TheAgitator.com
Univ. of Maryland Speech Last Night
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009Last night’s event at Maryland went well. Not a huge showing, but about 30 people turned out. Here’s a write-up from a campus newspaper.
I learned a couple of new things from Mayor Cheye Calvo’s presentation. The first is that we’re now nine months removed from the raid on his home, and he still hasn’t been given a copy of the police report. Nine months later, and they still won’t give an innocent man the report describing how and why his home was invaded, his pets slaughtered, and his family terrorized.
Calvo also said that there’s a provision in the SWAT team transparency bill he was able to push through the Maryland legislature this year that specifically requires police departments to report when they killed a household pet during a raid. He said that in addition to opposing the transparency bill in general, Maryland’s police organizations waged a second campaign aimed specifically at getting the pet provision removed from the bill. I found that interesting.
I also spoke with a woman from a Maryland dog owners organization who said she’s been trying for years to get the state’s police departments to tell her how many dogs are shot by police officers. Despite the state’s relatively strong open-records laws, they’ve refused to turn the information over to her. I’ll have more on her efforts a bit later.
It’s really a War on Dogs.
When are the people gonna realize?
Despite the state’s relatively strong open-records laws, they’ve refused to turn the information over to her. I’ll have more on her efforts a bit later.
What right do they have to refuse any request for information that’s part of the public record?
I think the bill is an excellent start. There’s a lot more that needs to be done to fix the problem of military raids on houses, but this is a good start. I don’t know if it’ll have the effect of curbing police actions to prevent public outcry, or if the disclosures will lead to public outcry that forces more change upon law enforcement. Again, I am glad that Mr. Calvo has been brave enough to take on this issue, and hopefully other states will also adopt measures of their own.
I’d like to see a fuckin’ police chief write on the blackboard a thousand times, “What can we do to help?”, a concept apparently foreign to them. Someone needs to help those morons understand that it’s not them against us and that their mission is to “serve and protect” not cover up and resist.
Did the Calvo story ever get ANY national coverage at all? If not, that speaks volumes about the ineptitude and corruption of the media. That story, more than almost any other I can think of, proves we live in a police state.
#5: Wikipedia lists sources with the Baltimore Sun, USA Today, and a fair amount of Washington Post articles. One USA Today article isn’t really widespread national coverage, but the Post is well-read outside of the DC area.
#5: It got quite a bit of coverage. It was the lead story on the BBC the day after it happened. Calvo was also on CNN a few times talking about the raid.
I wonder if there would’ve been greater turnout if the event would’ve been sponsored by more mainstream organizations… I think a lot of people automatically just aren’t receptive to dialogue coming from any sources considered ‘radical’.
Yet another reason why it should be illegal for government employees and organizations to form unions and lobby legislatures. Police and teachers unions in particular are scum-sucking bottom feeders that should be disbanded by law.
Referencing one of the new things Radley learned from Mayor Cheye Calvo’s presentation ie…that we’re now nine months removed from the raid on his home, and he still hasn’t been given a copy of the police report.
It was almost a full year…before we were able to read…(although we made numerous requests all along…for reports and information from them…we never received any) along with the public at large…the police chief’s report…to the Fairfax County community…on what they said happened…that resulted in the unjust shooting…and killing…of my son.
The report defied reason…and left many questions unanswered.
In order to obtain the same information…that was apparently the basis…used to draw the conclusions of that report…and recognizing…that they had no intention…of being forthcoming with it…we were left with no recourse but to file suit…which in turn… would give us access…but it was still with difficulty.
Mr. Calvo may have to take the same route…in order to get the information he is seeking.
I wish him well.
http://www.justiceforsal.com
Radley,
Don’t feel too bad about turnout. Yesterday was still a nice day out. Have it today instead, and attendance might’ve doubled. I had planned to go and take the missus, but I’ve been working 13-hour days of late and didn’t have the time.
I love the second comment in the Diamondback story. I want to believe it is a fake comment by someone who is trying to make cop supporters look like giant tools.
Or it’s a real comment that makes cop supporters look like giant tools.
Like the unions opposing secret ballots…
What possible justification can a person give to keep “the number of pets killed” a secret? What is the reason?
I can’t think of one!
Maybe I missed something, but isn’t there some sort of requirement that any time an officer discharges his weapon in the line of duty there needs to be a report of some sort? Am I just naive?
Thanks for stopping by, Mrs. C.
Re: the turnout — A couple of friends and I had planned to go (including one guy who lives about a block down from Calvo) but we’re all up to our eyes in end-of-the-semester due dates. Sorry we missed it.
David -”What right do they have to refuse any request for information that’s part of the public record?”
None but who’s going to make them turn them over? Do you see what we have here? There is no authority higher than the local police if no one is willing to force them to comply with the law, and of course no one is.
JS:
It comes down to a JUDGE forcing the police to behave.
For some reason, judges usually side with the police and prosecutors.
Why? Many if not most judges come from the Prosecutorial ranks.
I agree Whim, judges and cops are both a part of the legal establishment and the state usually sides with their own. That’s why judges just rubber stamp any warrant the cops bring to them now, basically rendering null and void the whole 4th amendment thing about unreasonable search and seizure.