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North Charleston is where most of the industrial companies are set up in the Charleston area. This includes the old Navy base, Kapstone, Boeing, and the Joint Base. However, it also includes a large area which has been the primary location for crime in the entire Charleston metro area for several years. A lot of this crime is drug related. Back 15 years ago, this was a city which people, businesses, and pretty much most people avoided. It was one of the most dangerous cities in America - top 10.
In the last 5-10 years, the police department and the city at the urging of local residents, put a ton of effort into cleaning up their own streets. The police department increased patrols, number of officers, and got a healthy increase in budget. The citizens, in particular, worked closely with the department to work with them to help turn their city around. It has been quite successful.
North Charleston is still, far and away, the most dangerous area of Charleston but since they started heavy policing, there have been enormous improvements such as loads of new business, new residential development, developing the city's downtown core (Park Circle), and as a result the crime rate has dropped.
When I say everyone gets pulled over in North Charleston for even the slightest infraction, that's not an exaggeration - it was a purposeful policy. It's worked to help reduce crime. The road Scott was pulled over on - Remount - used to be, prostitutes would stroll up and down it in the middle of the day. Drug dealers on the corner, etc Still not a good area, but not nearly as bad as it used to be.
More importantly, while the city formally has 100k residents, it's smack in the middle of other surrounding "cities" with no definable border between them unless you're crossing the rivers. To the east, down the neck of the peninsula is Charleston proper. Across the highway, you have Goose Creek and Hanahan. To the west, Ladson and then south, West Ashley. All of those touch North Charleston before the rivers create a separation for other towns such as Mt Pleasant, Daniel Island, etc. Point being, while 100k seems small, it's not indicative of the true population of the area. For one cop to get a reputation there would be absurd because there's just too many people.
The part that really upsets so many people here in Chas about what this POS cop did is how he is giving the whole department and a recovering city such a bad rep. They have been working really hard to make North Charleston a better place to live, work, and visit. They have been working with the community so they can have a safe place to live. This cop, who clearly NEVER should have been a cop given his inability to remain calm in a situation, has harmed the entire department and the city. But, given the way the population lives in this area, there's no way he earned some 'street' rep. It's just not practical or really too feasible.
Of note, I keep hearing the media going on about independent analysis of police shootings and saying should SC employ that. Um, it already does. Once again, the media gets it wrong. SLED, a state level independent agency, investigates cop shootings. Local police departments do not investigate their own, so to speak.
thanks! I just looked online and N.Charleston PD has 340 cops? That's a large number for a population of 100k. Maybe you know the answer to this, even in a large City like Oakland California (406,000 people 612 cops) the residents get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood (for better or worse) rather quickly. I looked at the N. Charleston PD website and it looks like they have 3 patrol bureaus and 12 beats, with a total of 165 officers assigned to patrol. It appears that assignments are pretty static within the divisions, so why wouldn't the people get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood?
I apologize for my 'suppositions' they are based on my own experience that an Officer who did what Slager usually has a reputation for doing other things, i.e. false arrests, harassment, etc. it would greatly surprise me if this was the first time he crossed the line of appropriate conduct for a Police Officer. Sorry if my comments were offensive to you!
Most departments are using the standard format now
Found
Unfounded
Unsubstantiated
Complaints are assigned by an ID number and cataloged
Phone.. in person..letter...all get assigned a number... whether its "he was rude to me"... to allegation of a crime
In our case the watch commander Lt grade and a field Sergent both have to sign off... whichever one does the interview of the complaintant.. complaint log goes electronically to Office of professional ethics... in the case of California.. the Promise computer,, accessible by Da..PDs...
Penal code section 832.5
Every copper knows this... its our career, house payment and freedom on the line
true if you are talking about California, but I am not sure what the protocol for complaints is where this occurred.
thanks! I just looked online and N.Charleston PD has 340 cops? That's a large number for a population of 100k. Maybe you know the answer to this, even in a large City like Oakland California (406,000 people 612 cops) the residents get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood (for better or worse) rather quickly. I looked at the N. Charleston PD website and it looks like they have 3 patrol bureaus and 12 beats, with a total of 165 officers assigned to patrol. It appears that assignments are pretty static within the divisions, so why wouldn't the people get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood?
I apologize for my 'suppositions' they are based on my own experience that an Officer who did what Slager usually has a reputation for doing other things, i.e. false arrests, harassment, etc. it would greatly surprise me if this was the first time he crossed the line of appropriate conduct for a Police Officer. Sorry if my comments were offensive to you!
Down here, it's not like you see in many areas, where you have cops who walk a beat, or whatever it's called. Because of the way the city is set up, cops are primarily in their squad cars here unless it's in Downtown Charleston (the peninsula). I've lived in the same house for over ten years and I couldn't tell you if my life depended on which cops are assigned to my 'area' but the police department as a whole, we've interacted with plenty (e.g. local fairs, programs with the schools, etc). I guess you could say the way it works down here is that the departments interact a lot with the citizens but you won't have people knowing specific cops or anything for their neighborhood.
Plus, over where Scott was pulled over, Remount intersects with Rivers which is more strip malls, lots of shopping, etc. That's where you would find one of the malls, Best Buy, Walmart, etc, etc. People will use Remount as a cut through road from other areas to avoid the highway. I'm pretty sure he lived in West Ashley. He didn't actually live in this neighborhood.
thanks! I just looked online and N.Charleston PD has 340 cops? That's a large number for a population of 100k. Maybe you know the answer to this, even in a large City like Oakland California (406,000 people 612 cops) the residents get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood (for better or worse) rather quickly. I looked at the N. Charleston PD website and it looks like they have 3 patrol bureaus and 12 beats, with a total of 165 officers assigned to patrol. It appears that assignments are pretty static within the divisions, so why wouldn't the people get to know the cops who work in their neighborhood?
I apologize for my 'suppositions' they are based on my own experience that an Officer who did what Slager usually has a reputation for doing other things, i.e. false arrests, harassment, etc. it would greatly surprise me if this was the first time he crossed the line of appropriate conduct for a Police Officer. Sorry if my comments were offensive to you!
I have lived in SC my entire life and with the exception of the time spent in college have lived in a neighboring county to Charleston and when you take out the one cop small towns (in which they do nothing but write tickets to anyone going 1mph over the speed limit, many times right at the speed limit sign), the LEOs that I know socially (which there are a fair number which most of the law enforcement bodies in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties including a couple who work for the NCPD), and the two county sheriff deputies that are at every event at the high school I went to (one of whom was my basketball coach when I was a kid and a friend of my dad's and the other who is the SRO at the high school) I don't know that I have ever seen the same police officer twice in my life.
Like southbel said earlier most cops here spend most of their time in their car, it is the nature of living in an area that is not densely populated. Even when I lived in Columbia and cops were out walking the side walks at night in the bar district I don't know that I saw the same cops on a routine basis or even twice (and I was out at least 4 nights a week for most of my college career). I was talking not to long ago to a friend from high school who works for the sheriffs department and he was telling me that he will work in one area for a little while and then another area for a little while after that.
I have never gotten the impression that around here people really build any type of relationship with the LEOs, sure you learn where you better slow down at or not talk on the phone, and what cops are ***holes (not to say that they will abuse their authority), or you strike up a conversation with an officer on duty at a ball game or festival (we do like to talk to strangers around here) or whatever but there is very little regularity in seeing the same cops in a real law enforcement capacity.
To the issue of the tragic death of Mr. Scott, I first want to say how incredibly impressed I was watching the press conference with his family the other night. While I have never had anyone close to me killed in such a horrible manner (or killed at all), I like most people know the pain of losing someone close to in a sudden manner and I can not even imagine being able to keep my composure the way I have seen them keep theirs at such a time, not only dealing with the sudden loss of a loved one but in such a horrible manner.
I would also like to say that, while you can say a lot of things about the state of South Carolina (especially when it comes to our history of race relations), I am proud that common sense has prevailed in the aftermath of this tragic incident, at least outside of the usual local race agitators and those seemingly from outside the state. Everyone (at least the the people I have talked to and comments seen on social media) here locally and state wide appears to be waiting for the justice system to run its course despite being sickened by the "apparent" actions of Slager (and I only say "apparent" actions in an attempt to let all the facts come to light, if the case were tried tomorrow with the facts that are public now you could have 12 white cops on the jury and I don't think there is any way that he isn't convicted on an appropriate charge). Things could have easily turned Ferguson-esque this week but cooler heads have prevailed (so far at least) and the "protest" that have taken place don't seem to be locally organized outside of the usual suspects and have been fairly non-disruptive. While people certainly have the right to protest peacefully doing so in a manner that really does nothing but pissing off people who had absolutely nothing with the injustice that has occurred like was being proposed earlier in the week by blocking the bridge between Charleston and Mt. Pleasant (both separate cities than North Charleston where the incident occurred for those of you who don't know) is just idiotic in my opinion. Protest (peacefully) all you want but don't harm innocent people while doing it.
There are some really sketchy areas of town where drug use and crime rates are very high and the area is seen as dangerous. If you go into such an area, you don't deserved to be robbed or assaulted, but if you avoid going into such an area, you decrease the likelihood of being victimized.
This man did NOT deserve to be shot. IMHO, the cop murdered him. However, it's still just a fact that had he stayed in his car and complied with the officer, he's most likely still be alive.
If I were confronted by a cop who was being an absolute jerk and hassling me for no reason, I'd be compliant and polite to help ensure the situation didn't escalate. Would I deserve to be hassled for no reason? No, but I will use common sense to keep the situation for getting worse.
Running from the cop was going to make the situation worse, even if it just meant he were also charged with flight or resisting arrest. It was a bad decision.
Once again, it appears to me the cop murdered this man and should be in prison for life.
Why is this killing getting 37 pages of thread, and wire to wire coverage? North Charleston, south side of Chicago and numerous similar areas are rife with slaying of black youths. By other blacks.
Where is Al Sharpton and extensive coverage and posting on these?
not true, most states have good samaritan laws which protect civilians who provide emergency care. If a professional administers first aid they can generally only be held liable if they acted in bad faith or with gross negligence. A public safety officer or paramedic not rendering aid are more in danger of being sued than one who does and fails.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2sleepy
If someone is dying they have an absolute obligation to render first aid until medics arrive, doesn't matter what department policy says, it's common sense and a personal liability attorney's dream case
Wrong on both accounts. Specifically in SC.
SECTION 15-1-310. Liability for emergency care rendered at scene of accident.
Any person, who in good faith gratuitously renders emergency care at the scene of an accident or emergency to the victim thereof, shall not be liable for any civil damages for any personal injury as a result of any act or omission by such person in rendering the emergency care or as a result of any act or failure to act to provide or arrange for further medical treatment or care for the injured person, except acts or omissions amounting to gross negligence or wilful or wanton misconduct.
i.e. You are not required to give aid. Second, you can still be sued for negligence of wilfull or wanton misconduct. In my post I clearly stated.... "If They Die". Being sued doesn't mean you will lose in court but that is irrelevant to point made.
Last edited by WaldoKitty; 04-11-2015 at 08:40 AM..
Why is this killing getting 37 pages of thread, and wire to wire coverage? North Charleston, south side of Chicago and numerous similar areas are rife with slaying of black youths. By other blacks.
Where is Al Sharpton and extensive coverage and posting on these?
Nice deflection buddy. You just contributed to the thread yourself.
Why aren't Bill O' Reilly and Rush talking about White on White crime?
Why aren't Bill O' Reilly and Rush talking about White on White crime?
Easy Answer: Because they are not race hucksters like Sharpton.
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