Video: 2 Wash. Cops Demoted for Web Cartoons Mocking Jail

NYTrooper @ 8/16/2011 7:24 PM

OK, If...they made this on duty, and IF they used department computers then MAYBE they should be admonished. Reduction in rank? BS! I am glad I don't work there. No sense of humor, no freedom of speech and thin skin. We all need Rhino skin in this business and if you can't take criticism, especially well done humorous renditions of it then you are the problem. Those that made this decision probably got stuffed in lockers as kids and don't understand why either.

NC Deputy Sheriff @ 8/17/2011 4:35 AM

I wonder how the cops would have felt if the jail personnel had made a video mocking their "mickey-mouse" arrests? Would they be after a pound of flesh? You betcha' ya... Cops should never try to dump property on the jail that should be booked into their police evidence room. They also should never bypass the hospital to book a person into jail who needs medical care. Can you spell U-N-P-R-O-F-E-S-S-I-O-N-A-L????

Tom @ 8/17/2011 8:08 AM

Most jails today face overcrowding and are under a more stringent duty to protect than the police when it comes to the inmates. Jails can face litigation as well as the police so policies have to take this in account. On the other hand it is frustrating for the police who make an arrest only to find out that the subject can't be booked in jail for this or that reason which at times seems stupid. Demotion for the two officers involved seems over the top to me without knowing more of the facts involved.
When suspects are not booked for their crimes, the word does get out and obviously is not a deterrent to others contemplating the same thing.
Then there are the doctors in the ER who get sick of having their facility filled with drunks who are now by law deemed sick instead of criminals and no longer accepted by the jails. I believe in this case, that the jail
admin is a little too thin skinned and needs to be able to take a joke
without wanting retribution. Retribution will not make any working relationship between the jail and the officers any better.

Shaun Mudd @ 8/18/2011 10:46 AM

As one who works in a jail I can say this: We only send them to the hospital if they are above .25BrAC or if they have been abusing medication and their blood pressure and heart rate are sky high. Otherwise, we take everybody else. I have never sent someone to the hospital who hasn't been booked in later. Our crew bags on the road guys and the road guys come in to the jail and bag on us. If they are in the jail and there is a fight in booking they jump in with the rest of us. We have used their dogs for shakedowns more times then I can remember and when all is said and done we drink coffee and laugh about it. The other guy was right, you are in the wrong business if you can't take some joking. We work in a field that requires joking and lots of it, but we get down to business when we have to. Not knowing the background of these two guys, I can't say anything about the punishment. Too harsh if it was the first time though.

michael @ 8/18/2011 6:28 PM

I guess we hit a sore spot, must be somewhat actuate. We all know that the jailers and street cops all have a difference of opinion when we are booking people to what is acceptable or not. The street cops want to get rid of the pain in the ass they have in custody. The jailer on the other hand doesn't want to deal with the hammer head for the next several hours or maybe days. But, really if this is taken so seriously then there must be some truth to it. Maybe the Admin. staff needs to look at whats going on between the jail staff and the street cops instead of pointing fingers. Demoting people can send the wrong message and sounds to be excessive discipline for the crime.

El Pantera Diablo @ 8/20/2011 7:42 AM

I think many of you are missing the point. This is not about conflict between the officers and jailers as much as it is about mismanagement at the top. Making policy that conflicts with reality. Buying computer programs that are not properly researched before being put in play. Prisoner property, illness, mental issues,,, seldom when dealing with the people who end up needing to be booked, do we find that they are so well kept as "The Rest of Us". It was a work of satire intended to bring some discussion and thought to what is clearly a problem in the booking process there.

Crawford @ 8/20/2011 1:09 PM

I don't see what the problem is... It must be true to get all this feedback. And if it is, thank you officers for pointing out what some, (not all) go through with our dept. of corrections. It's not like people have never made fun of COPS.

bookem15 @ 11/5/2011 9:14 AM

I can see them getting into trouble if they did it on county / city equipment but as far as them doing it on their own time and equipment if theyhad any stones they would file a grievance for discipline without just cause. This video is spot on and if the bosses can't take it then theyare causing the low morale and they know it and they like it. Clear violation of their constitutional rights if they did it on their own time and equipment.