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Who gave the order in Memphis?

Policing in high crime America. 

Former Detroit Chief of Police Ralph Godbee and Senior Investigator Ira Todd talk truth about law and order in the Big City.

Maybe the lack of civil unrest in Memphis has something to do with the fact that it was five black cops who pummeled Tyre Nichols, also black man. Absent this racial algebra, Nichols’ story has already slipped to the back pages. 

It’s a shame, the retired cops say. Not only because a man was murdered, but because here lies an opportunity to discuss how things really work and how to fix the problems. How difficult it is to get rid of bad officers, no matter their color or that of the citizen.

And just as importantly, why good cops put up with them.

It has its roots in Detroit. In the wake of the 1967 riots, the newly formed Detroit Police Officers Association negotiated the country’s first overarching police contract. They achieved a generous pay raise and new disciplinary rules. Those rules, known as the officers bill of rights, became the template for police contacts across the country.

Congratulations on your retirement Officer Jim Looman. #DPD

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