4 Oakland Officers Killed (San Francisco, Fresno, Fillmore: condo, crime rates, house)

[18Montclair]

The OPD has been really aggressive lately in their tactics.

I work all over East Oakland travelling between businesses that I own and Id say for the past few months theyve been doing tons of random 'tow sweeps', traffic stops and check points. I myself have been stopped by the OPD thrice since January 1.

The first time the officer seemed to have a penchant for stopping anyone that looked latino-guess I fit that bill and so he assumed that he would be taking my car until it became evident that all my paperwork was in order-until that time when my innocence and right to drive were confirmed, he was brash, cocky and quite rude. This happened at Foothill and 35th.

The second time I was stopped was because some MBZ dont have a front license plate holder and so there is no front plate. The pair that stopped me told me that were going to search my car for illegal substances and like their predecessor, were forced to let me go-but not without calling 3 other patrol cars to assist them. This happened at Intl and 68th.

The third time was this past Friday at E. 21st and 14th. The officer told me that I was speeding but I wasnt and he told me that he needed to verify my ID and Insurance. After 45 mins he finally let me go.

Now, throughout my life I have never felt safer than with the OPD. As a person of color who lives in Suburbia, I can tell you that once I enter Oakland, I feel like I can let my guard down(Im guessing most people feel the opposite), that I can travel freely without fearing harrasement from cops. Many people from Oakland like me feel the same.

But lately I feel like the OPD has overstepped its authority. Which is why quite frankly, I wasnt really shocked to learn of this horrible event.

The killing of 4 officers is beyond contempt and Im glad to see that many in the part of Oakland where this occurred are seeing it for what it is-truly a sad day for all Oaklanders.

[baybook]

Having read your posts in the past, I know where you are coming from. I respect your opinion. That's a shame and it happens way too often.

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

The OPD has been really aggressive lately in their tactics.

I work all over East Oakland travelling between businesses that I own and Id say for the past few months theyve been doing tons of random 'tow sweeps', traffic stops and check points. I myself have been stopped by the OPD thrice since January 1.

The first time the officer seemed to have a penchant for stopping anyone that looked latino-guess I fit that bill and so he assumed that he would be taking my car until it became evident that all my paperwork was in order-until that time when my innocence and right to drive were confirmed, he was brash, cocky and quite rude. This happened at Foothill and 35th.

The second time I was stopped was because some MBZ dont have a front license plate holder and so there is no front plate. The pair that stopped me told me that were going to search my car for illegal substances and like their predecessor, were forced to let me go-but not without calling 3 other patrol cars to assist them. This happened at Intl and 68th.

The third time was this past Friday at E. 21st and 14th. The officer told me that I was speeding but I wasnt and he told me that he needed to verify my ID and Insurance. After 45 mins he finally let me go.

Now, throughout my life I have never felt safer than with the OPD. As a person of color who lives in Suburbia, I can tell you that once I enter Oakland, I feel like I can let my guard down(Im guessing most people feel the opposite), that I can travel freely without fearing harrasement from cops. Many people from Oakland like me feel the same.

But lately I feel like the OPD has overstepped its authority. Which is why quite frankly, I wasnt really shocked to learn of this horrible event.

The killing of 4 officers is beyond contempt and Im glad to see that many in the part of Oakland where this occurred are seeing it for what it is-truly a sad day for all Oaklanders.

[jman650]

Originally Posted by Nella925

and just wearing a shirt and jeans is totally different from someone wearing a shirt that is blatantly racist, they are obviously looking for someone to say something.

I agree, but I was going for an extreme example to highlight my point. A better example would have been the KKK uniform of sheets. A person wearing that should expect an ass whoopin at the very least. Dressing like a thug will attract police attention, plain and simple. Its not about wearing hoodies by themselves, its about how you carry yourself, who you associate with, and whether or not you behave like you should when the cops are dealing with (or in this case getting killed by) criminals that you may be choosing to dress like. It's just like what goes on when one criminal is killed by another: they knew the rules of the game they were playing.

Again, I'm in no way unsympathetic toward people minding their own business and getting harassed or worse by cops simply because of how they dress. I'm just saying that if you know dressing a certain way will make you a target for the police, particularly in a high crime area, then you know what to expect. And the police would have absolutely no excuse to do this kind of stuff to anyone if there weren't so many fools committing so many crimes in the first place. People should be more mad at whoever is causing the cops to patrol their area so heavily and enforcing the "no snitching" rule.

[jman650]

Originally Posted by sav858

Then what do you see exactly? You don't seem to see what most people see apparently.

I am generalizing here and not saying that all criminals or thugs come in a a standard shape or form every time. But to deny they many have a certain look/demeanor/style of dress/etc is just naive at best.

Judging people by their initial appearance is fairly natural, you do it, I do it, most people out there do it.

If a group of black guys are dressed with baggy clothes, thug style dress then yes I will assume they are thugs. If they are dressed in normal fitting khaki's and a nice polo then I'd assume something else and the same goes with any race. I don't walk around with white socks up to my knees, Dickey shorts, a wife beater, and a blue or red bandanna b/c I wouldn't want people to assume I'm some cholo gangbanger. And if I did dress like that I wouldn't be blaming society or people for looking at me like possible gangbanger/thug.

EXACTLY!!! Most of these cats are dressing like this on purpose, and we all know this (at least we all should). They wanna look hard and thats why they're dressed like that. Of course there are some exceptions, but the vast majority, whether they're committing crimes or not, are dressed a certain way to look tough. Why is anyone pretending like this isn't the case?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Now by this do you mean gunning down innocent people? If that's the case I'm not sure they are in the right line of work.

No one is suggesting cops or anyone else gun down innocent people. Where did you get that idea and when did this happen??

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Well there you go. Since according to you prejudice is so "naturally" ingrained in the human psyche what reason is there to stop it? You can no more blame me for being naturally prejudiced against cops or whites as groups than I can blame you for being naturally prejudiced against whatever group you happen to be prejudiced against.

Sad world we live in, and like I said on the other forum, it's only gonna get worse before it even hopes to get better.

where did I say who is to blame for being prejudice? I said this is a natural thing, all of us have some prejudice..It is when we carry it to the extent of hate that it becomes damaging..

Nita

[jman650]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

I heard Bernie Madoff and his ilk were into Armani suits. Child molesters tend to be more modest though - jeans, T-shirt or polo, sometimes a cap, most likely a white male late-20's to late 40's. A rapist's selection can vary across the spectrum, so does that of drug users, pushers, etc.

Wow, way to sidestep the point and pretend you don't know what he was actually getting at, and the type of criminal he was referring to. Hood drug dealers and gangmembers are who he was referring to, not white-collar criminals or serial killers who look like anyone else or any other type of criminal who doesn't have a particular style of dress. Hood thugs do have a particular style of dress that varies from hood to hood. And you know this, so why not cut the crap?

Or you could take it further and try and discuss how soccer moms who talk on their cell phones while driving dress, or how drunk drivers dress, etc etc...Yes, we get it, there are other types of criminals. Yes, there are plenty of white criminals. You are correct. We are talking about a specific type of criminal who will attract negative attention from police, regardless of race, and not those that you've pointed out who dress in many various ways and do not fit into a particular profile. A white dude or an Asian dude can just as easily attract the same negative attention from the cops dressing and acting that way. I've known a pair just like that who got pulled over and harassed just passing through Hillsborough from 280, and since they didn't live there the cop messed with them. It happens.

[jman650]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

I don't hate cops - that's too much of a waste of my energy for people I don't particularly care for or respect right off the bat in the first place. The badge means nil to me. It no more prevents the guy wearing it from doing the wrong thing than wearing a suit or a polo can prevent one from criminality, whatever the form.

And you're wrong if you think the capacity for externalizing blame lies solely with the community. In fact, you've done plenty of externalizing yourself here on behalf of the other side. As I illustrated in an earlier post, nothing ever seems to be the fault of the police. It's always in the neighborhood, out there, with those people. Since they've "earned" a badge and a gat, cops can obviously do no wrong.

Well you seem to think they can obviously do no right, so there's really no point in even discussing this with you.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by E14

If more people would pull aks on cops, maybe they would stop interfering with the way people want to live their lives. Just a thought

Troll alert II . . .

[jman650]

Originally Posted by Nella925

what if 'thugs' started to wear polos and khakis...and 'anyone' who wore that would be considered a 'thug'...(I'm sorry even saying that sounds obsurd)
would you feel it necessary for you to stop wearing them???

I remember seeing a d-lsted celeb (who happened to be african american) and was with his son. His son was dressed in a 'track suit' it was not too big or too small, just right...but people still said 'why is he dressing his son like a hoodlum?' so are track suits or anything similar considered thug apparel too?

Actually they are, for a particular demographic. Ever watch the Sopranos? Track suits on dark-haired Italians/Sicilians are a mobster style. I don't think it would be for anyone else, but it is for them. Thugs can also wear suits, like Italian and Chinese mafia members. Your point is taken. If a burly white dude is dressed like a biker, he might also be asking for a certain level of negative attention. But it would be much less than the inner city thug-looking kid would be asking for because of an obvious difference in frequency of crime stats.

Can you at least agree that if a big-breasted woman is walking around the neighborhood in a bikini top that it will attract the attention of the men she walks by? Maybe provoking them to hit on her or stare at her chest? Or are you one of those people who would take the stance of faulting the men for their misinterpreting her intentions and her not deserving to be treated like a piece of meat?