A lot of catching up to do on San Francisco News, so lets get started.
There's yet another protest planned to disrupt the evening commute, this one set for 5 PM outside of Civic Center BART Station in San Francisco. The group Anonymous has reportedly said it would have a protest each week, and to point not just to the shut down of cell phone service that got Anonymous so riled up (this blogger too), but the recent police action that took the life of Charles Blair Hill in July.
On the matter of BART protests, I had a long talk with a good friend of mine who's become a fixture in Bay Area Law Enforcement (and I will not name). His take was predictably, well, him, but representative of how some of his collegues think. "BART has handled this poorly," he said. "What they should do, it turn us (police) lose and arrest people who protest down there. If they get out of line, and don't follow orders, that's it. Billy club them."
He and I totally disagree about the cell phone issue, where I still hold that BART's action was illegal - in violation of the Communications Act of 1934. After a time, my friend caved in and agreed that there was a problem with what BART did. His point is that BART police are there to protect the people who ride the trains. The protestors have no right to interrupt their ability to get home.
My friend's correct.
While I don't advocate violent police action, the bottom line is that if a police officer asks you to do something, you do it. In this case, if that means leave the station, get out. The police officer should only give such an order where appropriate - in the BART Station. The protestors are doing what I got after BART for doing when it shut off cell phone service: harming the lives of innocent people.
My Friend On Charles Blair Hill
I also mentioned that Charles Blair Hill, the man who was gunned down on the Civic Center BART platform on July 2nd, and the action of which caused this blogger to make this video:
should have been tasered. My friend offered a view that I'm used to, but may shock some of you. He said "That guy had a knife. If you raise a knife that's a threat. If we (police) ask you to drop the knife, and you don't, you will get shot." Mr. Hill not only did not drop the knife, he threw it at the officer.
My point to my friend was that Hill missed the officer by a country mile. But that's not important at all. Two things are: Hill <i>threw the knife</i> at the BART Police Officer, and before that, failed to follow a direct order.
Also, my friend informs that Charles Blair Hill was a jail veteran who "Would get into jail, be released after a time, then return on some other offense." In short a revolving door, one that stopped for Hill in July.
I don't care if Hill was down on his luck, no person deserves to be shot. That's my take. But, the lesson here is to just make life simple: follow the orders of a cop. Period.
Ross Mirkarimi For SF Sheriff, But...
Oh, and while we're talking about law enforcement, let's take a brief look at the race for San Francisco Sheriff. My friend says that many San Francisco police types favor Capt. Paul Miyamoto over my favorite San Francisco District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. And Chris Cunnie, the former San Francisco Police Officers Association President entered the race about two months ago, and this month, got the endorsement of former San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong.
My friend says that, for some of his SF law enforcement folks, Ross can be "polarizing," but he failed to explain the nature of this split. But, from the macro view, and just being honest, considering the negative view that many in the San Francisco Bay Area have of the police, Ross may be in the best position to secure the role of San Francisco Sheriff. Why? Because Ross is more politician than cop, by far - and thus in the best position to be a buffer between the police and the community.
Heck, Ross has so many endorsements that matter, including from the current man Michael Hennessey, it may be none of the talk about the race has any real value at all. Still, you've got to play to win the game - that means voters have to vote.
The bottom line is that Ross is the perfect person to be Sheriff at this time. And while that doesn't mean I'm not going to interview the other candidates - that's not the way I work - that's the way I call it.
The Transbay Construction
If you're driving along, around the construction for the Transbay Terminal take note that Beale Street between Mission and Howard will is at one lane "until further notice" I'm told. It seems there was a damaged a 16 inch high pressure gas pipe on Beale Street caused by contractors working for the Transbay Transit Center Program on August 24th. Crews are working hard to bring conditions back to normal.
Stay tuned.
There's yet another protest planned to disrupt the evening commute, this one set for 5 PM outside of Civic Center BART Station in San Francisco. The group Anonymous has reportedly said it would have a protest each week, and to point not just to the shut down of cell phone service that got Anonymous so riled up (this blogger too), but the recent police action that took the life of Charles Blair Hill in July.
On the matter of BART protests, I had a long talk with a good friend of mine who's become a fixture in Bay Area Law Enforcement (and I will not name). His take was predictably, well, him, but representative of how some of his collegues think. "BART has handled this poorly," he said. "What they should do, it turn us (police) lose and arrest people who protest down there. If they get out of line, and don't follow orders, that's it. Billy club them."
He and I totally disagree about the cell phone issue, where I still hold that BART's action was illegal - in violation of the Communications Act of 1934. After a time, my friend caved in and agreed that there was a problem with what BART did. His point is that BART police are there to protect the people who ride the trains. The protestors have no right to interrupt their ability to get home.
My friend's correct.
While I don't advocate violent police action, the bottom line is that if a police officer asks you to do something, you do it. In this case, if that means leave the station, get out. The police officer should only give such an order where appropriate - in the BART Station. The protestors are doing what I got after BART for doing when it shut off cell phone service: harming the lives of innocent people.
My Friend On Charles Blair Hill
I also mentioned that Charles Blair Hill, the man who was gunned down on the Civic Center BART platform on July 2nd, and the action of which caused this blogger to make this video:
should have been tasered. My friend offered a view that I'm used to, but may shock some of you. He said "That guy had a knife. If you raise a knife that's a threat. If we (police) ask you to drop the knife, and you don't, you will get shot." Mr. Hill not only did not drop the knife, he threw it at the officer.
My point to my friend was that Hill missed the officer by a country mile. But that's not important at all. Two things are: Hill <i>threw the knife</i> at the BART Police Officer, and before that, failed to follow a direct order.
Also, my friend informs that Charles Blair Hill was a jail veteran who "Would get into jail, be released after a time, then return on some other offense." In short a revolving door, one that stopped for Hill in July.
I don't care if Hill was down on his luck, no person deserves to be shot. That's my take. But, the lesson here is to just make life simple: follow the orders of a cop. Period.
Ross Mirkarimi For SF Sheriff, But...
Oh, and while we're talking about law enforcement, let's take a brief look at the race for San Francisco Sheriff. My friend says that many San Francisco police types favor Capt. Paul Miyamoto over my favorite San Francisco District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. And Chris Cunnie, the former San Francisco Police Officers Association President entered the race about two months ago, and this month, got the endorsement of former San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong.
My friend says that, for some of his SF law enforcement folks, Ross can be "polarizing," but he failed to explain the nature of this split. But, from the macro view, and just being honest, considering the negative view that many in the San Francisco Bay Area have of the police, Ross may be in the best position to secure the role of San Francisco Sheriff. Why? Because Ross is more politician than cop, by far - and thus in the best position to be a buffer between the police and the community.
Heck, Ross has so many endorsements that matter, including from the current man Michael Hennessey, it may be none of the talk about the race has any real value at all. Still, you've got to play to win the game - that means voters have to vote.
The bottom line is that Ross is the perfect person to be Sheriff at this time. And while that doesn't mean I'm not going to interview the other candidates - that's not the way I work - that's the way I call it.
The Transbay Construction
If you're driving along, around the construction for the Transbay Terminal take note that Beale Street between Mission and Howard will is at one lane "until further notice" I'm told. It seems there was a damaged a 16 inch high pressure gas pipe on Beale Street caused by contractors working for the Transbay Transit Center Program on August 24th. Crews are working hard to bring conditions back to normal.
Stay tuned.
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