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Berkeley moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops

Lord Tammerlain said:
They would be like meter maids or transit security in many places. Have the authority to write tickets, but not much else. Lower pay, lower risk. If someone is threatening them have them trained to get in their vehicle and leave the situation rather than confront them. Then the police can be called on the person who did the threatening and if required arrest that person.

Treat traffic violations like parking violations,. Heck a lot of speeding tickets are given by photo radar now
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Sure, for parking tickets.

So... can you point to ONE time where a police officer whose job it is to write parking tickets shot and killed an innocent black man - or anyone?

Treat DUI like a parking ticket?
 
And you think police aren't answering calls now?
 
Defund police has become disarm police too.
 
joko104 said:
Sure, for parking tickets.

So... can you point to ONE time where a police officer whose job it is to write parking tickets shot and killed an innocent black man - or anyone?

Treat DUI like a parking ticket?
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No I can’t think of a time when a meter maid shot anyone. That would be a step in the right direction for stops involving loving violations as well. No shooting for doing 65 in a 55 zone. Then the police can be used to enforce and patrol for real crimes
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
No I can’t think of a time when a meter maid shot anyone. That would be a step in the right direction for stops involving loving violations as well. No shooting for doing 65 in a 55 zone. Then the police can be used to enforce and patrol for real crimes
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What officers on patrol? The police budget is cut and patrol jobs given to unarmed non-police who have no authority to actually do anything or protect anyone?
 
nota bene said:
From the Guardian:

The city of Berkeley is moving forward with a first-of-its kind proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in an effort to curb racial profiling.


After hours of emotional public testimony, council members in the northern California city approved a reform measure that calls for a committee tasked with police reforms. They include removing the police department from responding to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness and finding ways to eventually cut the police budget by half. The vote also called for the creation of a separate city department to handle the enforcement of parking and traffic laws. California city moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops | California | The Guardian

"Policing, Danger Narratives, and Routine Traffic Stops" by Jordan Blair Woods

I hope this will work for Berkeley and that citizens who make those stops will stay safe.
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I really wonder what type of person the council thinks they are going to hire to be a traffic enforcer and doing the job unarmed. Writing parking tickets is one thing. Pulling someone over for a moving violation is another.

Hopefully they will make the training material for this new unarmed traffic enforcer available on line. It could be an interesting read.
What is interesting is the Council considers this defunding the police. Seems to me the traffic enforcer is still law enforcement.
 
nota bene said:
From the Guardian:

The city of Berkeley is moving forward with a first-of-its kind proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in an effort to curb racial profiling.


After hours of emotional public testimony, council members in the northern California city approved a reform measure that calls for a committee tasked with police reforms. They include removing the police department from responding to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness and finding ways to eventually cut the police budget by half. The vote also called for the creation of a separate city department to handle the enforcement of parking and traffic laws. California city moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops | California | The Guardian

"Policing, Danger Narratives, and Routine Traffic Stops" by Jordan Blair Woods

I hope this will work for Berkeley and that citizens who make those stops will stay safe.
Click to expand...

I would never pull over for some civilian telling me to pull over... there has to be a ton of procedures, advertising, signs, marked cars, marked "civilian officers people", etc. Can you imagine the lawsuits when some random assholes start pulling over people for no reason or road rage and the driver refuses?
 
PirateMk1 said:
6 police officers died last year as a result of attacks during traffic stops.
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... and then there is that. I would be an unarmed civilian pulling over people when they let me use a gun.
 
RetiredUSN said:
Bull crap.

Cops are already getting shot and assaulted for ticket stops, and you are trying to say that it can work with unarmed civilians?

They will have their asses handed to them.

What cloud did you come down from?
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Instead they should just have unarmed police. People are far less likely to shoot an unarmed cop that will not be shooting at you or chasing you if you are merely getting pulled over for a speeding violation. Stop running plates and checking for warrants, etc. Let the armed cops deal with those issues another time...
 
joko104 said:
What this really does is end police patrols. When a 911 call of a life death situation comes in there will be no one to answer the call - other than unarmed officers.

The future mass shooters thank the Democratic Party.
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No. Cops can still carry weapons in their trunks and apply them when they are actually needed. We do that.
 
mike2810 said:
I really wonder what type of person the council thinks they are going to hire to be a traffic enforcer and doing the job unarmed. Writing parking tickets is one thing. Pulling someone over for a moving violation is another.

Hopefully they will make the training material for this new unarmed traffic enforcer available on line. It could be an interesting read.
What is interesting is the Council considers this defunding the police. Seems to me the traffic enforcer is still law enforcement.
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I'm guessing that my community is like others and that it's through routine traffic stops that many drug busts/weapons possessions are made. Me, if I were transporting drugs and paraphernalia and had an unlicensed gun or two under the seat and in the glovebox, I wouldn't run a stop sign or not replace a tail light, but dummies do this every day of the week.
 
nota bene said:
I'm guessing that my community is like others and that it's through routine traffic stops that many drug busts/weapons possessions are made. Me, if I were transporting drugs and paraphernalia and had an unlicensed gun or two under the seat and in the glovebox, I wouldn't run a stop sign or not replace a tail light, but dummies do this every day of the week.
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If I could make a recommendation to the Berkeley Council is that each one of them spend at least one month on ride along with the police. They need to spend time on all shifts. They also need to spend at least 2 weeks in dispatch. Maybe then they might start to comprehend the work LEO's do.

I see a disaster coming for Berkeley.
 
Every police officer that I know thinks that this will end badly. Sending unarmed civilians into a known dangerous situation. Less cops isn't the answer...
 
Moon said:
You should definitely submit an application then.
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I am not sure if that was a WHOOSH! or you turned it around, sort of.
 
nota bene said:
From the Guardian:

The city of Berkeley is moving forward with a first-of-its kind proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in an effort to curb racial profiling.


After hours of emotional public testimony, council members in the northern California city approved a reform measure that calls for a committee tasked with police reforms. They include removing the police department from responding to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness and finding ways to eventually cut the police budget by half. The vote also called for the creation of a separate city department to handle the enforcement of parking and traffic laws. California city moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops | California | The Guardian

"Policing, Danger Narratives, and Routine Traffic Stops" by Jordan Blair Woods

I hope this will work for Berkeley and that citizens who make those stops will stay safe.
Click to expand...

Better yet, replace most of them with cameras.
 
Anyone who has dealt with the homeless population and the mentally ill realize the dangers of this situation. Any of these calls can turn violent in a split second, without any warning. These "civilian officers" will have to have police backup on many/most calls. This isn't going to reduce the police budget by much, if by any.

Don't get me wrong, we NEED more social workers helping these people. But putting these social workers on the street is short-sighted and dangerous.
 
RetiredUSN said:
Bull crap.

Cops are already getting shot and assaulted for ticket stops, and you are trying to say that it can work with unarmed civilians?

They will have their asses handed to them.

What cloud did you come down from?
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How are they going to get the driver to stop, number one?
 
PirateMk1 said:
6 police officers died last year as a result of attacks during traffic stops.
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For perspective:

On average, forty nine people are killed each year by lightning in America.
 
nota bene said:
From the Guardian:

The city of Berkeley is moving forward with a first-of-its kind proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in an effort to curb racial profiling.


After hours of emotional public testimony, council members in the northern California city approved a reform measure that calls for a committee tasked with police reforms. They include removing the police department from responding to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness and finding ways to eventually cut the police budget by half. The vote also called for the creation of a separate city department to handle the enforcement of parking and traffic laws. California city moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops | California | The Guardian

"Policing, Danger Narratives, and Routine Traffic Stops" by Jordan Blair Woods

I hope this will work for Berkeley and that citizens who make those stops will stay safe.
Click to expand...

In order for traffic stops to be safer the computerized warrant system has to be gotten rid of.

When people think they are going to jail as a result of said traffic stop, they will get violent and these unarmed officers will get killed.
 
nota bene said:
From the Guardian:

The city of Berkeley is moving forward with a first-of-its kind proposal to replace police with unarmed civilians during traffic stops in an effort to curb racial profiling.


After hours of emotional public testimony, council members in the northern California city approved a reform measure that calls for a committee tasked with police reforms. They include removing the police department from responding to calls involving people experiencing homelessness or mental illness and finding ways to eventually cut the police budget by half. The vote also called for the creation of a separate city department to handle the enforcement of parking and traffic laws. California city moves to replace police with unarmed civilians for traffic stops | California | The Guardian

"Policing, Danger Narratives, and Routine Traffic Stops" by Jordan Blair Woods

I hope this will work for Berkeley and that citizens who make those stops will stay safe.
Click to expand...

Well I guess someone has to run the experiment
 
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