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jgghn t1_j21q10i wrote

Reply to comment by 2old4badbeer in Globe Editorial Board: Boston police union needs to accept new realities of policing by GlobeOpinion

> Nobody wants to pick up their kid at school standing next to the guy he locked up last week.

This is literally one of the reasons for residency requirements for police officers. They should be comfortable in their neighborhood and know the people they're policing. Otherwise it sets up a "The Others" situation for the officers, and they dehumanize the people they're policing.

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2old4badbeer t1_j23hoym wrote

I mentioned this in another comment. Some criminals take their arrest personal no matter the circumstances and seek confrontation. It’s not always ideal. If we make police live directly with people they arrest, why aren’t judges required to live amongst the people they sentence?

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jgghn t1_j23z37m wrote

Good point. Perhaps they should as well?

I don't think the problem with judges is quite as top level. We're all very familiar with how abusive police departments are to the people under their watch. A bad judge can have just as, if not more, of a profound impact on a person's life, but there's a reason why we see "ACAB" and not "AJAB".

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2old4badbeer t1_j242uac wrote

I think it’s anti-police rhetoric that is the root of this “work where you live” thing. Let’s just call it what it is. A cop can make a bad arrest, the prosecutor can pursue and win the case, but a judge decides how long you go to jail and somehow the cops the only bad guy? We don’t hear “AJAB” because judges in Massachusetts are appointed by the governor. How do they get appointed? Well, look at their political donations. It’s an easy line to draw. Massachusetts governors, particularly in recent history, prefer judges who defer criminals from jail for better or worse. Judges are often a last hope for a defendant and they usually deliver. But that’s beside the point. I concede there are probably benefits to cops living where they work, but it’s not always practical and should be a choice. But to expect one group of city employees to and not others is unfair, unless there’s hard evidence that proves a benefit to everyone.

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