I was riding up 4th Ave last night at about 10 pm when I got a bad vibe as I heard a vehicle approaching. I could hear that it was coming up fast. I felt unsafe enough to stay as far to the right as possible, in the parked car lane. I was worried that the driver was aiming at me. Right when the car was beside me, the driver stepped on the gas and accelerated away up the hill. This was right near the intersection of 4th Ave and Eastside Street. It was an Olympia Police Department squad car.

Why do police speed? Why do police drive aggressively?

It's especially disturbing that police evince aggressive driving tendencies when they are not in pursuit.

The actions of this police officer as a driver(assuming the car was being driven by a police officer) were threatening to me as a bicyclist. This driver seemed aggressive and hostile.

Who writes the tickets for cops when they speed?

You can watch my comments to the City of Olympia Council for the last several meetings:

(Link to View Video for June 3, 2008. See time slot 18:48 for the start of my comments.)
(Link to View Video for May 20, 2008. See time slot 27:56 for the start of my comments.)
(Link to View Video for May 13, 2008. See time slot 44:02 for the start of my comments.)

You might have to open the archive which is entitled: City Council and Study Session Meetings Archive (Includes Agendas and Minutes)

Well I had a great time on the ride along. I got downtown around 11:30 and checked in at the front desk. Sergeant Wojtech drove me up to the Westside station. We had a nice chat, and I wish I had heard more of his stories about aiding in the evacuation of Mount St. Helens when it erupted. Spent a couple of hours riding around with JT in his car. For the inquiring minds, Sergeant Wojtech doesn't own an iPod, and JT likes classic rock and modern country on his.

Got to see a couple of calls responded to. As one involved a minor, and another was a routine complaint, but involving a no contact order I won't delve into any details. Heard some interesting stuff come over the radio as well.

read the rest

Today the Evergreen Police Services Community Review Board, which is made up of students, staff, and faculty at Evergreen released its report on the incident on Feb 14.

It is attached in PDF format on this thread.

Basically, these were the major findings of the Board:

• that the Evergreen police followed protocol, but the officer should have attempted to leave sooner and park her vehicle so it could have a quicker exit route, and
  
• the initial arrest was justified and was not based on racial profiling, given the evidence and witness statements the officer gathered at the scene, and that the officer went beyond what was necessary to attempt to gather more statements, even when the crowd was growing more hostile
  
• their should not have been only one officer on campus, and back-up should have been called sooner
  
• that event staff were not trained and/or did not follow protocol, an
  
• their was little to no communication prior to the event, between the police on campus and the event staff/student activities people responsible for planning the event
  
  

It should be noted that this report is only for the campus police, and the scope can not include Olympia police actions.

1:06AM
"Advise, there was a concert, several fights broke out, TESC is trying to take someone into custody, there is still a large crowd."

1:09AM
"We're in the area, Overhulse and Fireweed (CP) - We can't see anything. Can you be more specific?"

1:11AM
C30 arrives at CP (This is probably Deputy Gallagher, whose car is named in the WSP diagram - and is thus likely the one whose car is lost. Other reports refer to a female officer's car being lost, and this is the only female officer early on the scene for TCSO who sounds like a female on the recordings we have.)

1:17AM
"OK, go ahead and send Olympia, too." (says Lincoln 8, the Lt from TCSO)

1:18AM Time marked as start on most of the Olympia PD Reports

1:21AM
"How many units do we have (still) responding (Not yet here, but logged as on the way)?" Dispatch responds: "We have 6 Oly, 1 Tumwater, 2 County, and 3 State."

1:21AM (Dispatch reads back this time to tape)
"Uh, we're gonna have a problem here real quick"

1:21AM
"Charles 30 in the area." (Arriving at the actual scene of the event)

1:22AM (Dispatch reads back this time to tape)
"When Olympia comes in, let 'em know we need helmets, they're starting to throw stuff."

1:22AM
"Code 10 on County, for a Disturbance" (Says Dispatch)

1:22AM (Dispatch reads back this time to tape)
"We probably have a couple hundred here and it's growing."

1:26AM
OPD Arrives at McCann Plaza but can't figure out how to get down to the Gym.

1:27AM
C30 advises she'll show OPD how to come into the area if they meet here at Fireweed and Overhulse.

1:30AM
"Lincoln 8, (this is) 94 - where do you want the incoming units?" (NO RESPONSE)

1:32AM

Given all the thought going into policing this week, I thought this one deserves its own post. The city council is looking at its Police Auditor program this week. To that end, they got a report.

Here's a summary:

• 14 total complaints, with 28 seperate allegations in 2007, compared to 28 compaints in 2006 with 50 allegations. In 2005 12 complaints, 27 allegations.
• 3 complaints of racial profilling, none sustained.
• 4 excessive force complaints, none involving Taser, OC spray, batons or firearms. Most common included handcuffs. None sustained.
• One unlawful arrest, which was unfounded.
• The only sustained complaint was one count of "Improper Driving."

Here's some background information on the police auditor program.

Here's the full report, scroll down for the full counts:

I just recieved for approval a draft letter to the OPD regarding the last time I was stopped for peaceable open carry by OPD. I won't post it here, but it does make the appropriate statements and threats of lawsuit.

Also it clarifies the rules for lawful carry of a firearm in the common, public areas of the OPD station. OPD has an unlawful sign requiring disarming before entering the common area. One only is required to disarm in secured areas, and OPD would be required to provide a safe storage space for the weapon, and accept responsibility for it while under their care. My attorney has requested they change their policy to reflect state law.

The letter will be going out to OPD soon... :-)

Norm, JT I'm not being anti cop or anti OPD here. I'm just sick and tired of having my privacy rights violated, my right to bear arms trampled and nobody being able to comprehend what a "Terry Stop" is. There is a small culture there that disregards due process and proper actions in favor of stuff that would be more suitable in California, or Illinois...

I seek only a peaceful resolution to this conflict outside of the courts.

EDIT.  This happened Monday, around noonish. Uploaded document from the OPD, added image of my sidearm

Okay, this deals with guns, and the lawful possession and carry thereof. Anyone offended by this, may as well stop reading. There may even be pictures. Let it be known upfront that I have broken no laws, and always carry my sidearm legally and peaceably. I am not posting this to get into an argument about if my prefered mode of carry is a good thing or a bad thing, or if people should even carry guns, etc... This is to discuss a really screwed up stop by the OPD. The fact that I open carry (OC) my sidearm is not up for debate here. I do, and will continue to do so. In this state, the right to keep and bear arms is clearly enshrined in the constitution, and is a civil liberty. Not up for argument.

The Olympia Police Department has issued a training directive regarding the fact that OC is legal. I have uploaded it here for anyone to download.

Because OC in and of itself is not enough to warrant alarm, and there must be specific behavior accompanying it, despite complaints if I was not engaged in threatening behavior I am breaking no laws. Officer O'Neil gave me a choice to have my weapon taken from me, or to conceal it. This totatally disregarded my rights. This was all happening while his partner had a gun out. They were coercing under color of law to force a particular mode of behavior, despite the actions I was doing breaking no laws. Anyway, I'll clarify points as they arise. I also have some emails from Lt. Wilson I am going to upload. There are some disturbing statements in one of them. I will post them as a reply to this blog entry to keep the intial post as brief as possible. The topic here is how the OPD violated civil liberties, not guns, not OC, etc....

That said, here goes...