on 6/9/03 10:34 PM, Mark Snyder at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On 6/9/03 7:19 PM, "N.I. Krasnov" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip> >> Bridge misunderstandings? Why should it be incumbent on a suburbanite, or a >> resident of any other city neighborhood, to <understand> the horrendous >> level of crap that goes on in north Minneapolis? > > I'm not sure that Jim's concern has as much to do with city vs. suburban as > it has to do with what our expectations should be of our police officers. I > really don't care where members of our police force choose to live. However, > I do have the expectation that when an officer is assigned to an area, that > he or she take the time and make the effort to familiarize themselves with > the "culture" of that area. If that means learning some rudimentary Hmong or > Somali or Spanish and taking a class to understand what is considered polite > or rude in different cultures, so be it. Ideally, all officers would receive > this kind of training. And officers who fail to demonstrate what they should > have learned should have that held against them in their performance > reviews. An argument can be made that any immigrant group in the United States must adjust to the dominant culture. Learn another language to communicate is a good way to dissolve cross-cultural boundaries, however, this <is> the United States, and here we speak the English language in common discourse. That said, I'm all for learning a second language, especially that of your neighbors. Punishing officers for not being Somali enough? Oh, <PLEASE>.... >> Police are not there to protect anyone. They are commanded to keep the >> public peace, investigate crime, and if possible, prevent criminal activity. >> The enforce the law. The Courts provide justice. > > If the police do not exist to protect anyone, then why is the motto of most, > if not all police departments, "To protect and serve" - isn't that motto > written on the MPD squad cars? Study case law on whether police are responsible for your protection. You <will> be surprised. > > What's also interesting is a visit to the MPD web page > (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/about/) shows the following vision, > mission and values: > > Vision: > > The city of Minneapolis is the safest place to live, work and visit. > > Mission: > > Implement effective prevention strategies and reduce crime in collaboration > with the community and our criminal justice partners. > > Values: > > - Employees are our greatest asset > > - A workforce that reflects our community > > - Protection of human rights > > - Excellence in serving the public > > - Honesty and integrity > > - Community and community participation Who wrote that? It's hilarious! :D >From the Minnesota Statutes: 387.03 Powers, duties. The sheriff shall keep and preserve the peace of the county, for which purpose the sheriff may require the aid of such persons or power of the county as the sheriff deems necessary. The sheriff shall also pursue and apprehend all felons, execute all processes, writs, precepts, and orders issued or made by lawful authority and to the sheriff delivered, attend upon the terms of the district court, and perform all of the duties pertaining to the office[...] 626.84 Subdivision 1. [...] (c) "Peace officer" means: (1) an employee or an elected or appointed official of a political subdivision or law enforcement agency who is licensed by the board, charged with the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the general criminal laws of the state and who has the full power of arrest[...] Where does it say anything about protecting you? > Looking at these statements, it would appear there have been far too many > examples in recent years where the MPD has failed to live up to its stated > vision, mission and values. Examples? <snip> N.I. Krasnov Loring Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
