North Miami Beach Police Use Mug Shots Of African-Americans For Target Practice

[workinclasszero]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/north-miami-beach-target-practice_n_6482964.html


North Miami Beach police officers used a montage of six mug shots of African-Americans for target practice.

Officers from a South Florida police department are drawing fire after getting caught using photos of real-life suspects for target practice.

Critics told NBC South Florida, which first reported the controversy, that the North Miami Beach cops are racially insensitive because the six mug shots used at the firing range feature only African-American suspects.

:

[uppityperson]

1. sigh, k&r for wider exposure

[Man from Pickens]

2. Positively mild compared to some LEO agencies

look up "No Hesitation Targets" it will scare the piss out of you

[workinclasszero]

3. Its no wonder there seems to be a shoot first

ask questions later policy regarding black males in America.

Thats how the cops are trained!

[Baitball Blogger]

4. That should be an automatic expulsion.

[mountain grammy]

5. So the theory has been the use of excessive and lethal force is

the result of "lack of training." Now we're seeing the "training." Chilling.

[ND-Dem]

7. +100

[uponit7771]

27. +1

[BlancheSplanchnik]

30. really. ugh, god, this is sickening. n/t

[jwirr]

6. How much worse can this situation in the USA get. Everyone of these incidents makes our distrust

more realistic. The police with their back to the Mayor in NYC need to understand that they have done this to themselves. Their actions have led to our distrust and our disrespect. And it is only their actions that can fix it. Start acting like grown ups. And it is not just protesting black people who feel this way. We are all beginning to understand that it could be us. If they can treat human beings like this because they are black then who is next.

This needs to stop and if they want respect then they need to stop it.

[3catwoman3]

8. This is completely...

...reprehensible.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

9. That is a stunningly, horrifying image.

What does this do to your psyche? to see your image used as a target? Knowing how often you look like so many victims of police violence!

[FourScore]

18. so horrifying. Surely there is just cause for these men to sue. n/t

[Scruffy Rumbler]

22. I so hope so!

And make the animals apologize to each one of these men in person, on TV on bended knee.

[Thespian2]

10. K & R

North Miami, you need a real police department. Start by firing all the racist bastards on the force.

[tooeyeten]

11. Much more than

"racially insensitive."

[Takket]

12. if those photographs just got a job and got off welfare, they wouldn't get shot

clearly they brought it on themselves!

[cstanleytech]

13. And they couldnt use something like a bullseye why????

[freshwest]

21. Or just a plain picture as before? WTF? WARNING: GRAPHIC images from story:

WHAT THEY USED TO BE LIKE:

http://img02.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploaded/i2/TB1dn4fFVXXXXc3aXXXXXXXXXXX_!!0-item_pic.jpg

WHY, WHY, WHY?

NO EXCUSE FOR THIS!

Where is MSM?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Hey cops, Newsflash: Not all white people feel snuggly in their beds knowing you're doing this shit.

[uponit7771]

29. +1 The world has seen more and more of this and are disgusted, the police are at the least tone

... deaf or just full of racist.

Wont hold my breath on them turning their backs on something like this

[Unknown Beatle]

15. Racism is strong in this country.

Before Obama it wasn't as blatant, now it's in the open for everyone to see.

No-holds-barred, in-your-face racism.

[lame54]

16. When are we gonna get some proof of their racism

[Jamaal510]

17. Now isn't that something.

I hope they'll be investigated and disciplined for this.

[DeSwiss]

19. You give psychopaths guns......

...this is one of the things they do with them.

- Psychopaths love to symbolically kill what they fear the most.

It's one of their more endearing traits.....

K&R

[Jesus Malverde]

20. Discusting...nt

[MrScorpio]

23. When cops can't shoot down males in street...

Why not try the next best thing?

Fuck the police.

[dissentient]

24. How much you wanna bet that racist jokes are told routinely among the officers while they are doing

target practice with these images?

[Cyrano]

25. First they came for

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

Martin Niemöller

First they came for the blacks and ...

It's the moral duty of each and every one of us to speak out wherever, whenever, and however we can.

[uponit7771]

28. +1

[JustAnotherGen]

26. But alas they shall come along and say

"Oh nothing to see here! Fiddle dee! Move along! They didn't mean it! "

Yeah - pull this finger and . . .

[Wella]

31. Here is how the police chief "defends" this practice:

Police Chief Defends Using Black Male Photos as Target Practice
Actually, officers shoot at human faces in an array of colors, says chief
http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/16/mugshots-used-for-target-practice

...North Miami Beach Police Chief J. Scott Dennis defended the practice by pointing out that white and Hispanic faces were also used. Perhaps Chief Dennis could consider that the issue isn't a lack of diversity in the human faces police are trained to see as targets but the fact that police are trained to see human faces as targets?

Dennis told NBC that no department policies had been violated and the officers would continue to use mugshots for target practice, though they would expand the photo inventory and begin to exclude people booked by the department. He also said that shooting at real human photos was common law enforcement practice, and one necessary for facial recognition drills....

Also, the police are using targets of pregnant women and children as targets. (Could that explain Tamir Rice?)

Is Your Local Police Department Using Pictures of Pregnant Women and Children for Target Practice?
http://reason.com/blog/2013/02/19/is-your-local-police-department-using-pi

..."The subjects in NMH targets were chosen in order to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training. I found while speaking with officers and trainers in the law enforcement community that there is a hesitation on the part of cops when deadly force is required on subjects with atypical age, frailty or condition (one officer explaining that he enlarged photos of his own kids to use as targets so that he would not be caught off guard with such a drastically new experience while on duty). This hesitation time may be only seconds but that is not acceptable when officers are losing their lives in these same situations. The goal of NMH is to break that stereotype on the range, regardless of how slim the chances are of encountering a real life scenario that involves a child, pregnant woman, etc. If that initial hesitation time can be cut down due to range experience, the officer and community are better served." ...

...he series contains seven targets in all, titled Pregnant Woman, Older Man 1, Older Man 2, Older Woman, Young Mother, Young Girl, and Little Brother. Each of the depicted subjects is armed.

I've reached out to Minnesota-based Law Enforcement Targets, Inc., for comment on what inspired the series and whether it's popular with law enforcement groups (see comment added above). Considering that the company has landed $5.5 million worth of contracts with the federal government, it might also be interesting to know if these targets are being used by federal law enforcement agents.

[workinclasszero]

32. Pregnant Woman, Older Man 1, Older Man 2, Older Woman, Young Mother, Young Girl, and Little Brother.

OMG how in the hell did this country get to this point?

I guess its open season on anyone in fascist amerika eh?

[Wella]

33. It's about preparing the police to see citizens as the enemy

That's all I can figure. Add that to the military equipment being sold cheap to these departments and you start to wonder.

[workinclasszero]

34. 1 + 1 = 2

No need to wonder I'd say. Its right there in front of our faces.

[Wella]

35. There are days I like I need a tin foil hat

Except it really is out there.

[oberliner]

36. This would be messed up no matter the race of the people in the mugshots

Very disturbing.