What Does It Take for a Police Officer To Get Fired?

[The Straight Story]

What Does It Take for a Police Officer To Get Fired?

Radley Balko | January 14, 2009, 8:14am

Shoving a 71-year-old Walmart greeter to the ground and, when another customer came to assist, shoving that customer through a glass door?

Nope, even though that particular officer has had several complaints filed against him, and was involved in another altercation a year earlier.

How about three DWI incidents within a one-year span, including one in which the officer ran a roadblock, then had to be tasered, pepper-sprayed, and wrestled to the ground; another in which he hit another car, then left the scene of the accident; and another in which he fell asleep in his cruiser in front of a school, while in drive, with his foot resting on the brake?

Nope. It took a fourth DWI incident to finally get him suspended.

How about an officer with an otherwise stellar record, who has a reputation in the department for honesty, but who became an outspoken critic of the war on drugs, and on one occasion declined to arrest a man after finding a single marijuana plant growing outside the man's home?

Yep, that'll do it.

http://reason.com/blog/show/131046.html

[provis99]

1. well, cops are mainly right wing assholes

so when they do right wing assholery things, that won't get them kicked off the force. But god forbid a cop should take a stance against police corruption, or unjust laws; not only would it get him kicked off the force, it might get him killed (a la Serpico).

[madville]

2. Is this guy protected by a union contract ?

Just curious if this guy falls under a union negotiated contract and the department has to follow those policies in regards to termination. When you protect everybody you have to protect the scumbags rights also.

[PM Martin]

3. Sadly, when you have authority, you rarely have to respect it.

[Dennis Donovan]

4. The impenetrable blue brotherhood...

The people who should NEVER be in positions of authority are the ones who seek it. I know a lot of cops, and so few "good" ones.:thumbsdown:

[Greyhound]

5. Kill a rich, white person. n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Not even then...seen it happen with my own eyes