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“What a Justice Department investigation of police can actually do”
I know, I know, Jeffco is immune.
“It is the pattern,” I said to the two deputies who recently came to my home, unannounced. Actually, I specifically told them not to come to my house. This was four days after I opened the case, and I called as a reminder.
This time they gave me business cards (INSERT IMAGE). In the past, usually (and in one alarming instance), I have been told “There will be no cards.” Anyway, the two women were really just trying to do their job.
“Patterns and practices.”
And then there is the time I stopped off at the district attorney’s office to talk specifically about “force.” (INSERT IMAGE OF CHIEF INVESTIGATOR’S BUSINESS CARD.)
“Arrogance” really is not the right word. Denial, or lack of it, is a big part of the problem. Somewhere, somehow, someone has got to take responsibility. Organizations do not make decisions, people do.
Here’s another word: “conspiracy.”
And this too just has to be mentioned. There are other departments within Jefferson County that operate this way too. More another time. It is sort of like the “We pay the invoice after the third call” thing. Only even then it may not be paid.
P.S. William Robirds? This was originally written before this. Honest. Arrogant would be one interpretation; “completely unable to work with” would be another. The whole thing is a giant distraction–you cannot investigate yourself. Damn it! It says that in my original email also, and the whole thing was only 4-5 paragraphs long. Did you only read half of it?
EDIT: This is talking about the 1994 Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act. It goes back to slavery and… that’s a Section 1983 claim (Enforcement Act of 1871); color of law is mostly the way I have been looking at the local problems.
In 1994, Congress empowered the Justice Department to look at — and force — systemic changes in local police departments, and in some cases courts approved and managed binding reform agreements.