Tag: problem solving

*NYC Local News* NYPD Caught Fabricating Complaint Responses and Using Ghost Plates to Break the Law

My writing on cops seems bipolar, doesn’t it?

But maybe that’s the nature of organizations. They are made up of people and people are complex.

The ghost plates thing is really sad. They make fun of it here, but there’s video of them in a police lot inspecting ghost plates. Ghost plates, for those that don’t know, are when people take off, deface, or guard their license plate in such a way that they can speed without being detected by New York City’s many cameras.

New York City’s real-life ghostbuster busts some ghost plates in the media.

Meanwhile, the parking placards, often abused by government officials, are enforced at a rate lower than other 311-type complaints. Not only that, but when DOI staged integrity tests, half the time, the NYPD didn’t both to respond. This came out in a recent DOI report that was mentioned in reporting by both Streetsblog, a website that has been following transportation-related issues in New York for a while, and the New York Times, a website and media outlet that routinely ignores corruption and that is arguably racist and protective of “broken system” systemic abuse.

Then they wonder why journalists are tightening the noose around NYPD.

Let me just put it out there what the problem is.

Cops have an amazing sense of esprit de corps. This is what I admire about them, funny enough. I wanted to be a part of that culture once in 2014, but was not physically healthy enough to go for it. I believed in it as a citizen. I understood things were imperfect, but I also believed that overall things were going in a good direction based on stuff I was reading.

That esprit de corps also causes them to cover up stuff for each other on a systemic level. And cops that don’t believe in using that esprit de corps to break the law are ostracized a la “lamp lighter” Frank Serpico right on up to Adrian Schoolcraft and Mathew Bianchi.

In some ways, I’ve viewed myself in a similar light in our field. Willing to speak out against the darker side of our esprit de corps. Particularly the side that tears each other down while ignoring things like agencies training reporters to edit verbatim testimony or agencies using their considerable influence to manipulate the field away from the profession they ostensibly love.

But the bottom line is that these systems interact with everyday people like you or me.

The NYPD as an organization needs to be better. It’s the individuals that are part of the system that will make it better, no matter how powerless one may feel as a lone individual. I still have hope for the future.

But we don’t solve problems by hiding them. I’m the poster child for that. We must evolve beyond simple esprit de corps and practice moral esprit de corps.

(After this was written but before I could publish, a massive sting on ghost plates was conducted, with the arrest of 66 lawbreakers.)

66 in a sting.

I mourn the death of my faith in the system daily. But my belief in the people within it remains.

What systems are you a part of, reader?

Depp v Heard Steno Discussion

So the Depp v Heard trial has been dominating headlines for a while. It wasn’t good enough for stenography industry news until it started popping up on stenographer social media. Questions started to surface about a video that allegedly showed Judy Bellinger, a stenographer covering the trial, hugging Johnny Depp at an after party. There was skepticism on the part of many stenographers, and it was eventually revealed that the moment captured on camera actually occurred when Judy went to get her equipment.

An outrage story turned into a feel-good one, at least until Judy was quoted as saying some jurors were dozing off.

Image may be stolen from the Speak Up For The Record group.

Once again, stenographer social media was alight with a mix of support and outrage. For some of us, having somebody tell it like it is is cathartic. Many take issue with a court reporter commenting so publicly on specific identifiable proceedings she reported.

Now, I’m an advocate for the integrity of our profession. My personal stance is that I’ll agree with just about anyone that believes we shouldn’t be commenting much on our cases. But I have to give substantial credit, Bellinger’s managed to get more press coverage for the word stenographer than I have, and I’ve put considerable effort in.

One thing I spotted on social media? Stenographer stress. I’d like to offer some new perspectives to diminish that stress. This is a chance for all of us to go back to our mentees and professional circles and have a discussion about best practices. It’s ultimately about growth. I know many of us feel that one bad incident or “misspeaking” can reflect poorly on us all. But I’ve come to a realization that few professions have that sort of thinking, and the ones that do, such as law enforcement, have it thrust on them by media, they don’t agree and say “ah, yes, a cop did an arguably questionable thing, so we’re all questionable!” We need to let go of that mindset of absolutism for our own sanity and advancement.

As for advancement, I would propose steering the discussions toward what we tell our students. As of writing, I would propose the following:

  • On the initial video that showed the hug. Let our students know that there are cameras just about everywhere and that guarding against the appearance of impropriety is important. This is not to say that Judy Bellinger did anything wrong, but we still have a valid discussion in that it is a tricky thing to guard against the “appearance” of something because everyone has a slightly different bar for “appearance.” For example, my only training on guarding against the appearance of impropriety, which I had over half a decade ago, involved second guessing even shaking a party’s hand in court. There are also state and regional attitudes to consider.
  • On the quote about jurors dozing off, I have to say that my personal stance is to generally avoid commenting on matters I’ve taken, especially if they are identifiable. This is not to say I believe court reporters should never have or even express an opinion. Again, this is not to say Judy Bellinger did anything wrong. But there are ways to make comments about sleeping jurors without making comments about sleeping jurors. “You know, I’ve been doing this for X years, and I notice that sometimes jurors don’t appear to be paying full attention.” “What about in this case?” “I decline to comment on this case.” I’d propose going ahead and having a discussion with students about talking to the media.
  • On the right v wrong argument. No matter where you sit on the spectrum of any argument or debate, there’s a “reality wins” component. For an idea of how this works, we can examine my blogging. I’ve made the case many times that the pay in New York is atrocious to the point of being “wrong.” Some court reporting companies do not care and continue to pay stenographers less than $3.50 per page. The reality of the situation changes dependent upon how successful I am at applying social and/or economic pressure and not how “right” I am. Similarly, in an analysis of whether Judy Bellinger did anything wrong, being right means very little. The real challenge is in creating, communicating, and seeing through the adoption of better ways to handle similar situations. Training our students to be solution-oriented people and avoid the black-and-white, good-versus-evil thinking that grips many of us, including myself from time to time, will create better outcomes.

I have no idea what might arise as a result of the media coverage. Should new developments arise, I’ll post an addendum. Please feel free to comment below even if you disagree with my assessment! I’ve never censored a non-spam comment and don’t intend to start!