Oakland Police face Federal Takeover.

[Heathen57]

Federal Judge Thelton Henderson seems to be losing patience with the Oakland PD with their efforts to clean up their force stemming from a 9-year old suit.

“This department finds itself woefully behind its peers around the state and nation,” he wrote.

His impatience with the Mayor, Jean Quan, and Police Chief Howard Jordan was evident in his tightening of restraints:

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan must now consult with the monitor before making important department decisions such as promoting and disciplining officers and changing policing policy and tactics.

In light of the brutal harassment of Occupy Oakland last night, the mayor's and the
Chief's assurances of compliance seem to be going out the window. Personally, I would love to see the judge crack down and order federal control ASAP.

[link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/judge-says-oakland-police-face-federal-takeover-if-city-fails-to-quickly-improve-department/2012/01/25/gIQAL0wBRQ_story.html|

[T S Justly]

1. Judge's threat to actually do anything, aside, where's Obama on this? (nt)

[vaberella]

3. I wonder what his level of power is in this.

He supports peaceful assembly. However, if the state has a law against illegal assembly which the OcOakers were doing...well that I would think would be a different can of worms and would have to be left to the state law until they request for the federal government to get involved. While I have heard people compare this to the Civil Rights Movement. It is not. Segregation was not a law, it was de jure or de facto....but not an outright law which gave lee way to the federal government to make a case to get in.

I'm not saying the President is powerless because I have had that thrown in my face before. But we have to realize there is a division of power and that also leads to a nuance in governing. Somethings we think he can or could do--he has been hindered to do in the past. I wonder if that is the case here or not.

[T S Justly]

6. First, maybe we should take a measure of his level of interest in the issue. (nt)

[vaberella]

7. Okay then. That answers nothing.

What do you want him to say? If this is an illegal assembly which it is then he is undermining the authority of the state which passed a law. In this situation, unfortunately to what we might like---he has to respect some laws. Further more I don't know what much more he can say. He chooses the Occupiers, whom he has supported for the most part although not bullypulpitting them; and this turns into a media circus that Obama is causing the Occupiers to revolt. Obama is pushing class warfare and this is all over the news and the Occupiers lose their role and become Obama's minions. I don't see how that is a win for Occupiers, for us or for Obama. This is similar to what went on in Wisconsin. Obama pushed his early support and even had a few of his people helping organized and there was massive media backlash to the point Obama had to retreat and even the Wisconsin people and union leaders told him to back off because the focus was being lost to Obama and not the issue at hand. But you talk about a level of interest. I just don't know what you mean.

[Leopolds Ghost]

9. Obama has been strangely silent. Doesn't want egg on his face.

Willing to reap the benefits but play both sides of the issue as needed.

Why would the Feds take over Oakland PD if they're training and relying on local authorities to play "bad cop" with Occupy?

Then they can crack heads and tsk tsk about it later.

[gopiscrap]

2. It's about time

I'm surprised that these cops aren't goose stepping through the streets of Oakland and wearing brown shirts.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Heathen.

[unionworks]

5. they waited too long already

how many more must be brutalized?

[dreamnightwind]

8. That won't go over well in Oaksterdam

The Feds would then be in full control of the city with perhaps the most to lose in a medical marijuana crackdown. I know they're cracking down already, but if the Feds were in direct control of the Oakland PD, they might well take advantage of the situation and shut down the mmj industry, which is huge in Oakland.

Hopefully there's a better way to reign in the Oakland police. Probably not, they've been out of control and beyond accountability forever. How about the state government getting involved? Dunno if there's any mechanism for that.