Ever see a female law enforcement official?

[TheJudge]

I get to talk with most of the LEOs every year and am continually amazed at just how cool they really are about what goes on out there. Technically they could be a lot worse if they wanted to be, but because there is hardly any trace of violence out there when compared to other events, its mostly a laid-back way for them to get overtime.

[sparkletarte]

Thanks Judge. All of this talk about law enforcement kind of freaks me out. I don't live in the land of the war on drugs (and other things).

AZ, you have to click on the orange 'close tags' to finish your code.

[Rob the Wop]

Has anyone seen police brutality?

I witnessed a drunk guy in 2002 in the street in front of our camp get billyclubed several times after he accidentally (from what I saw) brushed an arm against the LEO he was "conversing" with (he was gesturing using his arms as he talked). The drunk was trying to push the LEO's buttons (and succeeded apparently). Don't know if that was "police brutality" or not, the drunk acted incredibly stupid (never try to push the buttons of a LEO) but the LEO seemed to be baiting him on until he went to far. I think the response was out of hand, ymmv. Could have been diffused easily (if anyone was stupid enough to get involved between a LEO and a drunk). Other than that one LEO, they have all been pretty cool in my experience.

You're kidding me, right? The ratio of event goers to LEOs is staggering. A hostile drunk walks up to you, starts fucking with you and 'accidentily' grabs your arm (y'know- the one you use to grab a weapon in case things go horribley wrong?).
#1) The first move in removing an opponent's weapon and using it against them is to grab the upper arm/wrist that would be used to grab the said weapon. Then use your other hand to take the weapon. In which case the LEO's partner would have to use FAR worse force to subdue the drunk- or if the LEO happen to be alone- dealing alone with an armed and deadly drunk. The LEO CANNOT take the chance that a hostile/violent drunk becomes empowered with a deadly weapon. He MUST assume that the 'accidental' contact is an assault.
#2) Crowd control. I'm assuming the drunk gentleman had friends around him. An LEO has to make sure that his/her presence is maintained as a greater authority. If the LEO didn't react, and the drunk became increasingly hostile, this could trigger a 'mob mentality'. His friends could jump in and say, "YAH! What he said!" By this time, it's too late for anything but drastic measures.

Rather than bash on the LEO, put yourself in his/her place. If the drunk was close enough to 'accidently' touch the LEO, they are within the LEO's circle of conflict. A hostile drunk is unpredictable. A hostile drunk with your weapon may have to be shot and killed to remove a threat. A hostile drunk with your weapon and a bunch of buddies getting riled up into a 'mob reaction' is a complete and utter failure on an LEO's part and they should remove his/her badge.

Talking shit to a cop is one thing. Being close enough to be a physical danger while talking shit is an entirely different ballpark.

[Simply Joel]

After attending 5 years in a row... I only had one LEO encounter of which I was to blame for "exuberant use of throttle" to make big ass donuts on the playa... and got a ticket for not having an art car permit... i got off later because a lawyer friend gifted me some representation and the case was dropped... so, tread softly my fellow burners... the hassle you avoid may be of your own making... as was mine.

now, a uniformed female with hand-cuffs... where do i sign up?

[Apollonaris Zeus]

Thanks Judge. All of this talk about law enforcement kind of freaks me out. I don't live in the land of the war on drugs (and other things).

AZ, you have to click on the orange 'close tags' to finish your code.

A II Z

[Apollonaris Zeus]

Thanks sparkletarte!

After this cop chick pummeled this guy unconscious for throwing a cig butt on the playa, she dragged him into an unoccupied tent and raped him repeatably jabbing her nightstick up his...

Yeah, so there's your cop brutality on the playa. So you better be good.

The cops don't take any shit and thrashing out the playa is one thing they don't tolerate!

A II Z

[ckburn]

I sometimes coordinate with the various law enforcement agencies on-playa as part of the stuff I do out there. I've worked with Kathy of the BLM many times. She's been to Burning Man many years, and is an experienced BLM officer. If you're a bitch to her, she can be tough right back to you, but generally she's an easy person to get along with.

There are a couple of younger women officers for the BLM as well. I've had good and bad experiences with them, but the majority have been good. Of course I have always been in the position of providing sober, rational advice to the unruly participant, so the officers are typically pretty cool to me. But these women have been generally cool to everyone, particularly those who are cooperative rather than antagonistic. A reasonable, calm, respectful attitude goes a long way with these people.

Interestingly, BLM law enforcement at Burning Man will be run by a woman this year. I met her at BM HQ recently, and she seems to be a very capable, rational person who should be a great person to work with. She seems genuinely interested in feedback, and really focused on working with the organization to better cooperate this year.

- CK

[DVD Burner]

I gotta say.....San Francisco has some of the finest looking cops on the planet.