-Caveat Lector- http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_metaksa/19990923_xctme_t otal_corr.shtml Total Corruption Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely seems to be the new law enforcement motto. From the highest law enforcement office down to the street cop corruption is rampant. >From Los Angeles to New York City examples of rogue cops are becoming the rule rather than the exception. In addition to the daily surprises of lying and cover-ups from the Department of Justice, other federal agencies are equally arrogant and contemptuous. {HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com/library/opinion/lewis/092199lewi.html"}Anthony Lewis writes about a pregnant American citizen who has been held in jail since June by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) due to a dispute concerning her citizenship. The problem of corrupt, ruthless, or inept law enforcement at every level of government is a recurring problem in society. Police certainly don't disturb the skeletons in their own closets, while politicians live in awe and fear of the police establishment. According to Amnesty International, "Most U.S. police departments have strict guidelines on the use of deadly force. ... However, it is clear that these standards are frequently breached and that too often the authorities have turned a blind eye to abuses." In 1993 after the tragedies at Ruby Ridge and the Mount Carmel Center under the auspices of the FBI, a coalition of the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation, and others began building a case for ineptitude, disregard for civil rights and bad law enforcement on the part of federal law enforcement. New leadership in Congress and a strong push by the coalition led to initiation and funding for the Commission on the Advancement of Federal Law Enforcement. The commission will issue its final report next week. The final recommendations in the Draft Staff document is a disappointment. I hoped that the commission would not only make recommendations for improving the current organizational structure of federal law enforcement agencies, but would also review their abysmal civil rights legacy and put together strong recommendations to ensure civil liberties. Although I have not seen the entire report, it appears that only the final recommendation, "Focus on Professionalism, Integrity, and Accountability," which covers issues such as recruitment, training, rules of engagement, and the use of force, even touches on the question of law enforcement abuses. It's probably just too much to ask any law enforcement agency or a commission headed by a former FBI director to properly address shortcomings and abuses. After all, when local police need oversight, local leaders either turn to a civilian review board or ask the Department of Justice to review the allegations. It was over seven months ago when {HYPERLINK "http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_metaksa/19990211_xctme_gunned_dow.shtml"}I wrote, "The pattern is the same: a hail of bullets, police promises of a swift and fair investigation, community activists call for federal involvement, community leaders asking for calm and patience, and then a long silence pending the results of an investigation." The geography may change, but the incidents begin to blend one into the other. In that article I called for a return to a civilian focus for police training rather than military Rambo-type training. At least the commission recommends that annual training in the use of deadly force, which "should not be confused with firearms re- qualification," be required for all federal law enforcement personnel. But again the new military-attack mindset of the police rears its ugly head. The latest revelations of criminal activity in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) appear to be just the tip of a corrupt group of cops with a Rambo-style attitude. In fact the Los Angeles Times says they emulated the style of the gangs they were policing. According to yesterday's {HYPERLINK "http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/STATE/UPDATES/lat_crash990922.htm"}Los Angeles Times: Justice Department (DOJ) officials have been monitoring the LAPD for the last several years to determine whether there is any pattern of use of excessive force. The purpose of such "pattern and practice" reviews, authorized by federal law in 1994, is to ensure proper management and oversight at police departments and, if needed, to bring federal lawsuits to pressure local authorities into cleaning up their operations. The Justice Department official said the latest allegations, involving falsified police reports and framed suspects, go well beyond the issues that the federal government previously had been examining at the LAPD. The pattern that DOJ officials have been monitoring includes cases where cops shot and killed a frail mentally ill Margaret Mitchell, holding nothing more than a screwdriver; a broomstick waving Efrain Lopez; and a ballpoint pen wielding Daniel Zarraga, felled by nine bullets. An officer from the same Rampart precinct cost the city $250,000 when it settled a case on the use of excessive force several years ago. But it is not only LAPD. It is happening in Chicago where officers have used excessive force and shooting at inappropriate targets. In New York City the incidents keep occurring. In Manhattan it's the case of Amadou Diallo shot to death in a hail of 41 bullets; in the Bronx where an unarmed Kareem McDonald, 20, was killed in another hail of nine bullets and the officers involved were only reprimanded after an "internal review"; and in a Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish neighborhood that Gidone Busch with a hammer in his hand was shot by police in a hail of 12 bullets. In Houston a drug raid without a warrant that left Pedro Oregon dead in a hail of 33 bullets, a grand jury indicted the two officers who failed to get the warrant, while not addressing the officers who killed Mr. Oregon. All six officers were fired by the Houston Police Department after the raid. But this military attack mindset is costing the lives of police officers as well. In Atlanta last month a SWAT team burst into a home only to have two officers fatally wounded by the man they were seeking. A military mindset that leads to a tragic waste of life. Is it any wonder that more and more Americans are eyeing someone in a uniform with a measure of distrust? It's not the officer we personally know or who lives next door; it's the cop who drives up behind you with blue lights flashing, who knocks on your door at night, or who officiously directs you onto a detour. When you read the stories in the newspapers about the wrong house being assaulted, an innocent person being in the wrong place at the wrong time, an arrogant rogue cop, or the lies and cover-ups by the FBI; it's a travesty on the concept of innocent until proven guilty. It's very sad that we are becoming more and more conditioned to think: there but for the grace of God, go I. Tanya K. Metaksa is the former executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action. She is the author of "Safe, Not Sorry," a self-protection manual, published in 1997. She has appeared on numerous talk and interview shows such as "Crossfire," the "Today" show, "Nightline," "This Week with David Brinkley" and the "McNeil-Lehrer Hour," among others. Lawyers: The larval form of politicians. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
