Op-Led: Pain Is Compliance – NYPD’s Guiding Principle In The Hood

BY Led Black (@Led_Black)

It is just me or does it seem that the whole “Broken Windows” thing is just a fancy way of saying “Stop And Frisk”?

The recent gang-like takedown by police, of an alleged drug dealer in Inwood that was caught on smartphone video, underscores the rank amateurism and selective enforcement of some of NYPD’s finest. The cops on the video behaved as in a brawl, plain and simple; punching and punishing the suspect when he was on the ground, face down.

Stating the obvious, does not impugn the reputation of all the hard-working cops that do their jobs properly. Cops behaving badly do that. All Cops must behave in our neighborhood in the same manner that they would behave in other, more affluent, neighborhoods. If they don’t, they should be held accountable. I don’t believe that this is too much to ask. I strongly feel that cops should be treated with respect but that respect must also be reciprocated.

What I learned from a comment posted by a retired NYPD detective on a prior post on the Inwood incident, is that some cops operate using a different paradigm when policing our communities. The principle in effect is “Pain Is Compliance”. Meaning that when it comes to dealing with Blacks and Latinos, some Police will introduce pain as an instrument of control, compliance and coercion for virtually anything.

The unjustified slaying of Eric Garner in Staten Island is a perfect example of the “Pain Is Compliance” principle. Mr. Garner was subjected to an illegal chokehold and then left to die the on the sidewalk. Does it matter whether “Broken Windows” or “Stop And Frisk” was the cause of his death? The difference is purely semantic. What was his alleged crime? Selling loose cigarettes. Really?

That is not acceptable. Not any more.

See below for the entire, unedited comment by the retired NYPD Comment.

DT Mike says:

“I am a proud, retired NYPD Det. I spent 4yrs on midnight patrol, 2yrs as a plain clothes anti crime cop & 4yrs in the Det Squad before retiring due to a LOD injury. I’v had my fair share of resisting arrests situations that look like this video, some a little more hands on. You people have never had to arrest anyone resisting before. You don’t know what gets taught in the academy. I can tell you this, yes they teach holds & tactics on arresting someone who’s resisting & yes it works in the gym because your partner is playing along since it’s just training. But guess what, when someone is resisting on the street & they don’t want to give you their hands, those tactics go out the window cause they’re not playing along & you do what you have to do to restrain that individual. Do you know how many cops nationwide have been shot while perps are laying on their stomachs not showing their hands? Too many! Some perps take out pistols from their waistband, roll over onto their side & open fire. That’s why the first reaction is to jump on their back the minute they hide their hands. So that way they can’t roll over if they are trying to get a gun out of their pants. Second, voice commands don’t work as cops yell “show me your hands” or “give me your hands”. “Pain is compliance”, thats one thing we’re taught. Here’s what’s gonna happen real soon. Cops are gonna approach the communities with a hands off approach on everything. Stop & frisk is down 90 percent but more people are carrying guns, hence the rise in shootings. Soon drug dealers will be getting free passes as well & the good old days of the 70s & 80s will be here again. Crack addicts will be roaming the streets 24/7. You think cops are gonna care, NO. Most of them don’t even live in the city so they don’t care what will happen to it. Maybe when the Murders, Robberies, Shootings, Rapes, etc skyrocket, maybe, just maybe, you people will look to cops for help. Until then, either police your own damn neighborhoods or stay the hell out of their way.”

Check out the link below for info for filing a complaint if you believe you or someone you know was a victim of abuse by a police officer.

File Complaint here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/ccrb/html/complaint/complaint.shtml

Related:

Video: Cops Gone Wild – Police Beat Young Man Uptown

Time Travel Tuesdays: Life and Death in the Three-Four Precinct | NY Times

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