“The NOPD is a paramilitary organization and it has to be drilled into their heads that they don’t have the luxury of taking out their frustrations on citizens, because those citizens will tell their story and it will have a ripple effect throughout the community,” Goyeneche said. “This is where training and discipline comes in.”
For the NOPD to be successful, it has to have the trust of the community so people feel comfortable reporting crimes and acting as witnesses. But when people feel abused by the police, as Wexler alleges, it destroys that trust, Goyeneche said.
In the comments under the article, someone else responded very well:
this is my favorite part...
'“The NOPD is a paramilitary organization...'
since when is any police department a paramilitary organization? that kind of thinking is the problem. police departments are NOT paramilitary organizations and they are not a military fighting a war against citizens. but that is what these officers are obviously told, and how they treat citizens, and act as if they are above the law, reflects that thinking.
Federalization and militarization of the local police, state police, etc., has been a systemic program since at least the 80's, funded partially by the federal govt with your tax dollars, also funded by federal RICO statutes and state forfeiture-seizure laws that give police the right to confiscate property and money on a whim and funnel it back to themselves. It needs to stop yesterday.