Missoula Police Officers: Thank You
by lizard
This may sound strange coming from a critic of the national police-state creep, but I’d like to say thank you to the Missoula Police Department, and I hope officers are getting the support they need to deal with the stress that they must be experiencing with all hell seemingly breaking loose lately.
It has been less than a month since an officer was run over during an attempted arrest for a probation violation. The incident put the officer in the hospital in serious condition.
Then, in just the past 48 hours, officers responded to an alleged sexual assault, where the suspect brandished a gun and the cops DIDN’T shoot him, which is a degree of restraint I’m afraid not every officer in the same situation would have exercised.
In a separate incident early this morning, three teenagers burglarized two houses and stole two cars, leading police on an 8 minute chase from Blue Mountain to Reserve Street (I waited for this story to pop up after j-girl tweeted about it this morning). Apparently a spike-strip had to be used, and a county patrol car was damaged, but no reported injuries. Still, a pretty intense situation.
While national trends militarizing and integrating local police departments with the feds is of great concern (and measures to limit domestic drone use is great news), our particular police department has some great people doing a very difficult job, like Detective Baker, who was recently commended in an op-ed from a survivor of rape, who the editors at the Missoulian allowed to remain anonymous.
So, for what it’s worth, this anonymous blogger appreciates having good people doing difficult work.
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Pingback on Feb 10th, 2013 at 10:09 am
[...] restraint (the kind I commended the Missoula PD for) is not something the LAPD are known for. In the manhunt for Christopher Dorner, the LAPD have [...]
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February 5, 2013 at 8:00 pm
Lizard, THANK YOU for this post.
February 5, 2013 at 9:41 pm
you are welcome, Craig.
February 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm
So someone needs to rain on this gala. In October said police department dispached 3 officers to Mount Jumbo to watch a 55 year old man on his hands and knees, mandated by the Parks Dept. to move a two-rock-high garden edging inward 12 inches so as to protect the 12′ emergency-vehicle access to the “L”. They have time on their hands to be humane. It’s what the hell their paid for.
February 5, 2013 at 9:40 pm
actually, there is no obligation for anyone to rain on anything. your petty gripe is with how resources are allocated, which is not something your average officer has much control over.
and if you’re wondering what the hell they are paid for, click on any of the links in the post, and read. they are paid to deal with anything us citizens can’t resolve ourselves, and they also get to deal with big societal problems, like substance abuse and mental illness.
February 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm
that would of course be “they’re”