Cambridge police release details of Crowley’s record

[The Straight Story]

The Boston Globe
Sergeant cleared in 8 citizen complaints
Cambridge police release details of Crowley’s record


Eight citizen complaints have been filed against Cambridge police Sergeant James M. Crowley during his 11 years on the force, including two by black males who alleged racial bias, according to internal affairs reports made public yesterday.


Crowley, whose arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. last month sparked a national debate on race that was inadvertently stoked and then calmed by President Obama, was cleared of wrongdoing in all eight instances by internal affairs investigators, according to reports provided by the Police Department.

Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas wrote that Crowley has made or helped make 422 arrests, participated in about 800 criminal investigations, and issued 1,866 citations for motor vehicle infractions and other offenses.

“It is noteworthy that despite Sergeant Crowley’s numerous arrests and citations, only eight citizen complaints have been filed against him, which represents less than 1 percent of his interactions with the public,’’ Haas said in a three-page letter that accompanied the documents.

Crowley, who is white, arrested Gates, a black professor, and charged him with disorderly conduct during the investigation of a possible break-in at his house on July 16. Authorities later dropped the charges.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/20...

[PM Martin]

1. Should I get the popcorn now?

[imdjh]

9. Yeah, I'm kind of bored right now.

[wroberts189]

17. A friend of a friend said you should avoid the microwave stuff.

Something about "popcorn lung"

[Stephanie]

2. Only eigtht complaiints

Give him a medal.

[XemaSab]

3. This is completely meaningless

without knowing what the complaint numbers are for other officers on the force.

If he had complaints in 1% of all interactions, is that a low number or a high number?

Similarly, if two black people said they thought he was a racist cop, what does that mean? Is that high or low?

[Statistical]

4. Antecodatal I know but I have a friend who is a cop and he gets about 1 to 2 complaints per month.

So that would be 132 to 264 over 11 year period.

My friends record is considered good because usually what matters is founded complaints. That is complaints where a legitimate problem was found.

8 complaints (only 2 for racial issues) is incredibly low IMHO.

[lib2DaBone]

5. He's a great Zero-Tolerance Police Sergeant.....

No tolerance for blacks, no tolerance for students, no tolerance for white people, no tolerance for ANYTHING! He is perfect in the eyes of City Administrators. He's a cash-generating machine for the court system. And.. he is probably an instructor at the Police Academy.

[wroberts189]

6. There should be no complaints. nt

[The Doctor.]

7. Jesus Christ would get complaints.

Sure, he wouldn't be a cop, but you get the idea.

People complain under any circumstances.

[wroberts189]

12. Well I am no expert on police complaints per officer for sure.

So I will shut up.



But 8 complaints? Come on.. it takes time and effort to file one.

[imdjh]

14. Most defense tactics take time and effort.

How many of these cases have we read since the Gates affair in which charges were dropped when police misconduct was alleged? No defense like a good offense.

[wroberts189]

16. "No defense like a good offense.".. Damn I wish more Dems. thought like you. nt

[MUAD_DIB]

20. I have a problem with what you just wrote...

Fooled Ya!

[The Doctor.]

25. Always someone...

Lil' Mouse

[Skip Intro]

22. But the complaints were investigated, they didn't hold up. I know it's easy to be cynical about

that, but would the police dept. cover his ass 8 times? Either this police department is corrupt to the core, or he really was not guilty of the offenses complained about. Unless there's a third likelyhood I'm completely missing.

[imdjh]

8. Given that Gates accused Crowley of racism immediately upon arrival....

... how much weight should such an allegation carry, especially when it's most likely made by a much lesser light than a Harvard Professor.

[lib2DaBone]

11. Is it a secret that Black People are sensitive about Police Heavy Hand tactics?

[imdjh]

13. Is Stargate Atlantis more realistic than Star Trek?

[DainBramaged]

15. They aren't sensitive, are you familiar with 'driving while black'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_While_Black

[wroberts189]

18. Not for (some) of us white males living in the reality based community. nt

[TexasObserver]

10. He's still a major douche nozzle.

[wroberts189]

19. +1 ...you said it not me. :) nt

[bertman]

21. I'd like to have a beer with Crowley and ask him why he didn't put Gates in a choke hold

when Gates started accusing him of being a racist.

[imdjh]

23. it's funny. Treat a household servant like crap and you're an elitist piece of shit.

Treat a public servant like crap, and you're a working class hero.

[JI7]

24. and how many complaints have been made against Professor Gates

?

[imdjh]

26. Maybe cops need tenure.

If Gates had gotten demerits for every racist remark he's ever made, he'd be an ice cream truck driver.