Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole is playing the victim card again.  In a Mason County Press article, an outlet that frequently allows him to vent his frustrations, titled 'Local Police Experiencing Backlash of National Negativity Especially Last Weekend', the sheriff complains about a couple of recent police events where his deputies and others were not treated with their required respect by those who were well within their rights to do what they were doing. 

He also mentions a New York City event erroneously, brings up the Butterfield shooting to elicit the usual "Our job is so dangerous" mantra he is known for, and then tells us of several incidents where the main point is lost.  There was no backlash, there was no national negativity causing the non-existent backlash.  The overall effect I as a reader received was that our elected sheriff is little more than a spoiled crybaby.  I include the text of the whole article with my own annotations in red and [bracketed].

  

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief.

National exposure to events that have portrayed law enforcement in a negative light have influenced some recent interactions local law enforcement has had with the public, particularly over the past weekend. Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole said it’s fairly common place nowadays for police officers to be recorded on video camera, but, he said local law enforcement officers found themselves being frequently questioned and also being harassed by an area hotel employee last weekend. The sheriff said while the public has the right to record, there are boundaries that need to be observed.

[Boundaries that never actually get defined in the course of the article other than 'interference with an officer's job', which could cover just about anything the officer wants.]

“Our deputies are video taped every day,” Sheriff Cole said. “They pretty much expect it. I respect the public’s right to record but I also expect the public to be conscious of the job our officers need to do. When video recording interferes with an officer’s job then a line has been crossed. This is also true when an officer is interrupted in any way by someone when he or she is trying to do their job.”

[A line has been crossed when an officer is interrupted in any way by someone else?  Do they turn off their radios when they are doing their duties?  That can interrupt what an officer is doing too; maybe we should take dispatchers and other officers in for interference with an officer while on duty.]

This was the case at the Baymont Inn of Amber Township over the weekend. Sheriff Cole said a sheriff deputy was conducting a traffic stop and the subject pulled his vehicle into the hotel parking lot. While the officer was in the process of arresting the person, a hotel employee came outside and asked the deputy to leave, Cole said.

[The parking lot of the inn is private property, and although the public in general is allowed onto the lot in order to conduct business with the inn, the owner or their representative has the right to ask someone to leave their property.  A police officer in the performance of his duties also has certain powers to be there to effectuate an arrest when the arrestee has parked there, but if the action takes an extra long time, the officer's vehicle is blocking the entrance, the action takes place in the middle of the night interfering with their business, etc., the owner or his agents can express their concerns. 

'Interfering with their business'?  Isn't that what Sheriff Cole was just complaining about for his officers?]

“The deputy had to now take his attention away from the job of arresting a person and deal with the person who was interfering with the arrest,” Cole said. “This puts the deputy at an extreme risk and also puts the public at risk. After the deputy said he wasn’t going to leave, the employee left and then came back with another person, who again interrupted the deputy’s duty. This person then told the deputy that having his vehicle in the parking lot was bad for business.”

[Asking an officer to get off your private property is now interfering with an arrest?  Why weren't these hotel workers summarily arrested for resisting/opposing/obstructing a police officer?  Their concerns were valid, and did not interfere at all with the arrest.  For the sheriff to bring this out publicly further interferes with the hotel's business, particularly since the hotel staff was not given leave to comment in the article on what actually happened.]

Cole said there were other incidences in the City of Ludington where the public expressed a heightened suspicion of police activity.

[Perhaps all the local lawsuits filed against the LPD and Mason County Sheriff's Office for police brutality and other civil rights violations are contributing to this also...]

“We had a unit respond to a bar to back up Ludington Police Department. The subject was literally thrown out of the bar by a bouncer. A city police officer came over to the guy to help him up and to see if he was OK. At that moment, video cameras were immediately pulled out and the officer’s interaction with the subject was immediately recorded.

[The local officer's that brutalized Joe McAdam and Nancy Septrion eventually helped those innocent citizens up too; fortunately those interactions were recorded by the officer's own dashcams and showed their complicity in police brutality.  Video records are unbiased witnesses, and should be applauded by good law enforcement officers.] 

That is certainly their right, but also that same night citizens came up to police officers demanding that the police move their vehicles from the street. Our officers and deputies are doing their jobs and doing it within the confines of the law.

[If they had been  violating traffic and parking laws without needing to do so by responding to an emergency situation, they were in the wrong.  They need to park and travel with the same laws we do.  Anything else is outside the confines of the law, and I doubt citizens would make it an issue unless the police were in the wrong.]

“Do people not remember September 9, 2013 when a Michigan State Police trooper, Paul Butterfield, was murdered in this county?” Cole asked.

[Do people not remember January 15, 2014, when an innocent retired school teacher was murdered in his home by a Michigan State Police Trooper in this county?  What either of these has to do with the topic is beyond me.]

“Our local law enforcement would put their lives on the line to protect the people of this county. I watched a video recently of an arrest in New York City. It was being video recorded by multiple people and showed people actually coming up to police officers and attacking them while they were attempting to make an arrest. These officers were of multiple races. At one point, a woman attempted to grab one of the officer’s holstered sidearm. This is crossing the line.”

[I'm presuming the incident he speaks of is the one recorded here which just happened this week.  Though an inappropriate incident (perhaps from both sides) Cole misrepresents the actual facts.  This was a brother being arrested for having an open bottle of cognac, the sister thinking it was inappropriate started defending her brother from what she thought was a bogus charge; he in turn, started defending her.  No other people were involved other than the videographers who will likely help the officers make their case against the siblings.  This incident shows why it is important to have recordings of police/citizen interactions from the police standpoint.]

Cole said a few weeks ago, a deputy had pulled over a driver in the Custer area for speeding. At some point during the stop, after the deputy had checked the man’s records, they ended up both standing along the road and were sharing a story and a laugh together. “A woman pulled up several feet behind them, got out of her vehicle and began recording the interaction,” Cole said. “The man who was pulled over actually got upset and started asking the woman why she was recording them. He asked her to stop but she refused.”

[Whereas I can understand why a man may object to having his traffic stop recorded by others and shared wherever they might want, I applaud the woman for her actions as it was probably done in the spirit of keeping both parties honest.]

Cole said while the woman was within her rights to video record in public, people doing such things need to really question what their motivation is. They also need to follow the law themselves.

[Why do they need to question it, when you and your deputies already have?  Ask yourself why the City of Ludington decided to set up cameras in their bathrooms pointed at the stalls-- what was their motivation, and why did they break the law to do so for years.]

“The law enforcement officers in this county are good people. Scottville police, Ludington police, state police and the sheriff’s office. These are men and women who are out there everyday trying to keep the public safe. There is always going to be a certain percentage of the population that does not like or does not trust the police. But, we are thankful for the majority who recognize what we do and the risks we take. I am just asking that the public be conscious of the job at hand.”

[A person who records the police or expresses their concerns about police presence on their private property should not automatically be lumped together with those who do not trust or like the police.  Perhaps if you as a popularly elected sheriff held your officers to a higher standard of accountability and your citizenry to a higher standard of respect, we would not have to deal with a bunch of baseless whining like this article turns out to have. ]

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2015/06/25/local-police-experiencin...

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Meanwhile in Kalamazoo, a Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy allegedly was involved in a crash in her personally-owned vehicle, drove off without stopping, was eventually stopped by local police where she was found to be packing heat and having a superdrunk BAC.  She compounds matters by acting belligerent and above the law when arrested.  The police have released the video of their interactions here:  http://woodtv.com/2015/06/25/dash-cam-video-shows-deputys-arrest/

Maybe she will use the 'backlash of national negativity' defense, Butterfield Syndrome, or 'my job is oh so dangerous' routine to defend why she drove off from the scene of an accident while superdrunk and then resisted arrest.  Kudos goes to the Kalamazoo police who had to deal with this corrupted lady, who is probably crying like the babies above about herself being treated like a common criminal.

Meanwhile in Clare County.....http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=1225441#.VZb17PlViko

A Clare County Sheriff's Deputy has been arrested after allegedly drinking and driving.

According to Clare County Sheriff John Wilson, the deputy allegedly crashed her private car into a ditch on Beaver Rd, south of Ludington Drive.

Sheriff Wilson tells us the deputy didn't call 911 but a neighbor who heard the crash reported the incident.

The deputy was then arrested around 3 a.m. for drunk driving, according to the sheriff.

The deputy is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

I read the article in the Mason County Press.  Not only were  Sheriff Kim Cole's statements beyond mind-bending, but most of the comments on the Mason County Press Face Book Page by citizen's page were unbelievable.

People willingly giving up their "Constitutional Rights?"  It is so sad, and actually frightening people are willing to praise Kim Cole and his whining pertaining to recording the activities of his " police force."  And to throw in Trooper Butterfield?  

Question is?  Why the loyalty from Rob Alway at the MCP?  Why, just why is Rob's reporting so slanted?   MCP should have interviewed the employees of Baymont!!  You are absolutely correct....Baymont Inn is Private Property, and the Cole's "Force" should have complied with their request to get off their property!  

The Dumbing Down of America!!!!!!!

 

Jana Brockwell on MCP FB page gets it, along with a couple of other people!!  HIGH FIVE TO HER!!!!

You will be interested in a letter to the MCP published in that online site from a reader in Hart.  I personally feel the Oceana Sheriff's Office is very accountable from my dealings with FOIA requests through them.  Fortunately for them, Mr. Gilland and the residents of Oceana County seem to be served well by their police force.  Of course, several people in Mason County will overlook our own force's deficiencies because they either actually believe it or do not want to appear anti-cop.  The letter appears in it's entirety below:

Reader embarrassed about treatment of local police.

June 26, 2015

Letter to the Editor. By Matt Gilland, Hart.

As I read your story titled, “Local police experiencing backlash of national negativity, especial...” I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by our community. The law enforcement officials in our area have done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. To tell a police officer that their presence is bad for business, during a routine traffic stop, is absolutely disgusting, and I feel that their attitude is what is really bad for business.

To generalize anything because of a few bad incidents is wrong. Not all gun owners kill people, not all pit bulls attack, and not all police officers are brutal. To treat our local police force as the villain, because of something that happened far away from home, is very wrong. It feels as if the police can not do anything right.
I read another story online titled, “Police: Driver in fatal police chase a parole absconder,” in which the news source had originally titled, “Neighbors ask why after Detroit police chase deaths.” The story talks about a police chase that lasted no more than 70 seconds, in which the driver of a Camaro ran down children after beginning to flee from the police. In the story, the family begins to blame the police, even though the chase wasn’t very long, and the fleeing driver is the one that jumped the curb.
Treating the police like this, reflects onto the children. If we treat the police this way, our children see this, and will feel similarly for no reason. What happens when you get into a car accident, and you are unconscious, and a police officer approaches the car and your child has a panic attack because of the approaching police officer? The cops in our area have given us no reason to distrust them, we shouldn’t be placing distrust for the cops in the kids either.
The local police have taken an oath to protect and serve the citizens of our area, and they do that. Don’t treat them horrible for a crime that they didn’t commit.

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2015/06/26/reader-embarrassed-about...

Mr. Matt Gilland, of Hart is in a desperate need of educating himself before sending "A letter to the Editor of the Mason County Press."

They get recorded a lot more than they know.

The MCP 'dialogue' about law enforcement continues with two more posts, most recent is one by Nick Swan of Hamlin Township (i.e. Nick's Radio) where he uses the word 'asshole', a traditional media and radio-unfriendly word:  "...complying with the instructions, giving a smile and not acting like an asshole will go a long way towards being treated fairly...".  Nick loves police agencies since they and firefighting agencies make up a good portion of his radio work, hence the 'cops are always right' attitude.

This follows another letter to the editor that was more along the lines of being reasonable about the issue by Scott Watkins of Sheridan Twp. entitled Law enforcement has ‘bad apples’ reprinted here:

"I am in full agreement with Sheriff Cole in regards to the dangers of the public recording police interaction and possibly interfering with an officer or officers doing their job. (See related story here). But bringing up Trooper Butterfield’s death was callous and uncalled for, and was an exception to the rule and far from the norm. It was indeed a tragic incident, but individuals who decide to enter law enforcement know full well the risks their chosen career curtails.

As an individual who has had interactions with members of our local law enforcement wherein the officer or officers in question did comport themselves in a manner which was in fact illegal by the law I am pleased that our citizens are attempting to hold officers accountable for their actions. I have had local officers violate my rights on more than one occasion, dating from the mid-1980s up to as recently as 2010. The officers involved ranged from new recruits to decades long career officers, and almost all of them are still employed here.

Mason County law enforcement is not exempt from “bad apples”, and I guarantee you can find many individuals besides myself  in our community who have experienced the same types of violations I have, and would wholeheartedly agree. It is an experience one never forgets, and leaves you with feelings of mistrust, helplessness and anger.

Until officers stop maintaining “The Blue Line” the distrust will remain. Technology has finally given citizens a way to protect themselves from corrupt law officials and shine a light on an issue that has gone on for far too long and happens across the country."

Of course, the Facebook "Press Gang"began to pillory Mr. Watkins for his stance, making potentially slanderous inferences from his interactions with officers.  I drink a toast to Scott Watkins for at least bringing to light that there are a fair amount of incidents and officers in Mason County that don't merit the lavish praise heaped on them by those who do not believe in bad cops, even when there is plenty of local evidence to back it up.

Police Have No Duty To Protect Individuals

https://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kasler-protection.html

The Facebook "Press Gang" who worship the police with their praises fail to understand the police have no obligation to "protect and serve" on an individual basis.    

The United States Supreme Court has ruled on this numerous upon numerous occasions.   

Meanwhile;  the Facebook Worshipers of Kim Cole have yet to ask Mr. Cole for an update on the whereabouts of the dangerous man(men) who allegedly robbed, and shot the family dog.  This incident warranted swat teams, a MSP helicopter, panicked citizens, etc... .  

So, please tell me how Kim Cole and his police force serve and protected them?  

And BTW it is legal for citizens to video the police.  We did not need Kim Cole telling us "he has no problem with it," Even if he did, there is not one single thing he or his deputies could do, as long as no one interferes. 

The MCP has cultivated a crop of pro-cop commenters by weeding out many of those who speak ill of Sheriff Cole and Chief Barnette.  I know of three other people other than myself who have been blocked out of MCP because of our cop-critical views.  Others have been weeded out because they choose to use aliases. 

Therefore, they are left with a rather bland rank and file of people that either idolize cops the way Rob does, and those who are either afraid to comment because they will get attacked by the rest of the 'Press Gang', or comment mutedly.  Jana Brockwell manages to walk that line. 

I cannot.  Watching the McAdam video, knowing what they did that night, and that they wanted to pin five charges of assaulting police officers on Joe McAdam when they were the ones who pulverized and electrolyzed McAdam for no reason when he was lying on the street and in the hospital.  What the officers and deputies eventually admitted to under oath at depositions should have been their end as public servants and their start of a jail or prison term for them and the unprincipled prosecutor we're saddled with.

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/17505/police_and_poor_people

Here is a very interesting take written by....Sam Mitrani is an Associate Professor of History at the College of DuPage. He holds Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2009 and is the author of The Rise of the Chicago Police Department: Class and Conflict, 1850...

The Police Were Created to Control Working Class and Poor People, Not ‘Serve and Protect’

BY SAM MITRANI

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