Littering? In This Economy? Not On My Watch!

I hope they get fancy-colored uniforms. #BackTheRed, maybe?

Self defense stop harassment

Watch where you’re putting those boxes, Mister.

Between protecting property and public relations, being a cop takes a lot of time. This is a problem because the breaking of law, much like robots calling you about your car’s insurance, is legion. When you have that many violations happening at any given time, you have to do a bit of triaging. Can you really be mad at officer for not arresting that jaywalker on their way to apprehend a burglar? Probably not. New Orleans is considering a way to get more hands on deck: to deputize and enable city employees to issue citations for “quality-of-life” violations, like illegal dumping and public obstruction.

The deputized employees won’t be able to arrest people, won’t have badges, cannot carry firearms and can only use force for self-defense or to protect someone else… [T]he focus will continue to be on warning and educating violators, but that they need the citation option to resolve repeat violators who are causing significant problems and simply refusing to get in line.

… So, hall monitors?

To be frank, I do think that this is a good idea. There is no question that cops doing more quality-of-life checks mean more people die. I do still have some reservations; who will be chosen for this position and what will happen if people do not (or cannot) pay the fines they are issued. My first concern would be an overzealous hall monitor like George Zimmerman ends up with one of these gigs. He is an example of a guy who was (in his mind) acting in a pseudo-policing role, went against direct orders to not pursue someone, and earned blood on his hands. There are already concerns that “protect and serve” veers too frequently into “regulate and pass judgment” as it is. That said, I acknowledge the program is in its infancy and there is already a requirement for background checks. Cops have those too though. It might be overcautious to suggest that the fancy meter maids be given mandatory de-escalation training, but I doubt it would hurt.

Second, there is the very real risk of unpaid fines developing into jail time. That, coupled with overpolicing, could result in additional costs of living for folks and small businesses that already struggle to scrape by. City officials have already recognized this and have stated that this is not about revenue — but would this be the first time a law gets passed in the name of safety and quality of life that ends up becoming a monster of its own?

I hope this ends up in cleaner streets and not some dude constantly enforcing New Orleans’s version of the pretzels in bag law because he thinks it’s funny. ‘Cause that’s definitely some shit I’d do.

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City Council Passes Laws Allowing Police To Deputize Civilian City Workers [The Lens]


Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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