The Memphis 5

[arcticlightfighter]

Failure to hold communities and individuals responsible for their criminal actions

Failure to address causal factors in the perpetuation of criminal activity in certain communities

Accusing all law enforcement agencies of systematic racism in lieu of examining the actions of those involved in police contacts

Criminally charging police for legitimate use of force as an alternative to holding those who resist arrest accountable for the need for elevating force options due to the fear of the reaction of certain communities

Results in :

Good officers leaving the job early before or at retirement age

Lack of qualified candidates to fill positions

Lowering the minimum standards to hire to include but not limited to : no physical fitness standard, no education standard , lowering psychological testing standards, allowing candidates with criminal backgrounds to include “some felonies” to apply

Promotions and assignments based on identity politics in a desperate attempt to virtue signal that the agency “isn’t racist”

Emphasis on “community outreach” because it’s easy to use BIPOC communities as props to further signal that the agency is “definitely not racist”

Emphasis on “ social media presence “ and deleting any substantive comments that are counter to the narrative

Administration continuing to receive pay increases while refusing to address the officers well being

Administration admonishing proactive officers because the majority of arrests could be considered troubling optics “if the media got ahold of this “

Telling command staff that if one of our officers gets into a deadly use of force incident (with a BIPOC community member ) that “ we will have to fire them immediately “ regardless of the facts

City manager offering to pay a problematic employee 5 years of family health insurance to retire in lieu of termination just to avoid a costly arbitration . This officer had more formal discipline than all officers combined and incurred over $100k in settlements to the city in his career

When a decorated sergeant with no formal discipline in 20 years, two honorable discharges eventually takes a medical disability after working two years after an initial PTSD diagnosis, the city locks you out of the PD, removes access from email, doesn’t contact you for 7 months, refuses to provide health insurance as per statute and generally treats you like a pariah because “business decision” then arbitrarily won’t give a retired ID in violation of LEOSA because “PTSD” but in reality the chief is vindictive…

These are all things I have personally witnessed and experienced in my 20 years … I took a medical retirement and am done with this god forsaken profession


The profession is broken

Society gets the policing they deserve

Any good officer still on the job is one call away from criminal indictment and losing everything for a legitimate use of force

Stand back and let it all burn

[Maple Syrup Actual]

I find it darkly humourous that I think I've never met a person who wouldn't agree with the following statement:

"If you want better kitchen staff in your restaurant, you need to pay more and offer better conditions to increase the pool of highly desirable applicants, and then be selective about who you hire."

But the response to having problems in policing is very often "we need to lower hiring standards to broaden the pool of applicants, and cut their pay and increase personal liability until they get the message."


Offer garbage, get vermin.

[TCinVA]

I find it darkly humourous that I think I've never met a person who wouldn't agree with the following statement:

"If you want better kitchen staff in your restaurant, you need to pay more and offer better conditions to increase the pool of highly desirable applicants, and then be selective about who you hire."

But the response to having problems in policing is very often "we need to lower hiring standards to broaden the pool of applicants, and cut their pay and increase personal liability until they get the message."


Offer garbage, get vermin.

There's a very special breed of willful stupidity that can only come from the minds of the "educated".

[fixer]

There's a very special breed of willful stupidity that can only come from the minds of the "educated".

Speaking as twice college educated in two different fields, I can’t count how many times I’ve thought to myself that ‘people get dumber going to college’.

That trend has a recent change in slope that is not favorable to a well run civil society.

[blues]

Speaking as twice college educated in two different fields, I can’t count how many times I’ve thought to myself that ‘people get dumber going to college’.

That trend has a recent change in slope that is not favorable to a well run civil society.

That's because college admissions are not what they once were.

Everyone gets a participation diploma these days.

[AMC]

There's a very special breed of willful stupidity that can only come from the minds of the "educated".

While this is demonstrably true, we must not discount willful maliciousness as well.

[Trooper224]

Speaking as twice college educated in two different fields, I can’t count how many times I’ve thought to myself that ‘people get dumber going to college’.

That trend has a recent change in slope that is not favorable to a well run civil society.

They aren't dumber, but rather willfully ignorant.

[Tensaw]

While this is demonstrably true, we must not discount willful maliciousness as well.

I think this is it. With both LE and Mil, an environment has been created that is nearly intolerable for those who joined for the right reasons. Those folks are leaving in droves, only to be replaced by.... who? I believe this is by design. You have to break the old system to create a new one. This is what is being done.

[TCinVA]

That's because college admissions are not what they once were.

Everyone gets a participation diploma these days.

I don't think it's about admissions standards anywhere near as much as it is about weaponizing higher education for political and economic gain.

[Totem Polar]

As many here know, I have some experience inside higher ed. There is literally *nothing* said from post 51 to now that I don’t agree with. Which is awesome for water cooler leg humping, but terrifying for society.

By all means, carry on. So far, so accurate, IMHO.