Speaking Ill of the Living

How ironic is it that traffic is tied up all over the Bay Area because Oakland PD decided to make a spectacle out of the funerals of four officers - none of whom actually lived in Oakland - who were gunned down last weekend by a single parolee/rape-homicide suspect?

One wonders what kind of training the officers receive when two can be shot and killed during a traffic stop of someone who is listed on their database as armed and dangerous and wanted on a no-bail warrant. And what kind of training and protective equipment were given to another two who were killed in a swat team event later that day, going after the same criminal. Yes, police work can be dangerous, but there's something wrong with this picture. Even more wrong in the light of the recent killing in Oakland by BART police, where OPD did not respond in a timely manner. And the many drive-by shootings around Oakland.

OPD is in need of a serious overhaul, top to bottom. It has needed this for years, but it seems to be getting worse. I feel sorry for the families of the officers. Adequately trained and equipped, they would probably still be alive today.

Family Guy Meets STTNG

Gakked from Levar Burton on Twitter