I have no intention of making this a “police videos” blog. One of the reasons is that there are plenty of video blogs out there doing an outstanding job. Besides, I am more interested in conversation with all of you about policing.
Anyhow, one outstanding video blog is located here. In particular, watch this video (which would not embed for some reason.) Somevideos just have to be shared. This is freakin hilarious.
What do you think: Fake or real?
One thing I would really like to get better about is recommending other blogs that I read. Most have nothing to do with police work (I do have other interests, you know). However one in particular, at www.failblog.org is about the funniest thing I have ever seen.
Even though most posts at failblog have little to do with police work, there is a strong bond between the site and cops everywhere. You see, the Philosophical Cop — like cops all over the world — know that people tend to be a lot dumber than we give them credit for. I mean that. It’s okay, because it means job security, even in these tough times.
Job security for us, and job security for the failblog. I dare you not to laugh out loud.
Talk about poetic. I couldn’t make this one up; it really happened. Of course his sister says that he just, “Had his ways…” but a career criminal is no longer among us. I hope the alligator didn’t get sick.
I have a bunch of “dumb criminal” stories milling about smartly in my head. Once in a while I see one that just makes the ‘A’ list. Check out the genius who left his pants at the scene of a burglary. But wait, there’s more. He didn’t limit the idiocy to depositing his pants at the scene (possibly forgivable, since he was fighting with the homeowner / victim.) He left them there with pockets full of stolen property from other crimes in the same neighborhood.
Every so often during my tenure as a detective, I would sit on the witness stand and describe for the jury what the suspect had done. As I heard the words come out of my mouth I would think to myself, “thank god they are still dumb, or we might not catch anyone!”
It never ceases to amaze me. From time to time I stand at a critical or dangerous incident and think, “what on earth are you thinking?” I started this as a young patrol officer when suspects would continue to fight with 3, 4, or 5 police officers who were subduing them. Sometimes I would say out-loud, “Dude, do you think you can actually win this…knock it off!” Of course that was generally ineffective.
Anyhow, last shift the officers who work for me had to arrest a guy for beating up his wife. Nothing too serious on the injuries, but he was going to jail for certain. Who is there to arrest him? Count with me here, folks: three armed police officers (guns drawn), one police sergeant, one police canine (sounding quite hungry) and the Philosophical Cop.
I know, I know, it did not look good at all. In fact, it seemed foolish to the lay observer. I would ask you to consider the cops’ point of view.
They have most likely been trained that the TASER (click here for their website) is for subduing “aggressive and/or combative individuals.” That means people who do more than disobey verbal orders, but not so much that they are a threat to life. It doesn’t look pretty, but is actually considerably easier on the suspect than prior methods.
So this genius refuses to leave when his time is up. No big deal. Then they attempt to escort him out, one cop on each side. Fine. Then he decides to physically struggle, and that struggle lands on the ground. Continue Reading
