Albuquerque: Police Oversight Commission members resign.

[phill4paul]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Just days after the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of an investigation into the Albuquerque Police Department, three members of the Police Oversight Commission are quitting.


In their resignation letters to Mayor Richard Berry, Richard Shine, Jennifer Barela and Jonathan Siegel said they’re resigning because the civilian commission has no teeth.

“The city attorney’s office addressed the POC on April 10, 2014, and stated that we have no power to decide against the APD Chief or against the independent review officer’s findings regarding citizens’ complaints,” reads Siegel’s letter. “I cannot continue to pretend or deceive the members of our community into believing that our city has any real civilian oversight.”

The city responded Tuesday.

“An effective Police Oversight Commission has the ability to play a very important role, as mentioned by the Department of Justice, and these are critical components for community oversight," said the city's Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry. "I thank the POC members for their service. We are hopeful that the City Council which created this board and nominates its members, will work in consultation with the DOJ in continued efforts to reform and implement needed changes.”



Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/3-police-oversight-commission-members-quit/25501790#ixzz2zF3MHKyh

[tod evans]

An effective oversight committee would be supplied with rope and a gallows...

[acptulsa]

In their resignation letters to Mayor Richard Berry, Richard Shine, Jennifer Barela and Jonathan Siegel said they’re resigning because the civilian commission has no teeth.

“The city attorney’s office addressed the POC on April 10, 2014, and stated that we have no power to decide against the APD Chief or against the independent review officer’s findings regarding citizens’ complaints,” reads Siegel’s letter.[B] “I cannot continue to pretend or deceive the members of our community into believing that our city has any real civilian oversight.”

And how many years did you help maintain the illusion before they got so out of control that your asses wound up in a sling over it?

Worthless jackasses.

[Occam's Banana]

The city responded Tuesday.

“An effective Police Oversight Commission has the ability to play a very important role, as mentioned by the Department of Justice, and these are critical components for community oversight," said the city's Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry. "I thank the POC members for their service. We are hopeful that the City Council which created this board and nominates its members, will work in consultation with the DOJ in continued efforts to reform and implement needed changes.”

When it comes to someone speaking a lot of words without ever actually saying anything, this is as perfect a case as you could hope for. Get a load of that first sentence, for example:

We are told that "an effective Police Oversight Commission has the ability to do" something, and that that something is "to play a very important role." But we are never told just what that "important role" is or what it entails - only that it is "very important." Oh, yes, and of course, this has also been "mentioned by the Department of Justice." (You see, it's always good if you can name-drop the Feds in a situation like this. It doesn't illuminate or explain anything at all, but it's sure to impress the rubes & yokels.) Finally, we are told that "these are critical components for community oversight." Now, nevemind that the (plural) "these" does not refer to anything that precedes it ("Huh? 'These'? 'These' what? What 'these'?"). Grammar must be eschewed for purposes of invoking the magisterial grandeur of something called the "critical components for community oversight" - whatever the hell those might be (Mr. Chief Administrative Officer has more important things to do than to make himself clear to the hoi polloi).

Also, let's just ignore the fact that the question is NOT "What does an 'effective' Police Oversight Commission have the ability to do?" but, rather, "What does the Albuquerque Police Oversight Commission have the ability to do?" - the answer to which seems to be a big, fat, resounding "NOTHING!" if the resignees are to be believed. (And why shouldn't they be? Who would know better than they?)

I shall leave it as an exercise for the reader to parse the multitude of vapidities which compose the remainder of Mr. Chief Administrative Officer's statement ...

[Wolfgang Bohringer]

When it comes to someone speaking a lot of words without ever actually saying anything, this is as perfect a case as you could hope for. Get a load of that first sentence, for example:

We are told that "an effective Police Oversight Commission has the ability to do" something, and that that something is "to play a very important role." But we are never told just what that "important role" is or what it entails - only that it is "very important." Oh, yes, and of course, this has also been "mentioned by the Department of Justice." (You see, it's always good if you can name-drop the Feds in a situation like this. It doesn't illuminate or explain anything at all, but it's sure to impress the rubes & yokels.) Finally, we are told that "these are critical components for community oversight." Now, nevemind that the (plural) "these" does not refer to anything that precedes it ("Huh? 'These'? 'These' what? What 'these'?"). Grammar must be eschewed for purposes of invoking the magisterial grandeur of something called the "critical components for community oversight" - whatever the hell those might be (Mr. Chief Administrative Officer has more important things to do than to make himself clear to the hoi polloi).

Also, let's just ignore the fact that the question is NOT "What does an 'effective' Police Oversight Commission have the ability to do?" but, rather, "What does the Albuquerque Police Oversight Commission have the ability to do?" - the answer to which seems to be a big, fat, resounding "NOTHING!" if the resignees are to be believed. (And why shouldn't they be? Who would know better than they?)

I shall leave it as an exercise for the reader to parse the multitude of vapidities which compose the remainder of Mr. Chief Administrative Officer's statement ...

Very insightful! Your linguistic and textual analysis is truly Will Griggian.

As an aside, I love how it all goes assumed and unquestioned that the costumed tax feeders are completely beyond the reach of the regular courts and grand juries and therefore we must have these special commissions to "play their roles."

[Origanalist]

I could have saved them the time if they had asked......

[Occam's Banana]

Very insightful! Your linguistic and textual analysis is truly Will Griggian.

:o Aw, schucks ...


As an aside, I love how it all goes assumed and unquestioned that the costumed tax feeders are completely beyond the reach of the regular courts and grand juries and therefore we must have these special commissions to "play their roles."

Precisely so.

But you should have said "play their very important roles" - after all, it's very important to remember that their roles are "very important" ... ;)

[acptulsa]

But you should have said "play their very important roles" - after all, it's very important to remember that their roles are "very important" ... ;)

Good point. After all, how can the powers that be pretend to democratic legitimacy if they don't '...pretend or deceive the members of our community into believing that our city has any real civilian oversight'?