You remember the police misconduct from a couple of summers ago? The one where a Shelburne police officer pulled Rod MacIver over and charged him with running a red light, even though the cruiser cam established beyond a doubt that he hadn't run the red light?
The Burlington Free Press is reporting that the case has been settled for a cash payment as well as a promise that Shelburne will “provide extra training to its police officers; to establish a formal, written policy to address complaints against police; and to ensure that its officers are not provided incentives for traffic stops and ticketing.“
Don't you wonder what that training will be?
“From now on, if you see someone not violating the law, don't give them a ticket.”
“Don't lie about what you see drivers do while you're on the job.”
“Don't lie when you're testifying in court.”
There, that shouldn't take long. I cordially invite the Shelburne Police Department to use any of these ideas at the training they're going to do, free of charge.
There is just one thing I don't understand, though. Why is the training on not lying about your official police activities being referred to as “extra” training?
The simple fix of “don’t do it” will come at the cost of another
facilitated “training” telling them what they already know.
Do Shelburne police have tasers in their toolbags? If so, the money could be better used more more education about their proper and improper use.
to pursue strategies that should have been left in the twentieth century Cold War.
should have this one emblazoned on their dashboards:
“From now on, if you see someone not violating the law, don’t give them a ticket.”
Speeding tickets are a revenue source for cash strapped towns and departments. More than one friend of mine has been ticketed for “exceeding the speed limit in a section of road you haven’t driven through yet, but almost got to, so close enough.”
There certainly enough nutjobs on the highway who do deserve to see blue lights in the rearview.