Police Complaint Process, part II

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Wildcard

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Feb 22, 2006 12:36 am US/Eastern
Officer Takes Action Against CBS4 After Story Airs
Only On 4
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Jawan Strader
Reporting


(CBS4 News) FT. LAUDERDALE After CBS4's Mike Kirsch aired a piece where several South Florida police officers were caught on camera intimidating would-be complainants against their police departments, one officer has taken action against the station in court.

Sergeant Peter Schumanich, of the Lauderhill Police Department, filed an injunction in a Broward County court to stop the airing of the story where he appears on the air and online.

Schumanich was caught on camera cursing and screaming at a member of a police watchdog group who went to his department asking to file a complaint against an unspecified officer. The officer was caught on camera literally chasing down the man out of the police station and off the block, after he did not act the way Schumanich wanted him to.

Judge Goldstein denied the temporary injunction.

Another hearing is scheduled for March 3rd.


http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_053001510.html
 
Don't cops want to go back to a time where they were respected by all? Back to the "I baked a pie officer, want a piece?"

Unfortunately, good cops are on the decline and bad ones seem to be multiplying.

I mentioned it before but they've set up "safety" check points in my town and if you get stopped at one and don't act like a slave you'll be lucky to get out of there without getting cuffed and dragged off.

I politely pointed out to one officer that he had no probably cause to be stopping people and his eyeballs just about popped out his head and he went on a screaming fit about how the government grants people privleges like travel, speech, etc. and he was tired of dealing with "nutcases" that thought otherwise. His buddies in the back just laughed. I told him to read the constitution and he looked like he was about to shoot me in the face or something.

I go out of my way to commend an officer that acts with dignity and respect nowadays, it's few and far between.

I don't have much hope that these guys won't be happy to come confiscate our guns just like in N.O. when the order comes.

My wife talked to a guy at work that was on the local force. He quit after being asked to lie on a police report. I give him credit for that, but what we need are people who will stay on the inside and fight for what's right.
 
And I can personally tell you that if Judge Goldstein denied an injunction he didn't just rubber stamp that decision. I've been in front of him attempting to get an injunction, and he made me explain and argue every detail of why before he granted it.

I didn't like it at the time, but I think he carefully considers cases in front of him.
 
Maybe I'm just lucky.

I've had to deal with about 20 cops over the last 3 months. Of those, one or two seemed indifferent, but never impolite about it. In one of those cases, I called the sergeant not to complain about the officer, per se but to say that I think more should have been done. I didn't mention him by name, and made it clear that I wasn't complaining about the officer but wanted to pursue the issue I originally called about further. The sergeant bent over backwards to help me.

The other time I had to call a sergeant, it was because a cop frankly admitted he didn't know what I should do and suggested it.

Both times, I called dispatch (it's the same here as 911, but more numbers to dial) and they did ask me why I wanted to talk with the sergeant. Both times I was told I would be called back by one. And both times I was, within an hour. And both times I was told, at the end of the conversation, that if I had any other problems not to hesitate to call them again.

My Sheriff's office division is not any of those CBS mentioned. I don't know that they have a complaint form, but my guess is not, since the others in Broward County seem not to. But there is a way to complain, if that's what you want to do. And you can do it over the phone so it's not that intimidating. My guess is that, like anything else, you need to do it calmly and in a businesslike way.

The rest of the 20 cops were very helpful and sympathetic. Out of those 20, one particular officer's demeanor suggested he wasn't interested, but he was one of two who kept calling me back for more information. He sent a very detailed Probable Cause Affadavit to the State Attorney. So sometimes you have to watch out not to judge prematurely.
 
Invention 45 - no your not lucky - your particular interactions with police are typical , as to how thing are done 99% of the time when a complaint is filed.

As to
Sometimes you have to watch out not to judge to prematurely
Click to expand...
You said a mouthful there brother.

The original poster of these two threads has an agenda - a fixation actually - it manifests itself on a regular basis here at TFL. It's almost comical.

12-34hom.
 
99% of the time? :eek:

Im 50 years old and have had interactions with police a few times. I have only experienced 1% bad of the time. That was corrected. I have been living in Bubba Country since 1976.

My favorite experience with the police happened in 1976 and was very amusing. My future wife and I were dating, we stopped by the City Park to park and enjoy the moon. We soon were engaged in kissing and a fogged window or two. :) There was a rapping on my window. :eek: It was the Police :eek: . My wife looks younger than her age. I heard the officer on the other side of the car ask her, "do you want to be with this man". The officer was assuming that she was underage and I being 19 was being a bad person :D It took every thing I had not to bust out laughing. The officer then asked her for her ID. She took it out and he looked at it with his flashlight and said, "you are 23 maam"? She said yes and snickered a little. I could see the officer turning red at night...lol. The last words I heard were thank you , and drive safe. The officers couldnt get out of there fast enough. We still chuckle about it almost 30 years later.

So see all police stops are not bad, some can even be amusing.
 
I suppose this is a bit off topic, but has any officer every pulled over a 7-year-old kid for riding his bike then given him a written warning? If you havn't, please don't, you'll only end up making an enemy for life. According to the officer a couple of friends and I went through a stop sign on our bikes, which is BS because we did stop, and the cop was in no position to see if we did or not. I remember the incident very clearly even though it was nearly 20 years ago. The two friends that were with me remember the story exactly as I remember it, even down to the intersection. I don't know what that cop was thinking, but from that point I have never looked at cops the same way. I simply can't trust them. If this was the only time I was treated unfairly by the police, maybe I would feel differently.
 
It's an interesting tactic for sure. I wonder if CBS will request attys fees and costs from the officer for a frivolous and meritless action? They'd have to wait until after he loses the next round and the matter is dismissed to do that but I'm thinking they could ask for and get them.

Which makes me wonder about the officer and his character.
 
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