Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, because we are not cops who swore to uphold the law. I dont see what difference it makes if it's $15 or $240. As a cop she will regularly be entrusted with evidence worth a lot more. If she would take $5, I certainly wouldn't trust her with the loot from a drug raid. And if broke her oath, how can you trust anything else she says.
I don't think it should be too much to expect our policemen to not break the law
What's that got to do with pulling the trigger on final judgement before knowing all the facts? And who is the "we" you are referring to? The holier than thou? So not being a cop gives you justification for being a holier than thou judge, jury and executioner without facts? Um, be my guest but you're delusional if you think that's anything short of arrogance. But then, that was already abundantly clear now wasn't it.
Cops are human just like you. We don't hire androids to police our screwed up society. You don't know what happened here or what her situation is. You've concluded that this one incident defines her entire life and being, even though it probably does not and there are probably other factors involved. And while I have not condoned her actions in any measure, fully unpacking these types of situations and how they should be handled requires all the facts and a thought process that goes beyond your black and white perspective. Those who make the serious decisions have had to go trough that nuanced process. It's interesting that these posts even attract the cop haters from the RI room. lol
Last edited by bostongymjunkie; 08-18-2023 at 05:13 AM..
I thought the "Found Wallet" was a classic trap/test for cops?
Cadets are told ad nauseam not to fall for it, just turn it in.
The problem I see is she will never be trusted, she knows it and her superiors and co-workers know it. What is left for her? She will wait an appropriate amount of time and file a disability claim. Firing her now would be for cause and prevent future problems.
I thought the "Found Wallet" was a classic trap/test for cops?
Cadets are told ad nauseam not to fall for it, just turn it in.
The problem I see is she will never be trusted, she knows it and her superiors and co-workers know it. What is left for her? She will wait an appropriate amount of time and file a disability claim. Firing her now would be for cause and prevent future problems.
I'm going to guess that the underlying facts don't support discharge and that after a lengthy and costly process civil service would order her reinstatement. There may be underlying health issues involved with this person that call for a rehabilitation plan and progressive development/disciplinary personnel plan. We have people leading this country (and the free world) who blatantly lie to us and lie under oath as they drive the nation into the ground and walk away with millions. I'm much more concerned with that level of deterioration in society than a person like this who has made what was likely an isolated mistake. And if it's not isolated it will catch up with her. She didn't lie under oath or hurt anyone as far as I know. People are redeemable in most cases. Even the holier than thou.
I'm going to guess that the underlying facts don't support discharge and that after a lengthy and costly process civil service would order her reinstatement. There may be underlying health issues involved with this person that call for a rehabilitation plan and progressive development/disciplinary personnel plan. We have people leading this country (and the free world) who blatantly lie to us and lie under oath as they drive the nation into the ground and walk away with millions. I'm much more concerned with that level of deterioration in society than a person like this who has made what was likely an isolated mistake. And if it's not isolated it will catch up with her. She didn't lie under oath or hurt anyone as far as I know. People are redeemable in most cases. Even the holier than thou.
I'm only commenting from my experience and perspective. Police have to power to suspend your 4th amendment rights. That is an enormous amount of power for one citizen to have over another. Anyone who has ever had to follow a police officer's orders can attest to the helpless feeling of being under the control of another human. It cannot be taken lightly.
This officer broke their oath. They will never be a strong witness in any trial thus, she cannot do her job. I can imagine a defense attorney saying 'Aren't you the officer who stole cash from a found wallet? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, can we trust anything this officer has to say?'
All of this is on her, and yes, people can change. No one is saying to crucify her, just that this job is not for her.
I'm only commenting from my experience and perspective. Police have to power to suspend your 4th amendment rights. That is an enormous amount of power for one citizen to have over another. Anyone who has ever had to follow a police officer's orders can attest to the helpless feeling of being under the control of another human. It cannot be taken lightly.
This officer broke their oath. They will never be a strong witness in any trial thus, she cannot do her job. I can imagine a defense attorney saying 'Aren't you the officer who stole cash from a found wallet? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, can we trust anything this officer has to say?'
All of this is on her, and yes, people can change. No one is saying to crucify her, just that this job is not for her.
I respect your perspective and I am also commenting from experience and perspective. First of all, I've never felt "helpless" generally following a police officer's orders and I don't understand that sentiment. That of course could be different from the perspective of someone who is engaged by a police officer acting unlawfully during the encounter, but that's a tiny statistical fraction of interactions in this country. That said, there are those who behave unprofessionally and that's a higher percentage so I agree some people have different experiences with police but the stats just don't support high levels of corruption. I own my feelings, they are not the responsibility of groups of others.
It should also be noted that there has been no criminal charge, no court review, and no criminal conviction in this case and it involves personal not professional misconduct. Nor has the person shown a pattern of lying or deception on the job. As such, I think a defense attorney might face a challenge in getting such a statement admitted in court. I think her behavior in this instance was terrible and I would feel uneasy if I were her partner. That said, I don't know her and I don't know her situation. We don't know if this is a pattern of behavior, but I'm guessing it isn't.
Last edited by bostongymjunkie; 08-18-2023 at 08:00 AM..
What's that got to do with pulling the trigger on final judgement before knowing all the facts? And who is the "we" you are referring to? The holier than thou? So not being a cop gives you justification for being a holier than thou judge, jury and executioner without facts? Um, be my guest but you're delusional if you think that's anything short of arrogance. But then, that was already abundantly clear now wasn't it.
Cops are human just like you. We don't hire androids to police our screwed up society. You don't know what happened here or what her situation is. You've concluded that this one incident defines her entire life and being, even though it probably does not and there are probably other factors involved. And while I have not condoned her actions in any measure, fully unpacking these types of situations and how they should be handled requires all the facts and a thought process that goes beyond your black and white perspective. Those who make the serious decisions have had to go trough that nuanced process. It's interesting that these posts even attract the cop haters from the RI room. lol
I started a thread earlier in the month about $500 cash I found in the street - no ID or wallet - just cash, and the 'holier than thou' here skewered me.
Now I'm a lowlife thief. lo
With that being said (and I'm no cop-hater), it was pretty bad judgement for her, as a cop, to not give everything back to the person who lost it. I wouldn't label her a scumbag for the rest of her life, though.
She may just have had a moment of weakness. And, to be honest, I don't know if I'd always be a saint around money if I was a cop.
I'm going to guess that the underlying facts don't support discharge and that after a lengthy and costly process civil service would order her reinstatement. There may be underlying health issues involved with this person that call for a rehabilitation plan and progressive development/disciplinary personnel plan. We have people leading this country (and the free world) who blatantly lie to us and lie under oath as they drive the nation into the ground and walk away with millions. I'm much more concerned with that level of deterioration in society than a person like this who has made what was likely an isolated mistake. And if it's not isolated it will catch up with her. She didn't lie under oath or hurt anyone as far as I know. People are redeemable in most cases. Even the holier than thou.
My problem with this approach is that unlike say a DUI or getting into a scuffle at a bar, stealing is very unlikely to be a one time lapse in judgement. I truly believe the saying "one a thief, always a thief", and that any adult unable to keep their hands off of other people's money likely suffers from a lifetime character flaw. If I know of somebody stealing (no matter how big or how small), I am probably never going to trust that person again no matter the circumstances.
My problem with this approach is that unlike say a DUI or getting into a scuffle at a bar, stealing is very unlikely to be a one time lapse in judgement. I truly believe the saying "one a thief, always a thief", and that any adult unable to keep their hands off of other people's money likely suffers from a lifetime character flaw. If I know of somebody stealing (no matter how big or how small), I am probably never going to trust that person again no matter the circumstances.
I've seen too many examples in my life that contradict this sentiment to know that it's just not true. While there is a segment of the population that have truly criminal minds, they are the minority. There's no evidence this person has a criminal mind and it's jut unlikely to be the case here. In most cases what we see is criminal behavior based on opportunity or bad judgement influenced by external factors such as addiction, mental health or other influences. Good people can do bad things is a theme I've see repeated over the years. I've also seen good people be influenced by things like alcohol or compulsive gambling that, when combined with "opportunity," can lead those otherwise good people to make bad decisions because the decisions were not made by the sober rational individual but by the external influence. Deal with the problem and the bad decisions miraculously disappear in most cases. Don't know what this person's situation is but given the lack of any history as evidenced by her prior life, I'm not convinced she's a hardened thief but a troubled individual. Of course, once a person becomes aware of these issues the burden is on them to accept responsibility and deal with them.
If she was suspended that means an internal investigation was done. This incident occurred in August of last year and restitution was made shortly thereafter. No information on how much money other than it was under $250. Could have been $240 or $15. Nobody knows any of the details. She deserves punishment of some kind--probably more than 90 days on the street--but nobody here knows enough about it to say she should have been charged criminally or terminated. But that's the nature of discussion boards where holier than thou people love to play judge, jury and executioner without many facts, and from the comfort of their homes.
Rebecca? Is that you???
As a private citizen, I would never take cash out of a wallet that I found, I would hand it to the nearest cop, hence the seriousness of this if it is true. 1 dollar or 1 million dollars, makes no difference. If she took anything out of that wallet, besides some identification so the wallet could be returned to its owner, she should be fired.
As an actual citizen of Boston, I don't want her in our police ranks.
Last edited by Mr. Joshua; 08-18-2023 at 12:05 PM..
As a private citizen, I would never take cash out of a wallet that I found, I would hand it to the nearest cop, hence the seriousness of this if it is true. 1 dollar or 1 million dollars, makes no difference. If she took anything out of that wallet, besides some identification so the wallet could be returned to its owner, she should be fired.
As an actual citizen of Boston, I don't want her in our police ranks.
So you think that insulting my integrity because I have a more nuanced perspective on this makes for a strong argument? I think not. I've made my points in detail and have condemned the behavior. I'm also an actual Boston resident. Carry on, hero.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
