Massachusetts Police Get Black Uniforms to Instill Sense of 'Fear'

(aren't police states fun?)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352471,00.html

Massachusetts Police Get Black Uniforms to Instill Sense of 'Fear'

Thursday, April 24, 2008

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Springfield's men in black are returning.

The city's new police commissioner, William Fitchet, says members of the department's Street Crime Unit will again don black, military-style uniforms as part of his strategy to deal with youth violence.

Fitchet's predecessor, Edward Flynn, had ditched the black attire as part of an effort to soften the image of the unit. Flynn left Springfield in January to become the police chief in Milwaukee.

Sgt. John Delaney told a city council hearing Wednesday that the stark uniforms send a message to criminals that officers are serious about making arrests.

Delaney said a sense of "fear" has been missing for the past few years.

Fear doesn't work on crime. There have been countless studies that show this. What does work are positive goals and the chance at upward mobility. we have so much crime because people don't feel that the social contract is a good one.

Jackbooted thugs aren't going to do much for that.

...when you said FOX reported a police force getting "black uniforms" to instill fear in people, I thought you meant this...



My bad.

DISCLAIMER: this is a joke.

and perhaps paint their faces purple or blue.

Yeah, sure, okay.

Hekate

:sarcasm:

pretty gung ho and the state AG referred to him as a "cops cop"...

William Fitchet sworn in as new Springfield police commissioner

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/william_fitchet_sworn_in_as_ne_1.html?category=Springfield

by The Republican Newsroom :eyes:

Friday April 18, 2008, 7:23 PM

snip-->

Sgt. John M. Delaney, the master of ceremonies, spoke of the time that he and Fitchet served together on the narcotics division, making more than 100 raids into the homes of suspected - and potentially dangerous - drug traffickers.

Fitchet, then head of the division, was always the first through the door, Delaney said. When asked why that was so, Fitchet replied, "I would never ask any of my men to do something that I wouldn't do first," he said.

snip-->

Many officials spoke

Flynn's abrupt departure and the hard feelings he left behind were touched on by Hampden County District Attorney William M. Bennett, one of many speakers.

Bennett said that during the last three to four months Fitchet has served as acting commissioner, "the violent crime rate has gone up dramatically ... in Milwaukee."

The cheers and applause that quip drew were rivaled by those received by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, who touched on Fitchet's strong roots here.

"I understand you always want the best people, but don't understand (that) because they live in Springfield they aren't the best people," said Neal, who graduated with Fitchet from Springfield Technical High School in 1967.

Other speakers included state Attorney General Martha Coakley, who described Fitchet as "a cop's cop,"....

during the last three to four months Fitchet has served as acting commissioner

because the police weren't wearing black? :shrug:

and tend to attack people wearing black clothing.

Besides, it's going to be hot as a mofo in summer. That tan was bad enough.

have Gott mit uns on them?

Anyone who wants to "instill fear" is a damned fascist, and I don't use that term lightly.

and conceal carry, they can knock themselves out wearing any color you like. No one relies on cops for safety. Chances of a cop being around when you're in trouble are pretty close to nil.

This is one unit in one one small city in Western Mass. The title makes it sound like it was the entire Mass State Police. Many specialized units wear those types of uniforms.