I didn't get a chance to weigh in on this yesterday but a recent KC headline deserves at least a quick mention on this blog. By now you've heard of the arrests at the funeral of Deandre "D-Nutty" Clay.
Nine people were arrested over the weekend after the funeral of an alleged gang member.As always Crime Scene KC had even more details with a quickness but the point here is that (on the face of it) this tactic seems a bit "insensitive" to say the least. Let me get all my qualifiers out of the way: I'm not against arresting criminals, I know that additional security may have been called for at this funeral, I'm not defending gangsters nor am I noting that police don't need to arrest people with warrants.
KMBC reported that three of the nine were charged.
But I know how word travels in this town and what some law enforcement officals might be burdened with is the perception that the KCPD doesn't respect the funeral rites and religious ceremonies of a predominantly Black group of mourners. Note that 6 of the people who were arrested weren't charged with anything at all. How are they going to feel about getting hauled in on the day of a funeral? How would you feel? What kind of message does that send?
And this shouldn't be a topic related to political correctness but rather a discussion of the best ways to build cooperation in a community in which police have complained that they can't get any help. I just wonder if busting up funerals or hauling people in shortly thereafter is the best way to reach out to any community.
And on this topic I don't really have an opinion but I think the question deserves a bit of consideration.
Thank you kcpd for keeping our street safe
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the KCPD is trying to reach out to the gangbanger community, and rightfully so.
ReplyDeleteTheir tactics, while heavy handed, are not unheard of nor are they legally questionable.
Take this case and contrast it with the SoCal illegal immigrant deportation case- the cops worked with kid gloves to have an end that didn't result in them splintering the front door of the church and dragging her out Elian Gonzalez style.
Her crime was much less serious and she posed no serious ongoing threat when she was inside the church.
They saw it as a political issue and treated it as such. This is just the case of some gangbangers who are too dumb to know the cops run the plates of everyone who goes to a murder funeral.
I agree with you Tony. If the police aren't more sensitive, they're going to provoke a bunch of the black men into going out and shooting a bunch of other black men.
ReplyDeleteGet the scumbags off the street, using WHATEVER tactics are necessary.
ReplyDeleteRespect, Tony? Where was the respect of these scumbags who ran from and shot at the police? Where was the respect these aholes were supposed to have for their PARENTS, not to get involved in crap like this?
If there had been a shooting at that funeral, and cops hadn't been there, can you IMAGINE the firestorm in the community?
No, I say whatever means necessary to get these jagoffs off the street, and start building some sort of semblance of a decent community. If they don't DO SOMETHING, it's just gonna continue to get worse.
It's an interesting question to raise.
ReplyDeleteWhy were the 6 not charged? What did they do or not do?
There should have been a more humane way to round up these nig...er, black men.
ReplyDeleteInsensitive to arrest those criminals? Poor babies. As Bill O'Reilly says, "Thanks for looking out for us Tony!!"
ReplyDeleteCan we assume a few of your relatives got pinched?
Did the police at least allow for them to ceremonially pour out half of their 40s at the gravesite before collaring them? That would have been the humane thing to do.
ReplyDelete