tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post835372609518940674..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: With safety costs rising, why won't Austin use new citation authority for low-level offenses?Gritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-39109564951535029232008-07-27T13:08:00.000-05:002008-07-27T13:08:00.000-05:00"Criminals are called bad guys for a reason. That ..."Criminals are called bad guys for a reason. That is because they don't obey the law."<BR/><BR/>Except when the "Law" is wrong and the enforcers are the "Bad" guys.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-781039960418329022008-07-26T22:13:00.000-05:002008-07-26T22:13:00.000-05:00Who said "colored people"? I believe the term use...Who said "colored people"? I believe the term used was "people of color". Isn't this the current PC phrase?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-90282264609911793282008-07-26T17:04:00.000-05:002008-07-26T17:04:00.000-05:00This is for all you racist people.When you say col...This is for all you racist people.When you say colored people and the white people.You learn this at an early age at school,White is a color also, it also works both ways.But people didn't talk about that do they.<BR/><BR/>From The Little Green ManAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-78931081220701682172008-07-25T23:58:00.000-05:002008-07-25T23:58:00.000-05:00"The problem is that in Austin, there is no eviden..."The problem is that in Austin, there is no evidence that people of color are committing more crimes than Whites. The highest theft rate is in 78704 - a White part of town."<BR/> <BR/>What part of town has the most murders and robberies? The eastside. You know this as well as I do. Whenever there is a very violent crime, I hear about places called Riverside, Burton, Rundberg, Montopolis.<BR/><BR/>The reason there are so many thefts ( a non-violent crime) on the westside is because that's where the wealthy folks (ie: targets) live. Who gets arrested for those thefts? Folks from the eastside who come over to commit the crimes.<BR/><BR/>Wake up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-86667046330491262382008-07-25T20:32:00.000-05:002008-07-25T20:32:00.000-05:00I must be missing something. What happens when a d...I must be missing something. What happens when a defendant who "is ordered to appear at a J.P.court" fails to appear? How do you prove their identity if they have never given fingerprints or been photographed? Criminals are called bad guys for a reason. That is because they don't obey the law. Many people who have major felony warrants are caught because they commit a minor offense. So, you arrest a bad guy and then ask him to pretty please obey an order to go turn himself in. Do you think a bad guy is going to run turn himself in when he knows he has a felony warrant outstanding. Like it or not, this is the problem and it is why the vast majority of law enforcement rejects this scheme.<BR/><BR/>Also, Travis County talks about the distance and time it takes to travel to book someone. If this is such a problem and Travis thinks they don't need to arrest these people, then why don't they just use the age old process of "at large" filing. The defendant in an "at large" case never gets arrested until formal charges are filed in court. By that time they have a lawyer lined up and, in a minor case, get a bond and usually never see the jail for any length of time. Of course, the identity issues are still present but in typical "at large" cases the police have sufficient identifiers for the defendant. If Travis is willing to write citation and release Defendants, then filing "at large" should be no different. Get good identifiers and file at large.<BR/><BR/>Finally, if the damn case is so minor and it is so much trouble, then the officer has discretion to just let the defendant go. Happens all of the time. For example, young kids get stopped with marijuana and the cop lets them go. But, once an officer decides to arrest for an offense then people need to follow the booking process. If you want integrity in the system then there are just certain things that have to be done. Otherwise, you are going to have a lot of innocent people arrested because a criminal has stolen their identity and used it to get out of a crime by presenting false identification to the officer. Then when the criminal fails to appear in court a warrant will be issued for the innocent victim of the identity theft.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes accuracy is more important than speed and efficiency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47811366163075047232008-07-24T21:46:00.000-05:002008-07-24T21:46:00.000-05:00I think solving Part 1 violent crimes has more to ...I think solving Part 1 violent crimes has more to do with adequate numbers of investigative officers / detectives available to follow up on reports taken by the patrol / beat officers. <BR/><BR/>Also, if the goal is to save gas, simply mandate that cops turn off their cars while on a scene that doesn't require emergency lighting. Too many times an officer is out somewhere and simply leaves the vehicle idling. <BR/><BR/>With all that said, the legislature needs to be more forceful next session in making sure this is implemented and the discretion to cite or arrest is put in the hands of the officer, not the DA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-29370168620251511482008-07-24T19:14:00.000-05:002008-07-24T19:14:00.000-05:00I feel sure Anon at 4:17 does not consider him/her...I feel sure Anon at 4:17 does not consider him/herself a member of the "criminal class".<BR/><BR/>Of course he/she has never had a traffic ticket either. I also expect they have never violated traffic laws without being cought. In a pig's eye!!! <BR/><BR/>Failure to obey traffic laws is a crime. Do it turns out that in fact, he/she is a member of the "criminal class" after all.<BR/><BR/>I wonder how long it will be before they are picked up in order to avoid the next big crime. Such unabashed arrogance should be rewarded after all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-51017882523560907012008-07-24T18:36:00.000-05:002008-07-24T18:36:00.000-05:00"The types of people who break "small laws" are th..."The types of people who break "small laws" are the same types that commit felonies."<BR/><BR/>That's just not true, even remotely, for the offenses covered under HB 2391, which are:<BR/><BR/>* Marijuana possession, (up to 4 oz)<BR/>* Criminal mischief with less than $500 damage<BR/>* Graffiti with less than $500 damage<BR/>* Theft by check with less than $500 stolen<BR/>* Theft of service with less than $500 stolen<BR/>* Contraband in a corrections facility (B misd. only)<BR/>* Driving With an Invalid LicenseGritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-70775234136841694142008-07-24T16:17:00.000-05:002008-07-24T16:17:00.000-05:00The types of people who break "small laws" are the...The types of people who break "small laws" are the same types that commit felonies.<BR/><BR/>Might as well pick up these members of the "criminal class" before they do the next big crime.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-20147263617035516822008-07-24T12:14:00.000-05:002008-07-24T12:14:00.000-05:00And if the number of crimes were reduced?The "Brok...And if the number of crimes were reduced?<BR/><BR/>The "Broken Windows" approach to law enforcement has always been dependent upon society having an economy strong enough to produce 'expendable income' to be spent in what amounts to a net loss for that society. <BR/><BR/>Well, we ain't that rich a country anymore. It's time to decide what we can afford to lock people up for, and what we can't. So, who will it be? Anybody that you're 'mad at' for putting something in their bodies you don't approve of, or somebody who's a serial murderer\rapist\child molester? <BR/><BR/>The fiscal reality is already howling at the door...and it's getting hungrier by the minute...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41869218208241614022008-07-24T11:55:00.000-05:002008-07-24T11:55:00.000-05:00The problem is that in Austin, there is no evidenc...The problem is that in Austin, there is no evidence that people of color are committing more crimes than Whites. The highest theft rate is in 78704 - a White part of town. Illegal drugs are used by people who have white, brown and black skin at the same rate. Yet the criminal justice system comes down unequally on people of color.<BR/><BR/>Shouldn't the law treat people equally for the same behavior?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-198883971906498932008-07-24T11:12:00.000-05:002008-07-24T11:12:00.000-05:00Does an officer commit racial profiling if he arre...Does an officer commit racial profiling if he arrests an individual that makes up the majority of the race in his district? I'm sick of people that are "CRIMINALS" throwing the race card out as an excuse for THEIR lack of restraint. If they can't "WORK" like the rest of us, and continue their criminal trade of theft, drug dealing, robbery, murder, etc...Then they deserve to be arrested for THEIR crime!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-19281488937362343482008-07-24T09:27:00.000-05:002008-07-24T09:27:00.000-05:00I hear what your saying on the profiling having po...I hear what your saying on the profiling having potential to get worse with emphasized discretion. That's why I've been calling --under my ACLU-TX chapter hat-- for the chief to institute a yearly check on officer's profiling numbers and implement into his new disciplinary matrix individual accountability.<BR/><BR/>And if he doesn't check on them, you know I'm not afraid of submitting open records requests on all 1400+ of them!<BR/><BR/>You can see more suggestions for the chief to implement and my report card on his first year at debmocracy.statesmanblogs.comDebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01654599360807767386noreply@blogger.com