Posted on 03/20/2008 11:01:22 AM PDT by armymarinemom
Military Families Voice of Victory got a very interesting comment from an article about recruiting center attacks yesterday from coast to coast.
One of the cities reported about was DC "SDS threw paint bombs, rocks and damaged police cars. Witnesses have reported that MPDC Chief Cathy Lanier has ordered the police to do nothing if the center was attacked." This was from a report phone in which was also reported here at FR.
Today a response was made by Communications at MPD. "The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) must enforce local law and the rights afforded to every person under the United States Constitution. The law allows MPD personnel to make arrests only when there is probable cause to do so. The MPD cannot arrest every peaceful demonstrator for the sake of a few rowdy participants. There has not, and will never be a directive from Chief Cathy Lanier or a member of her command staff to do nothing when the law is being broken."
The trackback on the IP address checks out for a contact with the DC government.
It looks like complaints may have struck a nerve.
And thank you for bringing it.
P.S. The reason I raised the issue is disappointment. I have been assured on several earlier threads here in FR that the new mayor of DC is a reformer, and is a genuine improvement over the kind of criminal drug addicts who used to be in charge there in the bad old days.
So it’s disappointing that his chief of police should openly refuse to enforce the law calling on the police to defend citizens and visitors against violence during political demonstrations.
I agree. All of the DC government walks a fine line of keeping the public happy including extreme left wing moms and dads who have kids involved with these protests. DC is different than most cities. We the people of the entire nation have a right to visit our Nation's Capitol without reasonable fear of being injured during public gatherings. They can get pressure from the entire Nation.
I should add that, although I have never been able to join any of these protests in person, I have followed them closely on FR for many years, in words and pictures.
I know from having read hundreds of threads over the years that Kristinn is extremely careful to check in with the authorities, get necessary permits for any protests, and educate any Freepers or others who join with him as to the rules and regulations to be followed.
FR has always been extremely careful to follow the rules and guidelines as well as to avoid any violence. And I have often read that the police assigned to these events, although they may personally disagree with our politics, have always appreciated the behavior and discretion of FR protestors or defenders of our troops.
You are correct. I’m a veteran of several protests and the rules are followed in order to have a peaceful protest.
Is she really that dumb? So, if there are some peaceful demonstrators they can't arrest the rowdy ones?
They surely saw laws being broken ( same as the Berkeley police have) and did NOT arrest the lawbreakers.
Chief, maybe write a directive that your officers must do something when laws are broken. Even if they are lawyered up Soros commie lackeys. It seems they haven't gotten that ROE
Liberal spin at it's best.
Yes we have and yes they do. All over the country.
Only with renegade police depts (like in Berkeley) do they turn their backs on us as well as the crazies.
It's a well understood unwritten (in most cases) rule to obey the laws and commands of Police which are followed religiously.
Patriots are naturally like that.
In Berkeley because of the politics (the city council and city manager encourage the actions of the anti-American crowd) they faced off against us the same as they did against the code pinkers. Except they gave them more latitude and less scowls.
In defense of the Berkeley Police though, I have talked to a few privately and they are fine men who will uphold the law unless instructed other wise, and maybe even do so against the "rules" of their superiors.
Hurts to protect the Red Diaper Babies huh? I don't think she can spin this one successfully.
Nobody asked them too. You identify and arrest the ones breaking the law. Is this difficult to understand?
It's an uphill struggle out here with Berkeley because those that give the Police their marching orders (City Council and City Manager) are great supporters of code pink and the other seditionists.
We can only hope for intervention through the courts or the rule of law being brought to bear against the superiors for allowing and actually encouraging unlawful actions against the Marines and Federal Offices and thus America.
Let's hope so. Take a look at the SDS photo album. Look up the names at some of the older faces there. SDS is still getting influence from the orginal SDS members.This can be nothing but violent trouble for our country. The DC police had better wake up to what is brewing under their own nose.
This is a get-your-boots-on-ping, it’s pretty deep at the MPD.
Thanks, amm.
Just because someone is a cop, it doesn’t mean he’s on your side. The government bureaucracy, including so-called law enforcement, is filled with leftists who hate your guts.
And these leftists have declared war on you, your family, your individual rights, freedom and the constitution. Realize it and be prepared.
Yep
I do realize that and the only way to rectify the issue is by bringing it out in the open.
Pathetic attempt at CYA, isn’t it?
Thank you for all the good work you do.
The DC Chapter deserves all of the kudos. I just got heat from DC for blogging about it.
That's the biggest load of bullsh** I've read in a long, long time.
"The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) must enforce local law and the rights afforded to every person under the United States Constitution.
Yes, chief Lanier, you must enforce local law; but on March 19, 2008 you did not do so.
The law allows MPD personnel to make arrests only when there is probable cause to do so.
In two separate attacks, five glass bottles filled with red paint, one large rock and multiple other smaller projectiles were hurled at the people standing peacefully on the sidewalk in front of the 14th and L St. NW recruiting center.
I think that is "probable cause."
The MPD cannot arrest every peaceful demonstrator for the sake of a few rowdy participants.
Yelling and beating on drums is rowdy. Hurling projectiles at unarmed civilians is a life-threatening act.
Ordering your officers to do nothing is reckless endangerment of not only the officers, but of the civilians you claim to protect.
There has not, and will never be a directive from Chief Cathy Lanier or a member of her command staff to do nothing when the law is being broken."
Chief Lanier, how stupid do you think we are? You issued orders to your officers which stripped them of the power to halt the mob, arrest the rioters, defend innocent civilians and defend themselves from a potentially life-threatening attack.
You, young lady, were very lucky that those glass bottles held only red paint and not some caustic substance, molotov cocktail, poisonous liquid or gas, a hand grenade or other explosive device.
The radicals tested you on March 19th, and you did not let them down. Now that they know they can push you at least this far without consequence, they will ratchet up their "direct action" a little more the next time. You have given a green light to the homegrown terrorists. And don't think for one minute that the foreign terrorists aren't taking note of your passive response to attack.
You failed your officers. You failed the residents of your city. You failed the workers of the city. And you failed the innocent tourists who come to their nation's capital expecting that their constitutional rights will be upheld by you and your police force.
Your dereliction of duty and command is going to get somebody killed.
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