Thoughts for the Day, December 10, 2024: Great police work got the job done
Good police work got the job done
It was the painstaking work of law enforcement that led to the arrest of Luigi Mangione, the accused cold-blooded killer of the United Health Care CEO.
Per the NY Times, yesterday morning, a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pa., noticed a familiar-looking young man eating a meal and called the police.
Two officers arrived and asked the man if he had been to New York recently. He became quiet, the officers said, and started to shake.
The man, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, appeared to be the one they had been searching for, the police said. In his backpack, he had a gun, a silencer and a manifesto that, officials told The Times, derided health care companies for putting profits above care. He was charged in Manhattan with murder.
The McDonald’s employee called the police after recognizing Mangione from images that the police released last week. The police were able to get those images — including one where the suspect appeared without a mask — by combing through hundreds of hours of camera footage from streets, a hostel and a taxicab…the police credited distributing the photos with cracking this case.
The police and law enforcement officers who spent countless hours combing through camera footage get my Orchid of the Day
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What is the objective? Are more laws the answer?
Here are excerpts from a guest opinion article that appeared in today’s Detroit News. The article was by former law enforcement officials currently serving in the Michigan legislature. Reps. Graham Filler, Duplain Township, Mike Mueller, Linden, Bob Bezotte, Howell, Mike Harris, Waterford, and Brian BeGole, Antrim Township, are members of the Michigan House Criminal Justice Committee.
As former law enforcement professionals, we served on the front lines to keep our communities safe. Now, as members of the state House Criminal Justice Committee, we are speaking out against a dangerous set of bills being pushed by progressive Democrats in Lansing.
Senate Bills 1091-1101 and House Bills 6112-6121 would cripple law enforcement, tie the hands of officers trying to protect the public and ultimately make Michigan communities less safe.
There are already high standards in place, established by existing case law and the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, that lay out the circumstances where physical control or deadly force would be considered objectively reasonable.
But if passed, these bills (Senate Bills 1091-1101 and House Bills 6112-6121) would drastically limit police officers’ ability to do their jobs. At the heart of this package is a new use-of-force policy that would make it nearly impossible for police to act decisively in dangerous situations.
Overly broad language in this legislation would require officers to consider other alternatives, including verbal warnings, before making contact with a perpetrator. Experience tells us that some situations call for immediate physical contact before a verbal warning is made.
With the new use of force policies required by this plan, officers would be forced to second-guess themselves, creating a situation where they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. This is a recipe for disaster, putting both officers and civilians at greater risk.
One of the other troubling aspects of this package is a measure that would penalize officers who “knowingly and intentionally” fail to turn on their body cameras during high-stress situations.
When chaos erupts and police are focused on protecting lives, do the bill sponsors really think they get to hit pause so they can fumble around with their body cameras? We have serious concerns that this policy would set officers up for failure and expose those them to lawsuits.
Another damaging policy would allow confidential complaints against police officers. While we agree that misconduct should be addressed, allowing accusers to remain secret opens the door for abuse and prevents officers from being able to face their accusers. It’s a system ripe for manipulation by criminals looking to retaliate against the officers who protect our communities…. This package would embolden criminals by restricting law enforcement and making it harder for police to do their jobs protecting the communities they serve.
…Michiganians are grateful for law enforcement officers who respond to emergencies and keep our families safe. But these new policies will drive police out of the profession. The state already has thousands fewer officers than just a decade ago, and these bills will make it even harder to recruit and retain them.
…We believe serious crimes should have serious consequences…we believe the state should be investing in recruiting and retaining good officers, supporting community policing and ensuring officers have the resources they need.
As former police officers, elected sheriffs and an assistant attorneys general, we know the challenges of protecting the public. We urge our colleagues in the Legislature to join us in opposing Senate Bills 1091-1101 and House Bills 6112-6121.
Note: I have edited the editorial to remove all references to political parties. This is an important issue, and the issue should stand on its own without regard to political parties.
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Violent protests don’t work because the violence becomes the focal point
Per Bridge Michigan, a vehicle belonging to the wife of University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker was spray-painted with “DIVEST FREE PALESTINE” and the Ackers’ Oakland County home was damaged Monday morning, according to a social media post by the Democratic official.
“That upside-down triangle is what Hamas uses to identify legitimate military targets that are Israeli,” Acker told Bridge Monday afternoon. “And so, I take that as a direct and personal threat on my life.”
I have said many times in this blog, violent protests are not effective because the violence becomes the focus over the reason for the protests.
The perpetrators of this gutless act get my Onion of the Day.
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$28 million for ruby slippers makes as much sense as paying Juan Soto $765 million
Per the NY Times, the ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in the 1939 production of “The Wizard of Oz” were sold for a record-breaking $28 million on Saturday during a live auction in Dallas in the latest turn for one of the most recognizable and storied artifacts in film history.
Heritage Auctions sold the slippers on behalf of a collector, Michael Shaw, who owned them. The slippers — which sold for vastly more than the $10 million that the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, believed they would — are one of only four known surviving pairs worn by Ms. Garland in the movie…
The auction house did not immediately disclose the identity of the buyer.
“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s ruby slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” Mr. Maddalena said.
The final bid of $28 million was the largest sum spent at an auction for a piece of entertainment memorabilia… It exceeded the previous record-holder, Marilyn Monroe’s subway dress from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” which sold in 2011 for $5.52 million with fees.
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Triple double is becoming a regular thing for Pistons’ Cade Cunningham
The Piston’s Cade Cunningham had one of his best career performances last night against the New York Knicks. He recorded 29 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. His play in New York marked his fifth triple-double of the season and helped Detroit end its three-game losing streak. The win also helped the Pistons avenge an early-season loss. They improved to 10-15 overall. Most importantly he had only three turnovers.
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Quote of the Day: “There’s a reason why people are still doing things that would seem strange, like printing ‘Wanted’ posters. People actually recognize photos from hard-copy sources.” Michael Farkas, a defense lawyer who has worked as a New York City homicide prosecutor.
Orchid of the Day: The police and law enforcement officers who spent countless hours combing through camera footage that led to the arrest
Onion of the Day: The perpetrators who vandalized the home and car of U of M Regent Jordan Acker
Question of the Day: What is the maximum you would have bid for the Ruby Slippers?
Video of the Day: This goes out to my fellow old codgers who think they are too old. Dick Van Dyke is 98. Enjoy.
Coldplay - ALL MY LOVE (Official Video) (Directors' Cut)
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