Phoenix In The News.....

[gimmethesimplelife]

I'm sure some of you have by now heard about the DOJ investigation of the Phoenix PD announced last Thursday. In the interest of avoiding controversy, I will refrain from posting what I think of the Phoenix PD, something of which I have previously made clear numerous times. My intent posting this is to cover a different angle - after all these years I am utterly stunned that this finally happened.

Moving beyond the Phoenix PD - I wonder which PD's, if any, are next? I also wonder what the DOJ's qualifying criteria for an investigation of a PD are. Rob

[JaneV2.0]

If I recall correctly, the DOJ investigated the Seattle PD, and found many areas of concern. Nothing much has changed, as far as I can tell. Both the federal DOJ and the Oregon Justice Department have investigated the Portland PD with the same result.

[iris lilies]

There are there are all kinds of DOJ investigations. This one took place after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Pages 27 and 28 clearly lay out what happened, specified even by a felon who didn’t want to be a “snitch. “

But no matter, these factual Accounts telling that Mike Brown was wrestling with the officer were not enough to counter “hands up don’t shoot” narrative that is now popular.

https://www.justice.gov/sites/defaul...el_brown_1.pdf

[Yppej]

I think the criteria are high profile case(s) that grab media and public attention.

[Alan]

In the interest of avoiding controversy.....

You've been saying that a lot lately as you create threads that you think may become controversial. Why not be honest and just tell us what you think?

[gimmethesimplelife]

You've been saying that a lot lately as you create threads that you think may become controversial. Why not be honest and just tell us what you think?

I'm done bashing, Alan. I bring this up not to be controversial but because it's huge news. Perhaps there will be changes. Likely high level firings and resignations. I personally never thought I'd live to see such an investigation....and BOOM, last Thursday this investigation is announced. The Phoenix City Council is claiming it had no idea this was coming until 2 hours before it was announced to the public. A big reason I post this too is I wonder what specifically triggered it? Rob

[Alan]

I'm done bashing, Alan. I bring this up not to be controversial but because it's huge news. Perhaps there will be changes. Likely high level firings and resignations. I personally never thought I'd live to see such an investigation....and BOOM, last Thursday this investigation is announced. The Phoenix City Council is claiming it had no idea this was coming until 2 hours before it was announced to the public. A big reason I post this too is I wonder what specifically triggered it? Rob

From what I've read it is primarily a response to several lawsuits filed recently by protestors and rioters who believe they were unfairly targeted by police. What makes you think there will be high level resignations and firings?

[gimmethesimplelife]

From what I've read it is primarily a response to several lawsuits filed recently by protestors and rioters who believe they were unfairly targeted by police. What makes you think there will be high level resignations and firings?

One reason I am so surprised regarding this DOJ investigation - Minneapolis has the face of the late George Floyd to serve as instant recognition to it's policing issues. Louisville to some degree has the late Breonna Taylor's image to serve as instant recognition to it's policing issues. In Phoenix there have been numerous LEO issues but no face to serve as instant recognition. About the firings and resignations - I am thinking Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams will soon be tendering her resignation. There is video and audio of her basically not taking the Challenge Coin Scandal seriously at all - a scandal in which Phoenix PD officers actually made commemerative (sp?) coins commemmerating (sp?) instances of Phoenix PD police brutality. When this goes more public and video is released proving her non-response - I don't believe she will be sticking around very long. As to other resignations - there have been so many scandals and illegal actions brought to light - if a true investigation is really done, a number of PD officers will likely resign before being forced out as names and actions are brought forth into the harsh light of public scrutiny AND with no legal justification for these actions.

Should be an interesting time in Phoenix. I don't believe the DOJ investigation will create a utopia here in the Urban South Central Deserts of Arizona - but I do believe there will be some long overdue change and some level of reform - and more and more and more retaliatory lawsuits against the Phoenix PD. A long overdue and well earned PR nightmare has just arrived at the Phoenix PD - it will be very entertaining to watch the upcoming twisting and squirming of the Phoenix PD as facts are brought to light.

Without bashing the Phoenix PD, all I will say is that it's hard to smother my grin these days though in the workplace I do. It's true that I can not know how this investigation will turn out - true that - but Alan, even with your being pro-police, can you not grasp that where there is this level of smoke, there tends to be legit fire? We'll see with time I guess.

And to lead into one of the reasons I posted this in the first place - I still wonder what exactly triggers such an investigation? I have been writing letters off and on for years along with occassional calls and emails with no real hope of any DOJ action - and out of nowhere an investigation is announced and as I said above, Phoenix and it's LEO issues lack the instantly recognizable faces that Minneapolis and Louisville have. Rob

[iris lilies]

perhaps the “face” is Bruce Franks. Haha.

My former Missouri House of Representatives from urban St. Louis, Bruce Franks, is a vagabond inciter of riots. Having gained notoriety in the Ferguson riots, he has since taken up professional rioting and travels to hotspots to make them hotter.

anyway—he was arrested in Phoenix last year but charges were dropped against him. Not only a professional rioter, he is a professional victim as well and is suing the Phoenix PD for a couple $ million.

[gimmethesimplelife]

perhaps the “face” is Bruce Franks. Haha.

My former Missouri House of Representatives from urban St. Louis, Bruce Franks, is a vagabond inciter of riots. Having gained notoriety in the Ferguson riots, he has since taken up professional rioting and travels to hotspots to make them hotter.

anyway—he was arrested in Phoenix last year but charges were dropped against him. Not only a professional rioter, he is a professional victim as well and is suing the Phoenix PD for a couple $ million.

Morning, IL. You have brought up this Bruce Franks once before in a thread regarding our worlds colliding some time ago before I dropped the zip code posts and the SJW posts, of which I do not consider this one to be. This really IS news, at least locally, that may (or may not, to be fair) have significant long term impact upon the fifth largest US city (Phoenix is #5 now and the metro area is now more populous than Metro Boston I'm told).

I've asked around before after your original post in regards to this man and it seems that other activists have not heard of him - but I also did not speak to every activist in the city, granted here and now. Rob