Oh, how Cyber the real world is becoming! On page A3 of the EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, a very transparent public relations plant of the locals proclaims "POLICE BOARD DISCIPLINES FOUR EX-OFFICERS"... Aha! Finally! Someone has figured them out!
It boils down to THE ARIZONA PEACE OFFICERS STANDARDS AND TRAINING BOARD pulled the certification of, apparently, at least two of four cops for, basically, internal tiffs with the department.
One of these desperadoes encouraged women to show their breasts, in a silly but quite minor Mardi Gras-inspired "flashing" suggestion, in which no one was compelled to do anything.
Another did some property damage and was guilty of a very extreme DUI.
Another threatened to shoot his wife.
The fourth failed to properly report on-duty damage to a department vehicle.
They were from Tempe and Chandler, save for Michael Beaton, the DUI offender, who was a Mesa officer, and who resigned virtually as soon as he was arrested. His decertification is apparently "pending".
It is quite probable at least three of these deserved some kind of discipline, although I fail to see how a joke which teases females (voluntarily) into flashing their breasts should eventuate anything much more than a slap on the wrist. An extreme DUI involving property damage is no laughing matter at all. Nor is threatening to shoot one's wife.
Trouble is, there are police all over the East Valley, and especially in Mesa, violating the law and the Constitution, with suspects under arrest, in far worse, more malignant, and repugnant episodes than these, and what most of these people went through hearings for was little internal tiffs and fibs.
Police harassment here is very real, very ugly, and everyday, except when it comes to criminals. "Keeping the lid on" and "clearing cases" (aka: QUOTAS) is the driving force, along with a public relations agenda which promulgates tales like the one in today's EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE.
I even have a friend who was charged with interfering with a lawful arrest simply for attempting to present himself as a witness of exoneration in a clear case of police fraud. This is the important stuff.
Citizens could not possibly care less if Officer A fibs to Officer B about the timing or details in an internal report. When they lie on reports about us and then repeat the perjury in court—which Mesa P.D. Does every single day, many times—then there is a truly serious situation, a pernicious and ugly one.
Why not try doing something about THAT???
I think we all know the reason, Mister Hutchinson.
Jerry
Mesa, Arizona
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