Let's Talk about the Calgary Police Service

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I really don't understand the process commencing over this right now. You're a police force and were told you can't put an extra badge on your uniform that isn't part of the standard uniform?

It represents some pretty ****ty things in North America, everyone knows that. So they're told they can't wear them. Awesome, easy peasy, done. Then suddenly I read that the police don't like that and are upset and therefore they have called off the directive to remove the badges?

Like, I really don't understand how this is allowed? Even Mcdonalds employees can't where a badge that has nothing to do with their standard uniform, and if hundreds of McDonalds employee banded together and said we all like this badge, it means something to us, that would change nothing, the badges would be off or the employees wouldn't be working there. So baffling to me.

Yeah, they have to be in some weird bubble where they think their authority, societal status and community support extends beyond where it does in reality. Like, just imagine being that tone deaf. I know many of them are already feeling some pushback from citizens who would normally support them without question, but as we all see more footage of them totally misbehaving I think support has eroded for all of them. Instead of trying to regain our trust, they're doubling down on their support of the wrong people!

Like, they have to know your average non-bootlicker sees that patch and thinks the cop wearing it would support George Floyd's murderer and not George Floyd. Or that the wearer would bash some heads if you were protesting in favour of fair treatment for black people, but give you a pass if you were holding a white pride rally. Or that the cop would protect some wing nut right-wing group protesting extinct restrictions while roughing up local residents in search of a peaceful Saturday in their neighbourhood.

For me, their tantrum over this patch is the last straw. Policing in north America has lost the plot. Let's get them out of these Decipticon-inspired cop cars and all-black tough-guy uniforms and into some brightly coloured Euro cop cars and friendlier uniforms and remind them they're here to help the taxpayers...not cosplay as super villains.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Like, I really don't understand how this is allowed? Even Mcdonalds employees can't where a badge that has nothing to do with their standard uniform, and if hundreds of McDonalds employee banded together and said we all like this badge, it means something to us, that would change nothing, the badges would be off or the employees wouldn't be working there. So baffling to me.

Does McDonalds have a public union? A better analogy is nurses and paramedics wear some kind of symbol on their work clothes, the AHS tells them to remove it, and with the backing of their union they refuse. Do you think AHS would respond by firing the nurses and paramedics?

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

The Thin Blue Line patch was never an approved piece of their uniform, they just started to wear it. It was never agreed upon by the Police and their union to go on the uniform in the first place, thus it doesn't have to be agreed upon to be removed. Don't dismiss someone's analogy only to replace it with a poor one. The Calgary Police Commission did a year long study, they were given time to remove the patch, they were told it could be replaced and they could in involved in the design process, the deadline for removal has been extended.

Bunch of entitled babies.

[81MC]

I disagree with so much of the last page here.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by 81MC

I disagree with so much of the last page here.

Tell us more? You think it is a good thing that our police force can wear pins to make sure everyone understands they are here first and foremost to protect their friends, and that serving the community is a secondary concern only after they know them and theirs are taken care of?

The message is clear the only question is if we should accept them publicly sending it.

To protect and serve indeed.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by #-3

To protect and serve indeed.

They have never used that phrasing as far as I know. The Calgary equivalent is "Courage, Vigilance, Pride".

All of which are about the police themselves not about the community they should be protecting and serving, which pretty much says it all imo.

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

They have never used that phrasing as far as I know. The Calgary equivalent is "Courage, Vigilance, Pride".

All of which are about the police themselves not about the community they should be protecting and serving, which pretty much says it all imo.

Come on.. CPS might not use the branding "To Serve and Protect" but each word is literally in the opening lines of the oath each and every officer takes to be sworn in.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=755684761962384

As a police officer, I acknowledge that my fundamental duty is to serve the community, to safeguard lives and property, to protect the innocent against deception (etc)...

[Mickey76]

I don’t know if this is relevant but if I was on a jury and the lawyer asked the cop on the stand do you wear the thin blue line patch and he answered yes it certainly influence my opinion of his truthfulness. I don’t know if lawyers are even allowed to ask police questions like that but regardless it is a bad look for CPS.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Because she's safe, the bad guy has left the scene, and all the necessary backend investigative work can be done in the patrol car or district office. The officer can get her statement by phone or email.

If there's one thing that COVID has done, it's made a lot of police services realize that there is a LOT that they can do electronically, and emailing of witness statements is a huge one.

he was following her. how would the cops know if the guy left the scene or not, if they don't show up?
he could have been skulking around waiting for her to start off again.

We'll see what comes of it, but it doesn't seem right.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

he was following her. how would the cops know if the guy left the scene or not, if they don't show up?
he could have been skulking around waiting for her to start off again.

We'll see what comes of it, but it doesn't seem right.

He's left the immediate scene (she's said as much), and those sorts don't usually come back when caught. However, this is also part of every call: "Please call back immediately if the offender returns, anything changes or you have any further info."

He comes back (or she sees him lurking around a corner, etc), she calls 911 again, call priority bumps up to "next unit".

Edit: To be clear, the wait time SUCKS. I am not and will not deny that. But the problem is that this is a busy city (We still average 1 dispatched call per minute) and so some situations are just going to have to wait until police can get to them.

[btimbit]

These are the realities of emergencies in a city this size with resources as limited as we have. Stuff has to be prioritized, and as much as we all wish we could have the tactical unit show up and shoot a pervert with beanbags, fact is they're busy

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by btimbit

these are the realities of emergencies in a city this size with resources as limited as we have. Stuff has to be prioritized, and as much as we all wish we could have the tactical unit show up and shoot a pervert in the beanbag, fact is they're busy

fyp

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Titan2

fyp

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Mickey76

I don’t know if this is relevant but if I was on a jury and the lawyer asked the cop on the stand do you wear the thin blue line patch and he answered yes it certainly influence my opinion of his truthfulness.

Truthfulness? Do you think there’s something dishonest about the symbol?

Why is it so hard to believe people attach different meanings to it?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Truthfulness? Do you think there’s something dishonest about the symbol?

Why is it so hard to believe people attach different meanings to it?

That's the world we live in.

My interpretation is the only correct one

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I really don't understand the process commencing over this right now. You're a police force and were told you can't put an extra badge on your uniform that isn't part of the standard uniform?

It represents some pretty ****ty things in North America, everyone knows that. So they're told they can't wear them. Awesome, easy peasy, done. Then suddenly I read that the police don't like that and are upset and therefore they have called off the directive to remove the badges?

Like, I really don't understand how this is allowed? Even Mcdonalds employees can't wear a badge that has nothing to do with their standard uniform, and if hundreds of McDonalds employees banded together and said we all like this badge, it means something to us, that would change nothing. The badges would be off or the employees wouldn't be working there. So baffling to me.

Strong and powerful union.


Curious how many folks deriding the CPS for the thin blue line patch were supportive of Kaepernick’s kneeling despite being told not to.

[Mickey76]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Truthfulness? Do you think there’s something dishonest about the symbol?

Why is it so hard to believe people attach different meanings to it?

I am sure they do. And if the trial was a 2 year drug investigation with sources, surveillance, multiple officers etc. it wouldn’t even enter my head. On the flip side however an excessive force complaint where the only witness is the officer in question partner and he wears the patch, and I am certainly going to be more inclined to consider he cares more about watching his partners back then telling the truth.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

He's left the immediate scene (she's said as much), and those sorts don't usually come back when caught. However, this is also part of every call: "Please call back immediately if the offender returns, anything changes or you have any further info."

He comes back (or she sees him lurking around a corner, etc), she calls 911 again, call priority bumps up to "next unit".

Edit: To be clear, the wait time SUCKS. I am not and will not deny that. But the problem is that this is a busy city (We still average 1 dispatched call per minute) and so some situations are just going to have to wait until police can get to them.

For this particular story if what the ladies say about the police response is true, it looks more like they didn't want to be bothered to arrive, more than there wasn't a need.

Maybe it's a failure of communication by the police to the public about the state of modern policing.

if there is an expectation of the public that the cops will show up when 911 is called, it's on the police service to educate us.

[Captain Otto]

A criminology prof at Mount Royal chimes in:

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/no-eviden...gist-1.5851144

Sundberg says claims made by the commission that the patch represents racism, colonialism and division have no merit.

“What is the basis of this direction? Is it evidence based? Is it informed on fact, or is it driven by rumour or guessing?” said Sundberg.

“That's problematic. If we have the police oversight body making decisions that are not evidence based, that are not fact based, that is a problem.”

Sundberg says he has yet to find any supporting evidence that the patch is deeply rooted in racist groups in Canada.

“The Calgary Police Service is one of the larger police services who stood and rallied in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement,” he said.

“So I think a lot of the frustration comes where you have members of city council, who also sit on the police commission, suggesting that this this 'thin blue line' insignia, with the Canadian flag, represents white supremacy and hate. There's no evidence to that effect.

"I've been trying to find examples where the 'thin blue line' Canadian flag has been used in counter protests in Canada and I haven't been able to find one account.”

Knowing some members of the CPS who don't really care about the symbol itself, they all say the same thing - it's that THIS particular issue is what the commission takes a stand on? Out of EVERYTHING wrong with CPS, this is the thing the CPC felt was most important? They are silent on almost everything else and provide no support for other far more important issues. The problem is, is that those more important issues don't get them votes.

In essence the stand against the symbol is not really about the symbol at all, it's a stand against the commission itself. At least that's my take away.

While I do agree that in the end, you do what is asked of you in this setting, I can certainly understand the push back. I look at it like this: at my job, let's say there are 100 people wearing a pin that commemorates a lost friend. And we have been wearing it for a decade. Then all of a sudden, there's a board of directors telling your boss that they have done some research and that the pin can no longer be worn. Not only that, but they are saying the pin has roots in racism and one board member even say's there will be a "reckoning" if that direction isn't followed. I think it's ok to question that decision. What research has been done exactly? Also, there are other huge issues at this workplace that the board has been silent on. Why is that? Why are the focused on this pin?

[timun]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Truthfulness? Do you think there’s something dishonest about the symbol?

Why is it so hard to believe people attach different meanings to it?

Are you really so naive that you don't know that one of those "different meanings" you speak of is corruption and deceit?