I didn't think there could be a worse Sheriff than Arpaio, but alas you've proved me wrong. As someone who worked with many law enforcement agencies over a period of 34 years in the criminal justice system, I have to say that he is the poster boy for bad policing, and needs to go.
A community with out of control crime is also a community with corrupt, dysfunctional, shitty policing. The two go hand in hand, always. So it is with crime-infested Riverside.
Thanks for writing about the Claremont Institute and these dangerous “Constitutional Sheriffs.” They are a cancer to real integrity in law enforcement, a vivid example of the rot at the root of policing. It’s not bad apples, it’s the entire damn diseased tree.
Our communities and good cops will never be safe unless we face these facts and demand real changes to the criminal justice system.
So, how did the Riverside Sheriffs happen to know the power consumption of this home? An informant in the power company? A subpoena for data generally? Checking the meter? This feels like its own story.
Sinclair Lewis on his worst day couldn't have imagined the US we find ourselves inhabiting. The mad rise of populist fascism he conjured up as a kind of cautionary tale in 'It Can't Happen Here' is weak sauce compared to our current reality.
I appreciate your gift for keeping us grounded, Mr. Balko. Even in these desperately awful times--or perhaps I mean especially in these times---we need to cling to a sense of what is real, what is unreal: what is lawful, what is unlawful: what it means to be a civilized society, and what it means when some of us (propped up by dark money) make up their minds to throw away civilization itself, in pursuit of power.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Thanks for sharing this, Mr. Balko. I appreciate your deep dives into these seemingly bottomless pits. They’re not really enjoyable to read and they’re important to shine lights onto. Thank you for your work.
I didn't think there could be a worse Sheriff than Arpaio, but alas you've proved me wrong. As someone who worked with many law enforcement agencies over a period of 34 years in the criminal justice system, I have to say that he is the poster boy for bad policing, and needs to go.
A community with out of control crime is also a community with corrupt, dysfunctional, shitty policing. The two go hand in hand, always. So it is with crime-infested Riverside.
Thanks for writing about the Claremont Institute and these dangerous “Constitutional Sheriffs.” They are a cancer to real integrity in law enforcement, a vivid example of the rot at the root of policing. It’s not bad apples, it’s the entire damn diseased tree.
Our communities and good cops will never be safe unless we face these facts and demand real changes to the criminal justice system.
Thanks for your important work, Radley.
So, how did the Riverside Sheriffs happen to know the power consumption of this home? An informant in the power company? A subpoena for data generally? Checking the meter? This feels like its own story.
Sinclair Lewis on his worst day couldn't have imagined the US we find ourselves inhabiting. The mad rise of populist fascism he conjured up as a kind of cautionary tale in 'It Can't Happen Here' is weak sauce compared to our current reality.
I appreciate your gift for keeping us grounded, Mr. Balko. Even in these desperately awful times--or perhaps I mean especially in these times---we need to cling to a sense of what is real, what is unreal: what is lawful, what is unlawful: what it means to be a civilized society, and what it means when some of us (propped up by dark money) make up their minds to throw away civilization itself, in pursuit of power.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Thanks for sharing this, Mr. Balko. I appreciate your deep dives into these seemingly bottomless pits. They’re not really enjoyable to read and they’re important to shine lights onto. Thank you for your work.
I wanted to cry, but I laughed.