March 11, 2008
Cop Ratings Website Infuriates PolicePosted by Manuel Lora at March 11, 2008 03:24 PM
People love to compare and contrast brands and the various lines of products that companies produce. There are dozens of magazines and hundreds of websites, journals and well as clubs and organizations, both professional and hobbyist, that help consumers make better decisions about which product or service to purchase.
When it comes to the goods bads and
non-services that the state provides, however, the rules of the game might be different. Indeed,
police agencies are complaining about a website that rates more than 130,000 police officers in categories such as authority, fairness and satisfaction. The response by the police groups is not a surprise:
Police associations that represent more than 100,000 police and sheriffs in California are now seeking legislation to see if they can eliminate the site altogether. They say that officers who are rated face unfair maligning without any opportunity to defend themselves.
Is there a lack of symmetry here? The various governments have the power to spy on us, track our moves, view our financial transactions, read our mail, intercept our communications and a whole slew of atrocities. Yet a page that ranks police officers is a danger to the cops, who now have tanks, helicopters, SWAT team, rifles and explosives. They can't defend themselves?!