I think it is safe to say that, not only are we all upset about these situations, but others are as well. So what can be done to stop them or, if that is not possible, and I think it may not be, get them reduced? I have no idea.

Putting the light on them is probably the first step.

It's all I got, at least at the moment. Probably for a lot longer than that.

More generally . . . I think the problems -- where there are problems, and I think there's ample evidence that they're widespread, but nothing approaching universal -- are institutional, not individual.

A cop friend of mine and I had a discussion on the issue not too long ago.

"I've noticed that you don't point at [my agency]."

"Well, that's because I haven't seen any blatant stupidity or worse coming out of [there]."

Laugh. "You won't. The guys watch what they do, because the wouldn't want to let [the head of the agency] down."

Now, he may be right. I'm sure that's part of it. All of it? I dunno.

I know that when he was investigated for excessive use of force -- remember: at least many, and probably most such specific accusations against cops are bogus; the problem is the ones that aren't -- he wasn't aware of it until the investigator in a van caught him performing a routine arrest without so much as touching the perp. (I don't mean "failing to thump the perp", although he definitely didn't. I mean that, since the situation didn't require anything except a friggin' apology to get the perp to stop and submit to handcuffing and being seated in the back of a squad, that's what he did. Just good training, good character, and good workmanship -- a good cop uses the least amount of force necessary, not the most he can get away with. (The least amount of force necessary doesn't mean that he can't shoot a guy -- when that's necessary. Remember the crazed Somali with the machete that the MPD shot? You've heard zero, zip, and no criticism from me on that, because, sheesh, they surrounded him so that he couldn't hurt anybody else, and gave him every opportunity to put it down, and as far as I can tell, they had the choice of shooting him or getting chopped with a machete, and I don't think anybody except a training dummy has to put up with being hacked to death with a machete.)

When we talked about it, he used a phrase that another cop I know -- and respect; we're not personal friends, but I respect and like the guy a lot and we have a friendly, business/professional relationship -- uses a lot, and I said so.

He laughed. "Yeah. He's the guy who trained me in use of force."

It's a very small world.

Well, you are right there, Joel.

Monday night, I went out on a ride-along with a couple of 1st precinct (downtown) cops, and I was completely impressed with their professionalism, skills, and common sense. And not just the 2 guys I rode around with, but the foot beat cops, and even the young rookie manning the front desk. The way these guys handled belligerent or just sloppy drunks, used their heads and not just their muscles, to get the job done, filled me with the notion that the MPD is really working to put the bad ol' days behind them.

This is the kind of conscientious policing a modern city like ours needs.

How do we encourage the behavior we want and discourage the behavior we don't with the tools available?

It's a Carrot / Stick kinda thing with our only real tools being the light of public scrutiny and our ever vigilant attention. That's all well and good for pointing out transgressions. How do we make sure we're prominently commenting on GOOD practices? Both as an example for others to emulate and a balance to the cries of Cop Bashing.

If we're going to ardently root out the Isolated Incidents, are we also well advised to point out exceptional and Isolated incidents of Good police work just as prominently?

It makes a whole lot of sense to me.

Works for me, as described. (I do think it needs to be exceptional good police work; folks who want to see standard, generally good, police work can just watch COPS. I think there's about three hours of that on every day.)

I'd really rather not see a lot of basic, ordinary good cop stuff; I think it's demeaning to good cops to praise them for just doing the basics of the job; we are talking about exceptional stuff -- at least arguably "above and beyond the call", and all, yes?

And, that said, let's not have much expectations; I really, really doubt that the "Isolated Incidents" forum has exactly made a huge impact on bad behavior, even locally. (I think it may have made a very limited, mild one. Maybe. But perhaps that's just hope talking.)

Don't expect a lot, eh? I can guarantee that it won't stop whines from the various pinnacles of badgelicking hysteria [Ed.: Joel, you've got to stop holding yourself back so much] that criticizing bad behavior by bad cops constitutes "cop bashing."

Suggested title? I'm tempted to go with Good Cop Stuff, but I think that seems a little off. "On the Job"?

I'll go with the latter, and if somebody starts with Charlie Adams -- the highly-respected MPD homicide cop who apologized to the family slimed by Lieutenant Huffman, and got a punitive transfer as his award from the MPD -- that'd be fine with me.

Yeah, there it gets complicated by a comple things:

a) barring a crime committed against us, most of us are not going to come into contact with police much. Aside from a couple regulars who come in for coffee at my second job, I have ZERO casual contact with police. Perhaps a ride-along is in order.

b) Just as it takes a pretty egregious act to make Isolated Incidents, it should also be a high bar for the good.

Though on balance, pointing out good attitudes, good practices, comments and interactions that indicate a good approach ... Is it pandering to their attention or is it positive reinforcement and letting everyone know we notice and appreciate the good as much as we despise the bad.

This is a working thought and is in development. Thought I'd throw it out and see what we come up with.

Well, we can think about it; but On The Job is already up.

That said, I don't find (at least most) isolated incidents by being there; there's plenty of reporting of good cop stuff, too, and pointing to that is just fine.

Original reporting? Sure, if you've got any. I guess I could talk about how Joe Roman got a 30-day rip for not shooting a kid, and -- justifiably -- bragged about it, (and also arranged a transfer to a different unit) but that's thirty years ago and 1200 miles away.