a report of two black folks breaking and entering a house is profiling.

[The_Dude 1,142]

The police are not prone to be broken by words.

That's not the way they act. They act like those insecure and vengeful medieval Gods who must answer every insult with wrath.

I thought you'd follow that up with...

Rethuglicans.

But yeah it is really weird how some cops behave like 6 year old bullies.

It stems from an belief that their position carries with it an inherent level of respect. Any perceived lack of respect they take as a personal insult.

[_Simpson_ 250]

A good approach would've been, *knock Knock* "Someone reported suspicious behavior around here, we are going house to house to let everyone aware of the situation, are you ok? Nothing out of the norm you have experienced?" That is probably a good way to kindly ask questions.

How do you know that didn't happen?

By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside. Police say he refused to come outside to speak with an officer, who told him he was investigating a report of a break-in.

I don't know Cambridge all that well, but I will say my initial response is 'why the attitude when the cops got there?' I can imagine from the professor's standpoint he was annoyed that the cops were called...he prolly thinks 'oh someone aw a black man shoulder his way into the door, all of a sudden I'm a criminal' when the cops were only doing their jobs....I don't know about whatever database keeps getting mentioned, but seeing a certain car in the driveway doesn't do sh!t afaic..

Putting myself in his shoes, I'd be thankful that my neighborhood peeps were lookin out for me. *shrug*

People are people. If having an attitude was suddenly cause for abuse of authority... half of the regular posters in this section of VJ would have been permanently banned ages ago.

I'm not talking about VJ, I'm talking about the scenario as mentioned....cops show up at door...investigating a break in..can I see some id? Knowing he just shouldered his way into his home should make him realize the situation that someone thought there was a break in...ok, produce id, thanks for comin out...bye. Why refuse to show id? Cman, you realize how that looks to a cop?

I'm no fan of the police dept, and I do think they abuse their powers quite often...however, in this scenario...the initial problem IMO did not come from them.

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

abuse of power, hmm are you assuming that the professors story is the truth?

[The_Dude 1,142]

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

I agree, attitude is no excuse, and once he produced id, that should have been the end of that....but to accuse the cops of profiling in this case is just stupid. They were called. They investigated, asked for id, he refused, etc. How is that profiling? What should the cops have done instead of asking for id?

I don't think he should have been arrested afterwards, I do think it's a judgment call that didn't need to be made...the guy was obviously uncooperative...well, the cops should have just gone about their day, and not looked to 'prove a point'...but asking for the id? Not profiling.

By what the call to police claims in the breaking and entering.

Asking for ID is not profiling, correct. Arresting a black man at his house after getting a report of two black folks breaking and entering a house is profiling.

It's not profiling if you get a call for service where there is a physical description of the perpetrators for a specific incident.

[Fandango 1,439]

see my bumped statement above and then think about the common sense SOPs police follow when responding to reports of breaking and entry.

attitude in this very particular case is NO excuse for abuse of power.

The police are not prone to be broken by words. Sticks and stones... otoh...

I agree, attitude is no excuse, and once he produced id, that should have been the end of that....but to accuse the cops of profiling in this case is just stupid. They were called. They investigated, asked for id, he refused, etc. How is that profiling? What should the cops have done instead of asking for id?

I don't think he should have been arrested afterwards, I do think it's a judgment call that didn't need to be made...the guy was obviously uncooperative...well, the cops should have just gone about their day, and not looked to 'prove a point'...but asking for the id? Not profiling.

By what the call to police claims in the breaking and entering.

Asking for ID is not profiling, correct. Arresting a black man at his house after getting a report of two black folks breaking and entering a house is profiling.

No, it's not....he was by reports uncooperative, and the cops decided to be douchebags. I don't agree with the arrest, but I think it was more an ego thing from the cops rather than a profiling thing.

[HAL 9000 96]

The police are not prone to be broken by words.

That's not the way they act. They act like those insecure and vengeful medieval Gods who must answer every insult with wrath.

I thought you'd follow that up with...

Rethuglicans.

But yeah it is really weird how some cops behave like 6 year old bullies.

It stems from an belief that their position carries with it an inherent level of respect. Any perceived lack of respect they take as a personal insult.

I guess that's why some officers get stuck in different kinds of sensitivity training to correct those personality flaws.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Personally, I have a much bigger problem with the huge ego most cops have than I do with racial profiling. There actually are situations where racial profiling makes sense. But to be an insecure little man who lashes out for no good reason never makes sense.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The police are not prone to be broken by words.

That's not the way they act. They act like those insecure and vengeful medieval Gods who must answer every insult with wrath.

The black man must respect ah-thor-a-tey!