The Uncertainty Police Can't Train For

(CBS)  At the Connecticut Police Academy, 30 recruits are training to become officers. Some of what they must master is clear-cut, like their time for a 2-mile run, or how to write a traffic ticket, which is covered in their six months of classroom instruction and 400 hours of field training. But when they hit the street, everything won't be so cut and dried, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

Lt. Karen Boisvert is a training officer at the academy. She teaches recruits that merely being uncooperative isn't a crime.

While officers answering a call are stepping into the unknown, often alone, they must feel endangered or hampered in doing their job to make an arrest - which will naturally vary from cop to cop.

"I can't tell you when you're going to feel threatened. I can't tell you when you're going to say, ' Enough. I've been here for two hours on this call and if you're not going to cooperate with me, you are hindering my ability to do my job and you're going to be arrested for interfering.'" Boisvert said.

In 2007, there were nearly 710,000 arrests for disorderly conduct across the country. Unlike charges from speeding to murder, each disorderly conduct arrest is dependent on the discretion of the officer.

"It's an invitation to abuse," said Eugene O'Donnell, a former NYC cop and prosecutor. "The law creates a situation in which different cops go into the same calls would handle it differently. The law almost commands that because it's so unclear. So if you took a dozen cops and you send them to the same call you might very well have vastly different results among that group."

At the academy, they are taught by the book.

"It has nothing to with that I'm going to show you you're going to respect me," Boisvert said. "You have to violate a Connecticut general statute."

But after they leave, was we've all found recently, the book can be a complex read once the recruits hit the streets.

[donald1166]

The abuse of this law and family violance law are rampid in Cherokee County Georgia. It appears to be a money maker and easy way out for law enforcement to deal with these situations.
My daughter who is now 25 came to live with me after loosing her job.
She got into a verbal cussing match with her mother and I. When she phisically attacked her mother. I stopped her and escotred her to the door.
The Cherokee County Sheriffs deputy showes up at my door and arrests me. I was charged with disordely conduct among all the other charges. I was found not guilty of all charges a year later after the jury deliberated for less than fifteen minutes. The deputy and the DA did not interview my wife in any way shap or form. They also did not record my statement or anybody elses. I was polite, calm, coorperative and even offered the officers a cookie whick both officers acknoleged in court.
It was explained to me when I filed a complaint against the officer that he had no choice because of the family violance act but to arrest.
What has become clear with my conversations with other people arrested in the same type of situation is that the DA will offer probation, anger management and a large fine if you plead out to disorderly conduct. Because you are looking at spending up to five years in jail most people take the plead offer.
Parents have enough trouble raising children without the police underminding parental authority.
I find this dispicably wrong and something should be done about it.
sincerely

[Observer1504]

A Cop stops you and asks you your Name, you refuse, he arrests you for impeding an investigation. Once the cuffs are on the first thing the Cop says is "You have the right to remain Silent "

[curious51]

McGregor, Texas, Population: 4,777
These officers are also not trained, according to the current and former chiefs of police.
When my 19 year old son, Joshua, was found dead in Amsler Park, the police did NOT investigate, telling me, "We don't begin an investigation until something suspicious is found." I told him the whole thing is suspicious, because my son would not kill himself!
The officer, who was named detective, lied to me, telling me he had conducted his own investigation, but when I called his bluff, he admitted that he had only talked to my second son, Michael, telling me he had found out all he needed to know from him!
The current chief/former Texas Ranger, Steve Foster, is trying to tell me that the detective only became a detective a few days before Josh's death!
I had lived in McGregor for 7 years at the time of Josh's death, and knew Kory Martin as Det. Martin for at least the last 2 years! And even if he didn't have the expertise to conduct a proper investigation, then personnel from McLennan County should have been called in!
Regardless, in June, 2006, only 3+ months after my son's death, Martin, Sgt. Freeman, Officer Kirby and K-9 Officer Norris resigned simultaneously, for unknown reasons.
www.americaiswatching.org (Joshua Robinson) Attached documents, including a crime scene photo, petition, contact numbers/email addresses, and more importantly, a statement that a McGregor patrol officer was the last person to see Joshua alive in the park @ 1AM!
Per the rigor/livor mortis and the statements of the officers on scene, Joshua died shortly after the sighting!
Where is the justice for those that aren't named Carradine or Jackson????

[SouthwestisBest]

Sorry Jim Axelrod. This article trying to make excuses for Skip Gates, isn't quite doing the trick.

It is highly amusing that the press will continue trying to make excuses and smooth over a really bad piece of behavior by Gates and by Obama.

[Yeah-Me]

I have to agree with Misha on this one.