WASHINGTON - Federal agent John Dodson says what he was asked to do was beyond belief.
He was intentionally letting guns go to Mexico?
"Yes ma'am," Dodson told CBS News. "The agency was."
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010, Dodson's job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.
Investigators call the tactic letting guns "walk." In this case, walking into the hands of criminals who would use them in Mexico and the United States.
Dodson's bosses say that never happened. Now, he's risking his job to go public.
"I'm boots on the ground in Phoenix, telling you we've been doing it every day since I've been here," he said. "Here I am. Tell me I didn't do the things that I did. Tell me you didn't order me to do the things I did. Tell me it didn't happen. Now you have a name on it. You have a face to put with it. Here I am. Someone now, tell me it didn't happen."
Agent Dodson and other sources say the gun walking strategy was approved all the way up to the Justice Department. The idea was to see where the guns ended up, build a big case and take down a cartel. And it was all kept secret from Mexico.
ATF named the case "Fast and Furious."
Surveillance video obtained by CBS News shows suspected drug cartel suppliers carrying boxes of weapons to their cars at a Phoenix gun shop. The long boxes shown in the video being loaded in were AK-47-type assault rifles.
So it turns out ATF not only allowed it - they videotaped it.
Amazing that ATF administrators couldn't figure out that this was not OK and probably wouldn't end well. Completely lacking good judgment. It annoys the Hell out of me that they have idiots like these running agencies/departments, yet I can't get a job. Unreal.
Republicans don't come away clean on this one either. They have blocked President Obama's nominees for ATF Chief for months, along with countless other leadership positions.
I guess this is at least part of the reason why i'm so stressed out, tired, and "angry". St. Louis is like some sort of estranged lover...one that you occasionally get together with...and you still have passion for... but it's a situation where you know it's not really worth the nag and the hassle. Like the lover that you know may not be the best for you, but you can't leave them alone. It's like a love/hate relationship.... with more hate than love.
Portfolio.com has come out with its rankings for the most stressful Metro areas in the Country. See a summary of their report. No surprise that Detroit was ranked #1. But St. Louis wasn't very far behind, coming in at #5 out of 50. St. Louis ranked pretty bad in a few areas... including murders, where it was almost off the charts. See the interactive map. Also see the full list of 50 metro areas.
I don't typically blog about local issues... because that's not my focus. I really don't have much interest in local politics. But from time to time I complain about the nonsense happening here in St. Louis. Eventually something happens to compel me to write. These aren't just crazy rantings...
Ranking poorly on these kinds of lists has become a pattern for St. Louis... there are usually a handful of lists each year that highlight shortcomings in the Metro area. St. Louis (city proper) has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the nation, urban terrorists run rampant, major venues are not the greatest, it is one of the most economically/socially/racially divided cities in North America, the economy is terrible (few opportunities for college grads), it is an old industrial city full of broken dreams that has been slow in keeping up with the rest of the Country, traffic is horrible, safety is always a question mark, and much like Detroit it's a place that people want to get the Hell out of. This is part of the reason why I stay locked in my apartment. There are certain parts of the St. Louis Metro that I consciously avoid just for safety...and to avoid social/cultural pollution. Other areas where I have little choice in going, I try to minimize the frequency of trips. But I find myself making these calculations far too often. If you have to wonder about this constantly... then it can't be the best place for you.
I even despise going to work everyday... it's depressing and stressful. St. Louis is basically a service industry town with a growing low wage sector. It used to be a town full of middle class wages... from a booming car industry, a defense industry (we gave the nation the F-4 Phantom Jet...workhorse of the 1960's & 70's for the Air Force, Navy and Marines, the legendary F-15, and the F-18), airline industry, a booming hub airport, corporate headquarters for a number of Fortune 500's (we gave the nation Budweiser), manufacturing jobs, steel plants, factories, etc. Most of that is gone now. But the cost of living kept going up...as the good paying jobs left town. You have a lot of frustrated, tired people now who are killing themselves working more hours (in many cases... working 2 or 3 jobs) just to survive. And I haven't even mentioned that the dating pool is pretty bad & that the weather sucks.
St. Louis is still a city (and Metro area) mostly in decline.... as is Detroit. These old cities are examples of what the nation could be facing as a whole if it continues on its current path.
The National Guard Should Have Been Called Up a Long Time Ago.
This is just a glimpse of the daily chaos gripping the City (mostly its Black North Side). It's the same thing every year.. particularly when we get warm weather. The urban terrorists also wreak havoc in the Northern suburbs. They are even branching out to the Southern burbs where I live. A brutal home invasion took place in my neck of the woods just a few weeks ago. The victims were beaten nearly to death...left for dead.
Officer Ambushed & Shot 8 Times in Broad Daylight.
An NPR report from this week shows how this culture is still being embraced by the "Black Community". It may have played some role in the killings of 4 Police officers in Oakland California just a few days ago.
What will it take for Blacks to stop contributing to the deterioration of their own neighborhoods? I have always suggested that Police Departments and States should have more creative and more accessible programs that would allow witnesses to report anonymously and that could provide protections. But even in cities where programs are available, Blacks still tend to avoid cooperation with Police.
Much of this has been brought on by the Cancer called Rap Music....and the Hip Hop culture.
I'm a little torn on the issue of taser use. I have a clear understanding of use-of-force issues from my experience in the God forsaken private security industry and from my college studies. The Taser was adopted as an alternative to pepper spray and the asp, or as sort of a middle ground between the two, designed to be a more effective means of controlling suspects. On one hand, the taser can be an effective law enforcement tool and has been shown to be safe in some studies. On the other hand, high profile deaths, and misuse by police officers have raised too many questions in the last few years.
Black bloggers have started a campaign of sorts against the use of tasers. They are looking at this problem through the narrow prism of race, as a Black/White issue. I take more of a middle ground. I have been in situations where I have had to fight & wrestle with suspects and I wished I had a taser. My life and well-being aren't worth putting at risk for the job.
I am glad they are raising this issue, although I may not agree with all of their conclusions. I know the problem of Taser abuse and misuse can't be completely separated from the wider problem of police misconduct and Race, but there have been plenty of people from all stripes who have been victims of taser misuse. Recently they have framed several deaths after police/taser encounters as racially motivated incidents where victims were "tasered to death". While I understand their frustration, these depictions may not be accurate. Framing this problem as a race issue doesn't move the discussion forward. Race will always dominate the discussion while issues of public policy, improving procedures, and finding solutions will be overshadowed.
There are three fundamental problems with how the issue of tasering is being viewed by some bloggers, Black bloggers in particular.
1. These cases are clumsily lumped together. But each tasering incident is different....they come with different facts and circumstances and should be looked at individually, free from bias and prejudgment.
2. In most cases, suspects do not die from the actual tasering, but they die from some other circumstance, such as known or unknown medical conditions, drugs, a form of trauma, or from a complication of the taser that is not yet well understood (I will come back to that later). But to say in blanket fashion that people are being "tasered to death" is probably inaccurate. In years past, there have actually been more injuries from asps and batons. In fact, a Canadian study found just that- more injuries from batons than from Tasers. This is a fact that is often missed in the discussion.... many of those who are looking at this issue and who are critical about tasers don't have this important point of reference and therefore many of the discussions lack the proper perspective.
3. Many don't consider the acts of the suspects. What events led to the tasering? In most cases, critics are reading newspaper articles or they are getting information from one side. Video may not be available in all cases. Bloggers may be too quick to take the side of the suspect. Critics are not at every scene where a taser is employed, and video is not always sufficient. They are not at these events, yet they make blanket statements as if they were eye witnesses. And they also bring their bias to each event.... (and I point back to item #1... look at the merits of each individual case.).
Woman tasered multiple times
Austin Officer Thomas O'Connor's Misuse of Taser
With all that being said, I believe that there is a serious problem with tasers. A few years ago, I thought that tasers were a great tool that would end confrontations quickly and more safely. However, it is pretty clear that taser misuse is a growing problem (seems to be growing as more police departments are getting these devices). One of the biggest problems that I see is the problem of stupid police officers. How do you fix that? That seems to be a problem that is systemic and institutional. Add to that a lack of training, and lack of national guidelines on taser use, and you have the mess that we are seeing now. The taser is simply a toy to the police officer who always wanted to shoot his gun on duty, but could not. With a taser, he/she is, in a way, given a green light to play Cowboys and Indians on the job. The lack of common sense seems to be widespread. Now I understand that there are some cases where officers may not know (and cannot possibly know) the complete medical history of a suspect...or know if every female suspect is pregnant, particularly in the first few months of pregnancy. They don't have time to do a pregnancy test when they are attempting to arrest an unruly suspect. Whenever you read the newspaper reports, the headlines usually read, "police taser pregnant woman". All of the other facts surrounding the incident that may provide perspective always seem to be missing. And responsibility never rests with a pregnant suspect who should not be involved in activity that may put herself at risk. I have seen plenty of pregnant women who commit crimes, shopliftings, assaults, and will fight when approached by police or security. Who's fault is that?
But there are other cases where Police have clearly acted in an irrational, unprofessional manner, often violating their own policy on taser use. One case that is a perfect example of improper taser use, is the case of Phillip McDuffy, who was tased on an overpass in Columbia Missouri, while clearly at risk of falling. The McDuffy case showed a complete lack of common sense on the part of police. The second shot from the taser (as well as McDuffy walking out onto the edge of the overpass) led him to fall more than 15 feet, causing serious injury. Or the case like the one above where the male officer tases a female suspect repeatedly, despite the fact that she is putting up minimal resistance, and he probably outweighs her by close to 200 pounds. One other thing I noticed from that particular video is they way that he is telling her to put her hands behind her back...as she is being electrocuted. Barney clearly did not understand that she did not have control over her motor skills at that point and could not possibly comply. It was his job to place her in handcuffs after the first or second shot from the taser. Then there is Eugene Snelling and his encounter with Austin Police Officer Thomas O'Conner on Thanksgiving Day 2006. Even O'Conner's fellow police officers agreed that the use of the taser was inappropriate. O'Conner received a suspension and reprimand for the incident.
Possible Solutions
1. There is a need for more robust and more frequent medical studies on the consequences of taser use on the body. How does it affect the heart, the Central Nervous System, breathing, etc.... Can it knock the heart out of rhythm?
2. There needs to be clear national guidelines on taser use. Currently, there are different policies from State to State, County to County, and from police department to police department. One blogger, The Villager, was nice enough to post the Use-o-Force Continuum...a Universal guide for Use of Force in the United States. But even this seems inadequate. There have been too many cases where the Use of Force standards have been ignored. The problem seems to run deeper than Use of Force guidelines and the lack of adherence to them. There must be specific rules and laws for the use of tasers. The Use-of-Force Continuum is simply a framework for how officers can control a situation. Officers are given a long leash regarding how they want to use that framework. That's why most departments who use the taser had to create additional policies, specifically for taser use.
But there needs to be a national standard. Once a clear national standard is in place, it will be easier for victims of taser misuse to hold officers and departments legally liable. This alone will have a certain deterrent effect against officers who may want to misuse the taser.
3. Limit the number of police officers who can carry a taser. Only senior officers and Supervisors who have the proper training & good judgment should carry these devices.
4. Increase police officer training. It is clear that officers know how to use this device, but many don't seem to understand when & under what circumstances they should use it.
5. Only Police Departments that have reached a certain standard (as a department) should be allowed to have tasers. Why? If you allow any Mayberry Police Department to have tasers and they don't have adequate hiring standards and training standards... they should be nowhere near a taser. Even if they can train their officers on how to use it, the hiring standards may be so bad that the weapon will be placed in the hands of someone who does not have the proper judgment to have possession of it in the first place.
6. Taser use by police should be given nearly the same oversight as gun use. The use of the Taser should be subject to some of the same review procedures as a police shooting, and conversely, the administrative (and sometimes legal) penalties for improper use should be just as serious. The officer should not be in an environment where he/she is second guessed every minute, but they must be able to justify the use of this device, each and every time.
7. A ban on the use of these devices on women should be considered. Officers often have no way of knowing whether a female suspect is pregnant or not, especially if she is in the first trimester. More medical studies are needed regarding the impact of tasers on pregnant women.
The issue of taser use is not as simple as Black & White, both in terms of its complexity as an issue, and in terms of the racial perspective. Each case has to be looked at individually, and the proper perspective must be given. I can recall all of the problems surrounding the use of Pepper Spray. People died from that too...or they died as an indirect result of being sprayed, especially suspects who had heart conditions, Asthma or other respiratory problems. And the asp and nightstick sometimes left broken bones.
I believe the taser issue has become a particularly big issue because of the "I-Report", "Caught on Camera" culture that we live in today. There are cameras everywhere... they have pretty much become standard on cellphones now. This was not the case 20, 15 or even 10 years ago. The same goes with the cameras in police vehicles. We are in a Big Brother culture now. But it also may be creating a situation of distorted perspectives. Cameras have highlighted the few bad cases of taser use, the few that are shaping public opinion, while the majority of cases, which have been safe and justified are ignored.
On the other hand, there are clearly problems with the way these devices are used. And these problems go beyond just tasers.... they have to do with hiring standards, training, legal and administrative oversight, common sense, and judgment, as well as a lack of a national standard for taser use.
I am in disagreement with the Hip Hop intellectual Lester K. Spence, who doesn't have much faith in the effort because citizens shouldn't be expected to Police for free. The whole basis for his argument is flawed. First of all, it is my understanding that the volunteers will not be engaged in "Policing" or enforcing any laws whatsoever. They will have no powers of arrest & no police authority at all. In other words, the volunteers will observe and report. This has been the job of the citizen since organized policing began. Most police activity is in fact initiated by a call from a witness....a citizen, with a concern or complaint. So this approach is no different from an enhanced neighborhood watch program.
I have mixed feelings about how effective such an effort could be. Yes, it may bring down crime temporarily in the areas where it is implemented. However, I see this as a band-aid solution for a much more serious illness. Some of the criminal activity will simply move to other locations throughout the city. Without creating a more comprehensive plan that addresses some of the underlying problems that make these communities more prone to criminal activity, then this effort may fall short...or it will at least not reach its potential. Issues such as truancy, gangs, lack of economic opportunity, creating activities for youth, enhancing community policing efforts- Put officers back into the neighborhoods, improving educational opportunities, engaging parents...all have to be a part of the plan. Enhanced neighborhood watch (which is essentially what this will be, despite what the reports might say) will not be all that effective without a simultaneous effort to deal with these other community issues.
Then there is the issue of finding enough men who are willing to step up in this "no snitching" culture. There is both the issue of men not being willing because they have bought into that culture, and the issue of some men being afraid that they might be targeted by gangs, drug dealers, etc...for cooperating with the police.
My overall view is that this effort will probably help and it is a start, and it deserves the support of the community. However, the problems in these heavily Black inner cities has more to do with culture, than anything that a police force could tangibly fight. The police department cannot stop a young man or woman from making bad choices and having children out of wedlock or having children before they are emotionally or financially ready to handle that responsibility. The police department cannot read to your child or help your child with their homework everyday. The police department cannot force men to be good fathers for their children. The police department cannot fight anti-intellectualism and anti-education values within the community. These issues have to be dealt with by parents.
But I do support this effort, although it does not appear to be a part of a more comprehensive plan. Such efforts have been successful in other cities. However, the most successful efforts tend to be initiated by citizens...the men who live in troubled neighborhoods. This effort appears to be something driven by the Police Commissioner and a few community leaders. So how much actual grassroots support this gets remains to be seen.
St. Louis Police officer (rookie) Norvelle Brown was shot and killed on the streets of North St. Louis late Wednesday night. Brown was a young shining star on the Police Department, and was adamant about protecting his neighborhood. He also volunteered his time working with youth in his community.
Some (myself included) immediately wondered why Brown was out on patrol by himself in one of the city's worst areas, rather than patrolling with an FTO or veteran partner? It's too late to ask these questions now... those are questions that the police department should have asked before-hand. Hear audio report from KMOX Radio....the host is speaking with Kevin Ahlbrand - the President of the St. Louis Police Officers Association.
I recently posted a blurb about violence in the city.... while overall crime seems to be down, violence seems to be going up. Other cities are also dealing with what seems to be a lot of violence this year... or an increase in the severity of the violence that is taking place.
I was once provisionally hired (academy) by the SLPD.... back in the mid 1990's.... but I decided to go to school to pursue a degree instead. I also did not want to deal with the grueling physical challenges of the academy... so I quit. With the kind of violence that goes on day to day in St. Louis, I am glad I made that decision, although my choice to go to school has yet to reap any rewards. UPDATE: A 15 year old is now in custody, along with 2 other suspects. See Report
And people want to continue to make excuses for the lack of Parenting???
Poverty and the White man caused the officer to get shot... blah blah.....
"The two parties have combined against us to nullify our power by a ‘gentleman's agreement' of non-recognition, no matter how we vote ... May God write us down as asses if ever again we are found putting our trust in either the Republican or the Democratic Parties." -- W.E.B. DuBois (1922)
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