Even if a person is bat-shit crazy and actively trying to kill people, SFPD cops are expected to “talk him down” or otherwise defuse the situation without using force, and because they still shoot people, especially blacks, it cost Chief Greg Suhr his job
By Bob Walsh
Greg Suhr was the Chief of Police of the City and County of San Francisco until yesterday. Mayor Ed Lee asked for his resignation and received it. Walking a tight rope is a hard thing to do.
San Francisco is certainly the largest liberal bastion on the west coast. Much of the population, and many of the elected officials, hates cops. They hate that cops exist in the world, though they have to play nice with the police officer’s union because they love unions, and the money the unions give them to enable them to buy votes.
The SFPD is kind of schizoid. They refuse to allow officers to carry Tasers, but hate it when the cops actually shoot people, even if the shootings are 100% justified. Even if the person shot is bat-shit crazy and actively trying to kill people they want the cops to “talk him down” or otherwise defuse the situation without using force. (How about phasers on stun? Oh, that’s right. They don’t exist.)
The triggering incident for Suhr’s departure was the fact that a SFPD Sergeant shot and killed a 27-year old woman in a stolen car. The woman was black. Apparently shooting a person of color in San Francisco creates an automatic assumption that the shooter is a vicious racist bastard, regardless of the accompanying circumstances. Nobody is even pretending that the facts are in from the Thursday morning shooting, the fact that it happened is enough.
The new acting chief, Toney Chaplin, was the deputy chief for Professional Standards and Principled Policing.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Perhaps it would help if at the start of each shift they sprinkle all the cops with fairy dust. I understand there's heaps of it in Sodom and Gomorrah - err, San Francisco, that is.
1 comment:
BGB once asked me why I never aspired to be a Chief of Police.
A Chief's job is a no win situation in any department. Instead of one or two bosses, you have to answer to the Mayor, each City Council member and committees made up to make the police department's job more difficult. Even in a civil service department there is no job protection for the Chief, because he or she is not covered under civil service. Most Chiefs last three to five years or one election cycle. It is a thankless job that usually ends with being fired. After tenure as Chief, you can usually count your friends on one hand. Not to mention your continued testimony in countless civil suits that were filed while you Chief.
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