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Comment by notthegov | Hacker News Reader

Austin is an interesting town as an example of the flaws of law enforcement. It widely considered this liberal paradise, as noted by the article, but the abuses by the police and city government are like anywhere else. Power corrupts and the system is flawed-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Buehler

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/10/29/is_filming_a_police_o...

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I live in Austin and have to agree that the headlines made by the Austin Police Department are just as depressing as anywhere else. Interestingly though, I've heard (but can't say I know for fact) that APD actually pays well, is highly competitive to get in to, and recruits nationally. If accurate, it makes it all the more unfortunate that they can't seem to be an exemplary law enforcement institution.

I think what is most disheartening is how divergent the culture of the law enforcement community and the culture of the communities they serve* have become increasingly divergent. From my own perspective, it appears that law enforcement nationally is predominantly white and conservative, while the US population is growing more diverse and culturally more liberal. I believe this divide is really what exacerbates the tensions with police and communities we're seeing a lot of right now. They're fundamentally different cultures the power relationship between the two makes conditions ripe for conflict (its not inherent, just more likely). Perhaps that's why Austin, the "liberal" outpost of Texas sees this "surprising" degree of police conflict - the cultural chasm between the law enforcers and the citizens.

* Also depressing, when it seems more like law enforcement is terrorizing the communities within their jurisdiction rather than serving them.

If a department is recruiting outside of their communities, it would seem that it might be more likely that the culture of the department and the community would diverge.

> It widely considered this liberal paradise

i was just in austin after spending a week in rural texas, and i wouldn't even call it even remotely a 'liberal paradise'. it's the capital of texas. most people i already knew or met in austin are from other places in texas.

and there's nothing wrong with that, i appreciate conservative areas as equally as liberal areas (from a 'freedom' perspective they're just picky about different things), but i think calling it a 'liberal paradise' is a little disingenuous.

Austin is by far the most liberal city in Texas. If you're of a liberal persuasion and must live in Texas, you'll be most comfortable in Austin.

Austin is nearly a million people, and iirc the 11th largest city in the US. Does the linked event really make Austin an "example" of something?

Yes.

Whenever you fight back against a meaningless misdemeanor, the city attorney and police will vindicatively punish you. It happened to me in a small town.

Antonio is a graduate of Wespoint, Stanford and Harvard. There are better more engaging challenges in the world he could focus on but he has to fight injustice and city corruption over the right to film police.

The problem is epidemic not just to Austin but to all of America. It has to do with human nature. Don't comply? They will crush you by any means possible. Guilty or innocent? They do not care.

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