Gov: police/videocam vs. contract workers(transparency,labor mobility,accountability)

[theinvisibleheart]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=73747

Summary: Deputy Jones of The Hillsborough Co. Sheriff's Office dumped a quadriplegic Sterner off of a wheelchair after he arrested him for a traffic violation (Sterner can drive). Apparently, deputy Jones didn't believe Sterner was a quadriplegic.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330501,00.html

Summary: Baltimore Police Department officer Rivieri applied a headlock to a 14-year old skateboarder and pushed the other skateboarder (both boys) to ground (concrete) while berating them.

YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLYzho6Af_o



http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/14/feds-confirm-two-cases-guards-caught-napping-y-12/

Summary: 1 private security guard at OAK RIDGE was fired for sleeping on the job and other received unpaid 30 day suspension.


Couple of interesting observation:

1. limited degree of accountability that videocam bring to government workers

2. how quickly private security guards are punished for an infraction compared to government workers (police officers, deputies in this case). It's amazing how efficiently free market operate when labor mobility is high (private security guards--easy to hire, fire) and when it's not(police officers and deputies who are past their probationary period have very high job security).

Most of the time, when agencies get sued, very little changes unlike when doctors or private agencies get sued.

--John

 

[BoringAccountant]

I think that part of it also comes down on the side of cost. Like you said, security guards are much easier to hire and fire and then hire someone else because of their ease of training, not too much upfront cost. Whereas a police officer does cost the county/city/etc. a lot of upfront money with regards to the academy, investigations into background, education, etc.

What is your suggestion or concern regarding this? That non-government workers are mistreated because of this or are less valuable?

 

[SteelCore]

Deputy Jones of The Hillsborough Co. Sheriff's Office dumped a quadriplegic Sterner off of a wheelchair after he arrested him for a traffic violation (Sterner can drive). Apparently, deputy Jones didn't believe Sterner was a quadriplegic.

Baltimore Police Department officer Rivieri applied a headlock to a 14-year old skateboarder and pushed the other skateboarder (both boys) to ground (concrete) while berating them.

It always amazes me that anti-gun types think that we'll be safer if "only the police and military have guns." What about psychopaths like Rivieri, who enter law enforcement just so they can bully and victimize people with impunity?

If these incidents hadn't been caught on camera, these sickos would have gotten away with what they did.