(...) Within a minute and a half of the first episode, the show has summed up its central message: Police violence works. This is relayed again and again throughout the series: When a cop with a chain-wrapped fist savagely beats a Spanish-speaking suspect demanding an attorney until he relinquishes a tip; when officers debase the idea of policing without intent to arrest; when cops round up black non-criminals and deliver them to precinct torture chambers. In every episode, these methods achieve the desired ends. The message: Police violence works.
Crime dramas that embellish the lives of police officers are not new. Criminologist Yvonne Jewkes says crime drama is "the most enduring of all cinematic genres," and television holds to the same rule.1 What sets "Chicago PD" apart from others in the genre is that police violence isn't just presented as an exciting feature of the job; rather, its producers have made it the primary point of appeal to its growing audience of 8 million.
What does it mean that a TV show so sympathetic to police abuse has become the most popular evening program among NBC's 18-49 demographic? To understand its appeal, it's necessary to couch recent trends in cop media within historical transformations of public opinion toward police and federal support for local policing.
In the past 40 years, the militarization of police forces occurred concurrently with an increased emphasis on “law and order,” perpetuated by race-baiting politicians who spurred alarm among white Americans following the racially charged riots of the mid-1960s that shook white America to its core. To the prudent majority on the conservative side of the era's culture wars, the 1965 Watts riots in LA, along with "riots in Baltimore, Newark, Washington and Detroit in the following years, were signs of a rising criminal class that was increasingly out of control,"2 as Radley Balko observes in his book Rise of the Warrior Cop. This induced a broad call for "law and order" among the white American majority by the end of the decade, and race-baiting politicians used the mandate to launch an unprecedented militarization of police forces that continues today. The threat of crime soon embedded itself at the forefront of national consciousness, and in response to that reality, Hollywood started pumping out a slew of films and TV shows centered on the lives of police officers, giving birth to a new subgenre within crime drama: the Cop Booster.
However, policy doesn't only influence media; sociologists have found that media has a real effect on policy. Because "public knowledge of crime and justice is largely derived from the media," the Cop Booster subgenre is part of a larger criminal-media-complex that manufactures "pervasive images of predatory criminals" that "steer currents on our criminal justice policy."3 Television programs like "Chicago PD," a classic Cop Booster show, reproduce a narrative that that not only shields real life police forces from the scrutiny of public accountability but also engenders millions of people's assumptions about criminality - assumptions that help keep the gears of the prison-industrial complex spinning.
The Chicago PD of "Chicago PD"
There have been 102 criminal convictions of Chicago police officers since 2000. This figure greatly understates the degree of abuses carried out by the department in recent years: Between 2002 and 2004, less than 2 percent of civilian complaints for excessive force, illegal searches, racial abuse and false arrests resulted in legal action.
By far the most well-known CPD scandal involves the systematic use of torture. From 1972 to 1991, officers brutally tortured more than 100 detained men and boys, all black, by, among many other things, burning cigarettes on their bodies, beating their faces with a flashlight and emitting powerful volts of electricity with cattle prods to their genitals.
After the news of torture broke more than two decades ago, it was also revealed that a whole crew of higher-ups had turned a blind eye to the widespread maltreatment. When a medical examiner for one of the first few abuse cases demanded a superintendent of police investigate the abuse, the buck was passed off to the state attorney, whose office essentially sat on the allegations as a culture of torture proliferated for more than a decade. Meanwhile, CPD Cmdr. John Burge personally sanctioned and participated in the torture of a number of men.
Since reporter John Conroy broke the story of torture for the Chicago Reader in 1990, attempts at retributive justice for victims have produced disparate results. In 2003, Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of all 163 men and women on death row in Illinois under the suspicion that some of their confessions had been elicited through torture. High-level courts have exonerated a handful of inmates claiming to have been brutalized by police. But retribution for sins committed by the CPD has been limited to a short stint in jail for Burge and a toothless report on the tortures released by special prosecutors in 2006.
The CPD's limited reconciliation with its lurid past is symptomatic of a "Code of Silence" that seems to stick like plaque within the department. In a successful 2007 case brought against the CPD by a woman who was beaten by an officer, the federal court ruled that the Code of Silence was ingrained deeply within the department's culture. An affidavit submitted by the plaintiff included the findings of Lou Rieter, longtime police consultant and former deputy chief of police in Los Angeles, who said, "The Chicago Police Department has created an organizational environment where the Code of Silence ... (is) present and would allow police officers to engage in misconduct with little fear of sanction." (...)
One more general question. If you are an African American parent in a large metropolis, just what do you think you should teach your children how to interact with the police? Well, you will start by saying never run if you are in shooting range and then go from there......
I saw a news story one time, years ago. A house had caught on fire and the cops got there before the fire department, (happens all the time). When the cop got out of the car the kid on the porch saw him and ran back in the burning house. I bet his parents taught him the same thing. Cop had to go get him out of there. Bad. Bad thing to teach your kids.
Maybe, but my son seemed to turn out ok. He wants to be a cop. I asked him why and he said that he has experienced and witnessed police corruption and harrasment so much that he wanted to become a good cop and help change this as much as he can. He is a good kid that does not drink or do drugs and is a non irritating, non evangelical practiciing Christian (yea, I don't know how this happened either) who has been harrassed numerous times for no reason at all. I am very proud of him and hope he makes the force and a difference.
And that is exactly how the government is going to militarize the police and take over the country. I bet that dude made chief.
Nah, he was the last of the breed of "Retired from my regular job, took a gig as a part-time small-town cop" cops. He was a decent guy who just came to define people talking to him as "giving him a hard time."
RASPUTIN wrote:
he was going to throw me so far back in a cell they'd have to feed me with a slingshot.
(...) I wonder how kids get programmed to be afraid of cops. I have had parents tell a kid at a ball game I was working to be good or they'ed have me take them to jail. I nipped that shit right in the bud. NEVER tell your kid to be afraid of me. (...)
Maybe automation/computerization can get rid of some cop jobs too. No one will suffer, except maybe Dunkin' Donuts. And the extra money saved can be used to study the mating habits of leeches.
And the kicker: The creator of the app is a police officer.
The funny thing is that I happen to be a Friendly Police Officer myself with over 18 years of experience. I hope your child loves the app just as much as mine do. Thank you.
I am sorry, but I teach my children to be very afraid of the cops and at all times. Just as hunters should be afraid of bears, just as the graveyards are full of expendable men, the jails are full of people that were not afraid of the cops.
I saw a news story one time, years ago. A house had caught on fire and the cops got there before the fire department, (happens all the time). When the cop got out of the car the kid on the porch saw him and ran back in the burning house. I bet his parents taught him the same thing. Cop had to go get him out of there. Bad. Bad thing to teach your kids.
16 years old, cop gave me shit about how I was parked (street closed, I had come down the alley to the side door of my family's store to load some stuff). He said I couldn't park there because I was blocking traffic. I said I needed to load something heavy, would not be more than two minutes and there was no traffic anyway since the street was blocked off for a street fair that was going to happen in a while. What he was worried about was that I was going to park there all day (I even had my hazards on) because on a normal day I would have parked there no problem... it's where we always parked to load stuff in and out of the store. Totally legit, but he never said that, and rather than just say "you need to move it before the fair starts," he became a raging asshole because I didn't kowtow. Then he gave me a warning ticket but I never heard of those so I got freaked out and walked off to do my stuff and he ordered me to come back or he'd arrest me and my dad finally saw the commotion and came outside and asked him "what's going on, Francie?" because his name was Francis but everyone called him Francie and Francie got pissed at that and told dad to call him "Officer" and get back in the store if he knows what's good for him. Pretty soon he started to realize he had lost his shit so he just shuffled off, saying stuff like "well you just watch out next time" so nothing ever happened but then. Then is when I realized any cop at any time for any reason can fuck up your day and you just have to hope they don't choose you.
And that is exactly how the government is going to militarize the police and take over the country. I bet that dude made chief. Hell, I had one tell me he was going to throw me so far back in a cell they'd have to feed me with a slingshot. I knew he was just trying to scare me. Not only didn't it scar me for life but I used that line a couple times myself. Although, in the long run it probably didn't scare the punk I said it to either.
When you were a kid did your mom or dad ever threaten to have the cops come get you? I wonder how kids get programmed to be afraid of cops. I have had parents tell a kid at a ball game I was working to be good or they'ed have me take them to jail. I nipped that shit right in the bud. NEVER tell your kid to be afraid of me.
All this is way off the beam. The government isn't out to take control of us. They need us out there working and paying taxes to fund all the stupid shit they do. Studies on frog mating, important stuff like that.
I am sorry, but I teach my children to be very afraid of the cops and at all times. Just as hunters should be afraid of bears, just as the graveyards are full of expendable men, the jails are full of people that were not afraid of the cops.
(...) I wonder how kids get programmed to be afraid of cops. I have had parents tell a kid at a ball game I was working to be good or they'ed have me take them to jail. I nipped that shit right in the bud. NEVER tell your kid to be afraid of me. (...)
Maybe automation/computerization can get rid of some cop jobs too. No one will suffer, except maybe Dunkin' Donuts. And the extra money saved can be used to study the mating habits of leeches.
And the kicker: The creator of the app is a police officer.
The funny thing is that I happen to be a Friendly Police Officer myself with over 18 years of experience. I hope your child loves the app just as much as mine do. Thank you.
16 years old, cop gave me shit about how I was parked (street closed, I had come down the alley to the side door of my family's store to load some stuff). He said I couldn't park there because I was blocking traffic. I said I needed to load something heavy, would not be more than two minutes and there was no traffic anyway since the street was blocked off for a street fair that was going to happen in a while. What he was worried about was that I was going to park there all day (I even had my hazards on) because on a normal day I would have parked there no problem... it's where we always parked to load stuff in and out of the store. Totally legit, but he never said that, and rather than just say "you need to move it before the fair starts," he became a raging asshole because I didn't kowtow. Then he gave me a warning ticket but I never heard of those so I got freaked out and walked off to do my stuff and he ordered me to come back or he'd arrest me and my dad finally saw the commotion and came outside and asked him "what's going on, Francie?" because his name was Francis but everyone called him Francie and Francie got pissed at that and told dad to call him "Officer" and get back in the store if he knows what's good for him. Pretty soon he started to realize he had lost his shit so he just shuffled off, saying stuff like "well you just watch out next time" so nothing ever happened but then. Then is when I realized any cop at any time for any reason can fuck up your day and you just have to hope they don't choose you.
Dylan said it best; "The cops don't need you and man they expect the same." I have always done my best to avoid them as much as possible and if I ever have to come in contact with them for any reason to sheepishly just say Yes Sir or Yes Maam. I have taught my children the same approach. Part of lifes success can be measured by how little contact you have to come in with cops and lawyers. Does this mean all cops are bad? Of course not, there are many good cops, but just like nuclear accidents all it takes is one to fvck you up.
...All this is way off the beam. The government isn't out to take control of us. They need us out there working and paying taxes to fund all the stupid shit they do. Studies on frog mating, important stuff like that.
16 years old, cop gave me shit about how I was parked (street closed, I had come down the alley to the side door of my family's store to load some stuff). He said I couldn't park there because I was blocking traffic. I said I needed to load something heavy, would not be more than two minutes and there was no traffic anyway since the street was blocked off for a street fair that was going to happen in a while. What he was worried about was that I was going to park there all day (I even had my hazards on) because on a normal day I would have parked there no problem... it's where we always parked to load stuff in and out of the store. Totally legit, but he never said that, and rather than just say "you need to move it before the fair starts," he became a raging asshole because I didn't kowtow. Then he gave me a warning ticket but I never heard of those so I got freaked out and walked off to do my stuff and he ordered me to come back or he'd arrest me and my dad finally saw the commotion and came outside and asked him "what's going on, Francie?" because his name was Francis but everyone called him Francie and Francie got pissed at that and told dad to call him "Officer" and get back in the store if he knows what's good for him. Pretty soon he started to realize he had lost his shit so he just shuffled off, saying stuff like "well you just watch out next time" so nothing ever happened but then. Then is when I realized any cop at any time for any reason can fuck up your day and you just have to hope they don't choose you.
I wonder how kids get programmed to be afraid of cops.
16 years old, cop gave me shit about how I was parked (street closed, I had come down the alley to the side door of my family's store to load some stuff). He said I couldn't park there because I was blocking traffic. I said I needed to load something heavy, would not be more than two minutes and there was no traffic anyway since the street was blocked off for a street fair that was going to happen in a while. What he was worried about was that I was going to park there all day (I even had my hazards on) because on a normal day I would have parked there no problem... it's where we always parked to load stuff in and out of the store. Totally legit, but he never said that, and rather than just say "you need to move it before the fair starts," he became a raging asshole because I didn't kowtow. Then he gave me a warning ticket but I never heard of those so I got freaked out and walked off to do my stuff and he ordered me to come back or he'd arrest me and my dad finally saw the commotion and came outside and asked him "what's going on, Francie?" because his name was Francis but everyone called him Francie and Francie got pissed at that and told dad to call him "Officer" and get back in the store if he knows what's good for him. Pretty soon he started to realize he had lost his shit so he just shuffled off, saying stuff like "well you just watch out next time" so nothing ever happened but then. Then is when I realized any cop at any time for any reason can fuck up your day and you just have to hope they don't choose you.
I fully agree with you here. I don't see an end game or ulterior motive. I just see people using up budget overhead on new toys to show they need a budget that big (and to get some new toys). I just think that that although a bomb proof troop carrier surplussed from the army might be a great deal, it sends the wrong message. Having a guy making a traffic stop with a shotgun is even worse, but I've seen it frequently. I think they believe that they are looking strong, but in fact they are just being intimidating, and maybe even afraid. If the guys charged with keeping order are so afraid of the general population that they need bullet proof vests on a day to day basis, then they aren't doing their base job very well. As a general citizen I shouldn't need to worry that my interactions with the police on my own property get recorded. I should welcome their presence, and they should be friendly to the average joe.
I think it should be a lot like we deal with the military. We respect and appreciate their service. We thank them and buy them lunch at the airport. I don't think the average citizen has much concern when sitting next to the guardsman in camo on the way home from a deployment. We should feel equally at ease with the police, but we don't. As scary as our streets may be, they are not Iraq. Our locals shouldn't need the same level of gear. It's a perception game.
On budgets, I was asked every year I was a supervisor what I needed. I didn't put in for stuff like cars because I knew that the Chief would do that. I had nothing to do with the bomb, dive, or swat teams so they made their own requests. All I ever asked for was enough money to keep the stuff we had, working. And once in a while some office furniture. Man, that stuff just doesn't last with three shifts of people using it all the time. Lots of stuff gets the ok, but then there's never enough money in the budget to actually buy it. I never understood how that worked.
As far as sending a message. I have seen more than one nutball just throw in the towel in a barricade situation when some armored vehicle shows up. Mission accomplished, no shots fired...or at least no more shots fired. I like that message.
I can't speak for the thousands of cops out there as to why they do things but there are situations when a shotgun is called for. Could be a felony stop on someone with warrants, a fresh felony like a robbery suspect, several good reasons. Never on a run of the mill traffic stop about speeding or running a light.
Vests. Much to my wife's dismay I never wore mine unless I was doing a probate, or serving a warrant. I didn't get one issued to me because if I had, I would have had to wear it when on duty. I paid for mine out of pocket so chose when to wear it. That was incredibly stupid of me, and sent exactly the wrong message to my troops in my retired opinion. Every year cops get killed doing the most mundane things like giving somebody a ride and getting shot the back of the head, serving a traffic court warrant and getting shot through the door, eating with friends before your shift starts. All non dangerous situations where cops have been killed. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR VEST.
When you were a kid did your mom or dad ever threaten to have the cops come get you? I wonder how kids get programmed to be afraid of cops. I have had parents tell a kid at a ball game I was working to be good or they'ed have me take them to jail. I nipped that shit right in the bud. NEVER tell your kid to be afraid of me.
All this is way off the beam. The government isn't out to take control of us. They need us out there working and paying taxes to fund all the stupid shit they do. Studies on frog mating, important stuff like that.
) who has been harrassed numerous times for no reason at all. I am very proud of him and hope he makes the force and a difference.
