Legal/gov: woman files suit against sheriff's office

[theinvisibleheart]

Marcella Pourmoghani filed suit against the Hillsborough Co., sheriff's office after charges of battery against a CO(law enforcement) was dropped by the state attorney's office after witnessing the following video:

http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Hillsborough_sheriff_suit_218

According to one friend who work at nearby agency and has being keeping a close tab on this case, the odds are that very little will change with Hillsborough Co. SO, except for the tax payer footing the legal bill.

For people who think government is MORE TRUSTWORTHY AND RELIABLE THAN COMPANIES: When companies are sued and get negative publicity, they lose future sales, their stock price drop, and people get terminated/laid off. All this result in changing the behavior of an organization. Worst comes to worst, the company may go bankrupt and be replaced via the process of creative destruction. Companies do go bankrupt from time to time if they don't perform. But not the government.

What is surprising to me is that this CO/LEO did this in front of the camcorder/video recorder. Most CO and LEO I knew knew when and where they were being recorded, so they acted accordingly(put on their best behavior).

BTW, very small fraction of these cases, whether justified or not, ever makes it to the public due to the fact most of these people are poorly educated, lack resources, and w/o dvd/camcorder recording (virtually impossible once you are in custody whether convicted or not), CO/LEO's words almost always prevails against the inmate's testimony. Plus the fact government tend to have very deep pocket and much more legal resources than most people.

 

[Jeff22]

excessive force?

That has nothing to do with how they were trained.

You hire thugs to be the police, you shouldn't be surprised when they act like thugs on the job.

Most issues like this in law enforcement are a result of (1.) Negligent hiring
(2.) Negligent retention, and (3.) Negligent supervision.

Usually, when you evaluate the work record of some clown involved in one of these incidents, you discover that either the background check before hiring was sloppy or they were hired even though they had issues that should've disqualified them. Often times they were "marginal" on the psychological test. Somehow they got hired anyway. Then, as an employee marginal in performance and judgement and character, they're allowed to get through field training and get off probation. And then, to compound the problem, they may have a weak supervisor who doesn't know what's going on, or who does know but is afraid to take action.

The citizenry has a right to expect proper performance from the police.

 

[theinvisibleheart]

people in government and companies are same

That has nothing to do with how they were trained.

You hire thugs to be the police, you shouldn't be surprised when they act like thugs on the job.

Most issues like this in law enforcement are a result of (1.) Negligent hiring
(2.) Negligent retention, and (3.) Negligent supervision.

Usually, when you evaluate the work record of some clown involved in one of these incidents, you discover that either the background check before hiring was sloppy or they were hired even though they had issues that should've disqualified them. Often times they were "marginal" on the psychological test. Somehow they got hired anyway. Then, as an employee marginal in performance and judgement and character, they're allowed to get through field training and get off probation. And then, to compound the problem, they may have a weak supervisor who doesn't know what's going on, or who does know but is afraid to take action.

1. On hiring the right person: you are making an assumption that people stay the same, irregardless of circumstances, incentives, pressure, etc. Good people have being known to behave poorly or negligently depending on circumstances.

Furthermore, the fact that the supervisor defended the CO/deputy's action suggest it's an organizational problem.

2. abuse occur lot more frequently than we hear about it simply because most deputies/COs/officers are usu. aware when their actions are being recorded and tend to abuse their authority when they are off-camera so that it would be their words against those of inmate/arrestee. It's just basic human nature.

3. the nature of people is the same. Same individual working in post office would quickly change their behavior if they were working for UPS or Fedex because incentives are different. Because commercial firms are merit driven, if you do well, you get rewarded and/or keep your job. It's not seniority driven like most government jobs.

UPS/Fedex can't afford to behave like US Postal Services (long lines, substandard level of services, etc.) because if they did, they would lose business and eventually go bankrupt.

If jail/prison/police function was privatized to private firms under contract, private companies and private contractors, this kind of abuse will not keep on happening over and over again.

Abuse/irresponsible action happen with both private and public sectors. But in a competitive market, if private firms keep on giving substandard services, be it jail, public safety, security, etc., they get booted (fired), litigated into bankruptcy, etc.

Recently, a private contractor entrusted with security of US DOE nuclear installations got fired for sleeping on the job. I can't remember the last time a CO/deputy/officer/fed agent got immediately fired for sleeping on the job. Usu., once a LEO is past the initial probationary period, labor mobility(ability to fire and hire) becomes extremely reduced because it's very difficult to fire a LEO once they have passed the initial probationary period.

 

[buzz_knox]

Recently, a private contractor entrusted with security of US DOE nuclear installations got fired for sleeping on the job.

Situations in the nuclear field don't translate well into the non-nuclear arena. The NRC has extremely rigid requirements on potential safety violations (i.e. someone props a fire door open for a couple of minutes and you get a Notice of Violation for it). Sleeping on the job is going to cost Exelon a bit in fines and a Notice of Violation, and has cost Wackenhut the contract. In most other areas, the guard might get probation for a first offense.