• hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
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    4 years ago

    From what I can gather his solution is to have counselors on calls alongside any police presence and just pray to God the cops are willing to listen to their advice.

    This idea is worth considering, not necessarily because pigs would listen to a mental health counselor's advice, but because cops might be less likely to commit over-the-top violence when an observer who isn't fully in their corner is on their side. I remember reading something about the Rwandan genocide to the effect of "U.N. observers didn't have to point guns at anyone to stop mass violence; just watching made the aggressors hold off." I could see something similar working here.

    It's not the most comprehensive solution, but it might be a step in the right direction.

    • Blarglefargle [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      For this to work effectively the counsler would need to be payed and report to another department then law enforcement.

      As long as the counselors are employed/report to officers then they will become part of their system Of oppression. Either via playing along or the office fucking over those who don’t follow the line.

    • zxcvbnm [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      If I was a corrupt cop I'd put the counselor in a Serpico situation, basically not protect them from an obvious threat. Cops could coerce cooperation from counselors like they do with leaders by threatening to not do their job.

      • MolotovHalfEmpty [he/him]
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        4 years ago

        Yeah, maybe I'm too cynical but I think 'embedding' will do for counsellors what it did for journalists with the troops. And anyone who doesn't toe the line will be pressured out or find themselves a 'casualty'.

        Not to undermine the great work or competency of lots of social workers or counsellors, but this plan basically feels like sending along a HR mediator with the cartel.

        • zxcvbnm [he/him]
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          4 years ago

          On the other hand, the worst atrocities were perpetrated by units with no embedded reporter or third party observer.

    • YouKnowIt [he/him]
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      4 years ago

      Having someone around with a bodycam that wouldn't know the timing to turn it off before the cops start going porcine would be probably the best outcome we could get outta crime bill joe.

      • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
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        4 years ago

        The independent body cam would be good, but what I read about was more of an interpersonal-observer effect. Just knowing that someone reasonably neutral was there as a witness -- and all that implies -- apparently had a significant effect on stopping mass violence. Think of how most people tone down antisocial behavior (e.g., fucking around as kids, or being a drunk asshole as an adult) if a third party walks in who isn't part of your group.

        • YouKnowIt [he/him]
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          4 years ago

          That's a good point, I'd be curious to see how well it'd actually work. Because I don't think that cops would view an attached social worker or counselor as anything but an enemy, like internal affairs or whatever.