Re: [UC] Fwd: arrested for observing police
In a message dated 6/15/2011 10:56:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, l...@verizon.net writes: Alexine Fleck, an English Literature professor at PCC and volunteer at a women's drug treatment program in North Philly who lives on Larchwood posted an account today in her blog about being arrested for attempting to observe while police accosted a suspected drug user in front of her house. It concerns me that watching the police is being treated as a crime -- I'd like to think that they're helpful and approachable. I seem to recall reading here that UCD had a police liaison, is this the case? Anyway -- Alexine Fleck might have been right in some moral or theoretical sense. But she was asking for the trouble she got by interfering with the police officer. She should have backed off when he (or she) asked her to do so. And if she thought the cop acted improperly, she should have called the Precinct Captain and reported the incident. She wouldn't have to have known the badge number. The vehicles are all numbered and the cops know who was in which car and when. You read it here, first, on the ever-popular Popu-List Courtesy of Al Krigman
Re: [UC] Fwd: arrested for observing police
Al or l...@verizon.net, Could one or both of you elaborate on the verbs observe vs. interfere. Observing and interfering are two different activities. Does anyone else on the list have any more information about Alexine's arrest? Mario Giorno On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 8:20 AM, krf...@aol.com wrote: ** In a message dated 6/15/2011 10:56:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, l...@verizon.net writes: Alexine Fleck, an English Literature professor at PCC and volunteer at a women's drug treatment program in North Philly who lives on Larchwood posted an account today in her blog about being arrested for attempting to observe while police accosted a suspected drug user in front of her house. It concerns me that watching the police is being treated as a crime -- I'd like to think that they're helpful and approachable. I seem to recall reading here that UCD had a police liaison, is this the case? Anyway -- Alexine Fleck might have been right in some moral or theoretical sense. But she was asking for the trouble she got by interfering with the police officer. She should have backed off when he (or she) asked her to do so. And if she thought the cop acted improperly, she should have called the Precinct Captain and reported the incident. She wouldn't have to have known the badge number. The vehicles are all numbered and the cops know who was in which car and when. You read it here, first, on the ever-popular *Popu-List* Courtesy of Al Krigman -- Mario Giorno PO Box 30932 Philadelphia, PA 19104 westphi...@gmail.com
Re: [UC] Fwd: arrested for observing police
In a message dated 6/16/2011 8:43:11 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, westphi...@gmail.com writes: Al or _lml3@verizon.net_ (mailto:l...@verizon.net) , Could one or both of you elaborate on the verbs observe vs. interfere. Observing and interfering are two different activities. Does anyone else on the list have any more information about Alexine's arrest? Mario Giorno Good point... but, under circumstances like these, if the cop asks her to back off because -- in her own account -- He said I was putting him in danger, she was interfering and should have complied. Her self-righteous indignation got in the way of common sense. The cops may, indeed, have been wrong. Not for me to judge. Nor for her, at the moment in question. - Alan Krigman KRF Management, ICON/Information Concepts Inc 211 S 45th St, Philadelphia PA 19104-2918 215-349-6500, fax 215-349-6502 krf...@aol.com or al.krig...@krf.icodat.com
Re: [UC] Fwd: arrested for observing police
Mr. Giorno and Al, I worked with Ms. Fleck professionally in the past. I'm glad she is safe and publicly reported on this dimension of the war on drugs! Yes, front line workers with the poor and marginalized are often caught up with the police, and let's not let semantic issues distract from her important report. Most abuse of our marginalized brothers and sisters by the police force go unreported! That is why Alex's front line report is so important and should be thoughtfully considered! The police are not accountable in this society nor are they the appropriate, trained health care workers, who should be intervening in this public health problem. (These are the same cops who stop and frisk) A new international report on the war on drugs has finally highlighted its complete failure as a policy. It has long been recognized by educated individuals that prohibition does not prevent or ameliorate any damage done to addicts, their families, or society. But the range of problems and damage to society caused by prohibition, not the drug use, has not been generally recognized! The war on drugs is another corporate profit scheme domestically and a cloak for profitably arming fascist movements internationally. But it is important to recognize that it only makes all problems for American society worse, while the problems of addiction fester. The corporate driven research community (that I was part of) has long understood that the ratio of treatment resources to interdiction resources allocated by our government is absurd! The ignorance and anger among the general population interferes with any hope for political change with this ratio despite overwhelming evidence. But people need to understand that the war on drugs is actually the worst possible assortment of policies which damages addicts, families, and society as a whole! Please take a few minutes to watch Dr. Gabor Mate, one of the leading and trusted experts on addiction, interviewed after the release of the international report. http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/6/6/dr_gabor_mat_more_compassion_less_violence_needed_in_addressing_drug_addiction Thanks to Alex for her advocacy for the marginalized, and for publicly reporting this incident! On 6/16/2011 8:42 AM, Mario Giorno wrote: Al or l...@verizon.net mailto:l...@verizon.net, Could one or both of you elaborate on the verbs observe vs. interfere. Observing and interfering are two different activities. Does anyone else on the list have any more information about Alexine's arrest? Mario Giorno On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 8:20 AM, krf...@aol.com mailto:krf...@aol.com wrote: In a message dated 6/15/2011 10:56:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, l...@verizon.net mailto:l...@verizon.net writes: Alexine Fleck, an English Literature professor at PCC and volunteer at a women's drug treatment program in North Philly who lives on Larchwood posted an account today in her blog about being arrested for attempting to observe while police accosted a suspected drug user in front of her house. It concerns me that watching the police is being treated as a crime -- I'd like to think that they're helpful and approachable. I seem to recall reading here that UCD had a police liaison, is this the case? Anyway -- Alexine Fleck might have been right in some moral or theoretical sense. But she was asking for the trouble she got by interfering with the police officer. She should have backed off when he (or she) asked her to do so. And if she thought the cop acted improperly, she should have called the Precinct Captain and reported the incident. She wouldn't have to have known the badge number. The vehicles are all numbered and the cops know who was in which car and when. You read it here, first, on the ever-popular */Popu-List/* Courtesy of Al Krigman -- Mario Giorno PO Box 30932 Philadelphia, PA 19104 westphi...@gmail.com mailto:westphi...@gmail.com No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.901 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3707 - Release Date: 06/16/11 02:34:00
[UC] Fwd: arrested for observing police
Begin forwarded message: From: kyle cassidy k...@kylecassidy.com Date: June 15, 2011 9:58:50 PM EDT To: Univ. City Neighbors u...@ucneighbors.org Subject: [UCNeighbors] arrested for observing police Alexine Fleck, an English Literature professor at PCC and volunteer at a women's drug treatment program in North Philly who lives on Larchwood posted an account today in her blog about being arrested for attempting to observe while police accosted a suspected drug user in front of her house. It concerns me that watching the police is being treated as a crime -- I'd like to think that they're helpful and approachable. I seem to recall reading here that UCD had a police liaison, is this the case? Anyway -- From Alex's blog: I got arrested today. My crime? Watching an officer pester a drug user who had nodded out on a neighbor's stoop. The guy didn't even notice the officer, who had his baton out and was aiming it at the guy. An uncapped syringe had fallen out onto the stoop and I offered to pick it up and put it in a glass bottle (the safest way to discard a syringe if you don't have a sharps container). The officer found this offensive and got mad at me. I said I would stand there and observe. He said I was putting him in danger because he had to have his back to the user to talk to me. I pointed out the user was still in a nod. He told me to back away, so I did. Then I asked him for his badge number and name and he refused to give it to me. I said I would wait for it. He called another officer, who peeled around the corner onto our block with her lights flashing. First, she and the other officer conferred, leaving the drug user to sit on the stoop. Apparently now he wasn't so dangerous that no one could turn their back on him. The second officer came up to me and I explained that I was just observing. She said I couldn't. I said I believed I could. She said that the user had a syringe, which was against the law. I said he was actually allowed to possess a syringe. She said only if he was sick. I explained the executive order permitting users to carry syringes. I offered to show her the order in writing (I carry it in my wallet). She told me to put down my bag so she could cuff me. I asked her if she was serious and she said if I didn't put down my bag, things would get ugly. Read the rest here: http://lxbean.livejournal.com/352918.html
