The issue of police procedures and use of force got exactly zero discussion in the last City Council election. The next election is about a year and a half away, but it's never too soon to take note of a candidate's or incumbent's public position on important issues. The losing candidate in the last election, Mike Dunham, did fairly well last year garnering almost 2,700 votes (25.5%) so what he thinks matters. In a letter to the Daily Journal this week, Mr. Dunham objects to police "displaying riot guns and batons" at one of the demonstrations while simultaneously noting that "witnesses spotted gun-toting individuals who were not part of the protest".
I'd like to meet an officer who is willing to provide on-the-ground support at a demonstration of highly-incensed people without a baton and at least a few fellow officers carrying (not "displaying", sorry) something more accurate at distance than a sidearm. That is a job description of a position that will be open for a long, long time. Dunham ends by broaching the subject of police funding. Elsewhere in the DJ another B'game resident, Arne Hurty, starts the discussion of "defunding" our police and bringing on people trained to deal with mental illness, sex workers and even traffic violations. He doesn't mean in a clinic or center after the fact--he means on the street in real time; as the stuff is hitting the fan. I'd like to meet one of those pro's and review their credentials. I'll let Willie Brown's comments in today's Chronicle respond:
The call to “defund the police” as part of the anti-racism, anti-police-brutality movement is either one of the dumbest ideas of all time or the hands-down winner of the worst slogan ever. I shouldn’t have to explain that actually defunding police is a nonstarter as a practical matter, let alone as a political one.
I'm all for more mental health counselors, but it has to come from net-new funds and there are going to be precious few of those for the next couple of years. And they have to be backed up by a judicial system that functions better than the one we have now; as seen in the comments on the Social Media and City Government post. Now there is a problem I'd like to hear elected and future candidates weigh in on.
Firemen/Fireperson used to just "Hangout" waiting for a Fire to happen.
Now, all Firemen/Firepeople are EMT's to.
Maybe a new requirement for Police should be a Phycological Cert. of some kind.
Posted by: [email protected] | June 14, 2020 at 04:42 PM
Willie Brown was always a pragmatist.
His latest comments are spot on.
Dunham is an out of touch "self defined elitist".
We desperately need smart police.
No Police would be anarchy, which the likes of Dunham yearn for.
Posted by: Concerned | June 14, 2020 at 06:42 PM
Agree, it is quite interesting how Willie Brown sounds like a rare voice of reason in comparison to the current regime of delusional Democrats in CA. And Bruce Dickinson is a registered Democrat!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | June 15, 2020 at 10:47 AM
Agree Joe. For some unknown reason that boggles my mind, Mike Dunham has a voice in Burlingame. For a guy who is and has been unemployed has contributed absolutely NADA for the betterment of all the residents of Burlingame, I can't understand why his voice matters. He is an over educated nitwit and I would have ZERO problem telling it to his face if I had the opportunity. Go get a job Mike and contribute to your household to support yourself and your wife. All he is now is a house husband with no kids, collecting am unemployment/stimulus check. All his free time lets him troll Twitter with his Socialist cronies.
https://twitter.com/mldunham?lang=en
I guess he want Burlingame to be like his hometown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tEUmmYDUfA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl6BZ2xjeVY
Posted by: Barking Dog | June 16, 2020 at 12:59 PM
This was sent to me. Lot of truth in it...
I Used To Be A Normal Person
As a man, I used to think I was pretty much just a regular person, but I was born white, into a two-parent household which now, whether I like it or not, makes me "Privileged", a racist & responsible for slavery.
I am a fiscal & moral conservative, which by today's standards, makes me a fascist because I plan, budget & support myself.
I went to High School, paid my way thru college, earned a degree, & have always held a job. But I now find out that I am not here because I earned it, but because I was "advantaged”.
I am heterosexual, which according to "gay" folks, now makes me a homophobe.
I am not a Muslim, which now labels me as an infidel.
I believe in the 2nd Amendment, which makes me a defacto member of the "vast NRA gun lobby”
I am older than 60, making me a useless person who doesn't understand Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
I think & I reason, and I doubt much of what the "main stream" media tells me, which makes me a "Right-wing conspiracy nut”.
I am proud of my heritage & our inclusive American culture, making me a xenophobe.
I believe in hard work, fair play, & fair compensation according to each individual's merits, which today makes me an anti-socialist.
I believe our system guarantees freedom of effort - not freedom of outcome or subsidies which must make me a borderline sociopath.
I believe in the defense & protection of America for & by all citizens, now making me a militant.
I am proud of our flag, what it stands for and the many who died to let it fly, so I stand & salute during our National Anthem - so I must be a racist.
Please help me come to terms with the new me because I'm just not sure who I am anymore!
If all this nonsense wasn't enough to deal with, now I don't even know which restroom to use… and I gotta go more FREQUENTLY!
Author Unknown
Posted by: Barking Dog | June 16, 2020 at 01:22 PM
Probably best to just pee in the street. Crazy Shirley can do so why not everyone else?
Posted by: JP | June 17, 2020 at 09:51 PM
Barking Dog - Excellent article!
I also do not understand why anyone would listen to Mike Dumbdumb. He has contributed nothing to our city.
He claims to have moved here because he thinks it is a good place, yet wants to change it?
Let us ALL make sure he NEVER gets appointed or elected to any local office!
Posted by: Paloma Ave | June 18, 2020 at 06:49 PM
Stop buying stuff from China made in their prisons - build prisons here to make that stuff - arrest people that break the law - try them fairly with due process and those that are found guilty go to jail and make those products we would be buying from China.
This would make the police job much easier as those people that cause trouble would think twice and the police would get the satisfaction of knowing they are taking bad people off the street.
Pretty simple, but instead we are doing the exact opposite. Because of that we are going down.
[I've actually written this many times before in a different style with more detail and better construction of the argument but at this point I realize this thinking is so alien to the liberal Democrat population that the scribbles above are about all energy worth expending.]
Posted by: uhap | June 19, 2020 at 07:33 AM
https://uncoverdc.com/2020/06/12/uc-berkeley-history-professors-open-letter-against-blm-police-brutality-and-cultural-orthodoxy/
Excellent read. Spot on. From a Berkeley prof.
Posted by: Barking Dog | June 21, 2020 at 08:18 AM
https://youtu.be/7bsq1XQwDZg
https://youtu.be/ZjS0ZVa8oyI
Posted by: Barking Dog | June 21, 2020 at 09:18 AM
Do we have a Racism problem with our cops in Bgame?
Posted by: John Albright | July 05, 2020 at 12:31 PM
No but we do have a White Guilt problem with our white council guy and maybe a Brown Guilt problem with our brown council guy.
Posted by: JP | July 06, 2020 at 12:23 AM
I agree JP. Our current mayor has a case of it too.
Probably a copy of this on their home bookshelf from this shill.
https://books.google.com/books/about/White_Fragility.html?id=ZfQ3DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button
Posted by: Barking Dog | July 06, 2020 at 12:11 PM
An excellent interview with James Lindsay. With the investment of the 3hr interview.
https://youtu.be/FtNW3I1FZ5o
Posted by: Barking Dog | July 06, 2020 at 01:29 PM