MAXINE WATERS, THE FEMALE AL SHARPTON

Maxine Waters, the female Al Sharpton, has long been recognized as the black Democratic Congresswoman from California who sees racism around every corner, under every rock and behind every bush. Waters is upset because police officers in Inglewood have killed some of her constituents. She wants the federal courts to oversee the Inglewood Police Department.

Here is how one police officer responded to her concerns:

“Once again, a politician using very little research and having no knowledge of crime and police operations speaks out and gets the Feds involved in something that should be a non-issue.

If Maxine Waters looked at Inglewood's total demographics she would realize that Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks is doing an excellent job. Crime in Inglewood is just barely above the national average while crime in cities with very similar demographics is two, and in many cases, three times the national average.

Police in Inglewood must deliver police services with about 56 percent of the officers they should have. Only 64 percent of the population has a high school diploma. The median household income is only $44,000 while it's $61,000 California-wide. The population is 95 percent minority with 45 percent Hispanic.

And, not wanting to be called a coward by Attorney General Eric Holder when it comes to talking about race, demographics identify Inglewood as being 46 percent black. As I said earlier those demographics normally identify with crime rates two to three times above the national average.

What the Justice Department should be doing is finding out what Chief Seabrooks is doing right, recommend other police chiefs around the country look at her operations, and telling Maxine Waters to ‘kiss off.’”

I could not have put it any better.

Here are some excerpts from an Associated Press report on this matter:

LAWMAKER MAY SEEK FED OVERSIGHT OF CALIF. COPS
Rep. Maxine Waters claims that Inglewood police have a ‘vague’ use-of-force policy

Associated Press
January 12, 2010

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A California congresswoman said she's alarmed by the number of people killed by Inglewood police and will look into getting a federal court to oversee the department.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, said she will inquire into a possible federal consent decree in the wake of U.S. Justice Department findings that the Inglewood department's use-of-force policies are vague, outdated and possibly unconstitutional.

"These deaths are the result of the failed policy," Waters told the Los Angeles Times for a story published Monday.

A Times investigation last year found that five of the 11 people shot and killed by Inglewood police between 2003 and 2008 were unarmed. They included a man stopped for public drinking who was shot in the back when an officer thought he was reaching for a gun, and a homeless man killed after reaching for a toy gun in his waistband.

The 220-member [Inglewood Police] force operates in a small city south of Los Angeles that is notorious for gang violence.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Eleven people killed by the police over a five year period dos not seem to be unreasonable for a city with the demographics of Inglewood. And the fact that five were unarmed should be no cause for alarm. If an officer believes that his life is in imminent danger, he should have every right to shoot someone, whether they are armed or not.