Apparently, OWS is having a impact other than peaceful protesters getting caged, jailed and tortured.
According to this SFGate article, Judge Thelton Henderson has decreed that Oakland has lost the right to independently hire/fire/promote or acquire hardware for it's police force without an independent monitor.
Henderson issued an order that bars city officials from hiring, firing, promoting, purchasing equipment or retaining consultants without prior approval of an independent court-appointed monitor. The ruling also means that neither interim Police Chief Howard Jordan nor Mayor Jean Quan can change police policy, procedures, rules, tactics or disciplinary procedures in the Police Department without getting permission from the monitor.
So all changes are now subject to approval by the independent monitor (Robert Warshaw)... why is this the case? Apparently the brutal response to OWS as per HuffPo:
This ultimatum comes in response to a report issued by Warshaw last week sharply criticizing the department for its handling of the Occupy Oakland protests. "We were, in some instances, satisfied with the performance of the department; yet in others, we were thoroughly dismayed by what we observed," he wrote. "I cannot overstate our concern that although progress on compliance has been slow, even those advancements may have been put in doubt in the face of these events."
Apparently, OWS is having a impact other than peaceful protesters getting caged, jailed and tortured.
According to this SFGate article, Judge Thelton Henderson has decreed that Oakland has lost the right to independently hire/fire/promote or acquire hardware for it's police force without an independent monitor.
Henderson issued an order that bars city officials from hiring, firing, promoting, purchasing equipment or retaining consultants without prior approval of an independent court-appointed monitor. The ruling also means that neither interim Police Chief Howard Jordan nor Mayor Jean Quan can change police policy, procedures, rules, tactics or disciplinary procedures in the Police Department without getting permission from the monitor.
So all changes are now subject to approval by the independent monitor (Robert Warshaw)... why is this the case? Apparently the brutal response to OWS as per HuffPo:
This ultimatum comes in response to a report issued by Warshaw last week sharply criticizing the department for its handling of the Occupy Oakland protests. "We were, in some instances, satisfied with the performance of the department; yet in others, we were thoroughly dismayed by what we observed," he wrote. "I cannot overstate our concern that although progress on compliance has been slow, even those advancements may have been put in doubt in the face of these events."
Although the judge feels nothing in the decision is punitive (minimum standard for nationwide police departments), the 3-month deadline seems completely unrealistic (though Oakland has had 9 years to get resolve a previous Rough Riders suit - another case of rogue police officers).
Change is likely coming - what do you think will happen?