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Is Dallas Primed for a Revolution?

On the first full week of every month, I get the pleasure of broadcasting with Adriana Bate on WRR for about a half hour from One Arts. Now that we’ve moved our offices downtown, that means I get to walk down Flora Street for our 11 o’clock date every day. My trip takes me past the Nasher, the Meyerson, the Winspear, and the Wyly. It’s lovely, especially when the weather is as nice as it is today. But I’ve been studying something on my walk that has caught my eye before: the cobblestones (or bricks, really) that pave the sidewalk. In front of the Meyerson, they are a wreck. Some are missing. Many have become dislodged. We don’t get much practice here in the United States, but over in Europe, where they’ve been at it a bit longer, they know that cobblestones make perfect projectiles to throw in times of revolution. All I’m saying is, if the workers rise up and clash with the police down in the Arts District, the police are in for a tough fight.

Rookie Dallas Police Officer Makes Up an Offense, Charges Awesomely Named Lady With It, Ctd.

UPDATE: It’s an epidemic.

What the Dallas Police Dept. Will Never Tell You

I was in Dallas police headquarters the other day, doing some research for a story, when I got the rare opportunity to see the inside of a Dallas public information officer’s office. Public information officers are the men and women you see on TV or quoted in the newspaper when a crime happens in Dallas — they are the official voice of the Dallas Police Department.

Anyway, while discussing a case with the officer I happened to notice post-it note on the wall near the telephone. At the top of the note it read, “Never Mention” and went on to list four things:

1. Confessions
2. How or why suspect was identified
3. Evidence
4. Weapon type

I’m guessing here, but it’s safe to assume that these pointers are designed to keep information from leaking to the public that would tip off any at-large suspects.

Dallas Multicultural Expert, Ctd.

A free-thinking FBvian maintains that, contrary to Ed Rincon’s point, stereotypes are generally accurate and helpful, and points to this piece to prove it.

Dallas Multicultural Expert Recalls Another Stereotyping Incident By The Cambridge Police

Whatever you think about the Cambridge, Mass., flap that’s led to today’s beer-drinking session at the White House, Dallas’ Edward T. Rincon says it was “not an isolated incident” with the Cambridge Police Department. Rincon, president of multicultural research firm Rincon & Associates, recalls a 1999 Dallas Morning News story describing how Cambridge training officers once contended that pepper spray doesn’t work on Mexican-American suspects. Why not?, the cops were asked. Their answer: because “Mexicans grow up eating too much spicy food, and because they spend so much time picking peppers in the fields.” Rincon says the remark, which drew outrage from Latino groups and a quick apology from the cops, “illustrates the power of stereotypes and how easily they can be translated to public policy.”

Chief David Kunkle’s Tat

Yesterday I said that I thought Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle’s tattoo was of Woody the Woodpecker. Not so. Mrs. Kunkle corrects me: the tat is of Road Runner, on account of Kunkle’s having run 35 marathons. Which to me just sounds like showing off. Be that as it may, I apologize for getting my fowl confused.

Extreme Makeover Builds a House, Ctd.

A question-asking FrontBurnervian checks in to ask this question:

While the situation is quite sad, they are seriously asking for donations to pay off the mortgage? What’s next — asking for donations to pay the taxes on the new house (since those will be a lot higher than the taxes now)?

The latter question, to me, has always been the quandary with a show like Extreme Makeover.

Extreme Makeover To Build Home For Injured Dallas Police Officer, Ctd.

Yes, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is building a new crib for injured Dallas police officer Carlton Marshall and his family. But if you want to help out as well, Cheldan Homes has set up a fund to pay off the Marshall family’s current mortgage. Details follow.

(more…)

Is The TABC Out of Control?

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is a powerful agency in the state of Texas. They regulate the sales, taxation, importation, manufacturing, transporting, and advertising of alcoholic beverages.

Over the years, I’ve heard some horror stories from bar and restaurant owners. Yesterday, I ran an interview with Rainmaker Restaurant Group owner Michael Costa. He manages Las Colinas Prime and claims that the TABC harasses them to the point of scaring away customers. During a recent raid, Costa claims an agent pulled a gun on one of the cooks in the kitchen because he had a knife in his hands.

Early Sunday morning, officers with the TABC and Fort Worth police raided the Rainbow Lounge, a gay nightclub in Fort Worth. It’s sounds like it was a nasty scene. One patron ended up in the hospital with a brain injury.  Last night witnesses to the ordeal met at Buzzbrews on Lemmon to share stories.

Yow. Zah. I’m having flashbacks to Lee Park in 1971. Where is Stoney Burns when we need him? (Much watch video.) Operators are standing by for your comments.

What’s The Deal With Journalists And Police Chiefs?

Once again, Dallas leads the way. And where Dallas leads, Milwaukee follows.

Officer Robert Powell No Longer Officer Robert Powell

Because he’s resigned. His statement:

“With a heavy heart and great sadness, I resigned from the Dallas Police Department this morning. I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers, and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward. I still hope to speak with the Moats family to personally express my deep regret, sympathy, and to apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct. I also want to apologize to my fellow officers. I have sincere respect and admiration for the men and women of the Dallas Police Department and the work they perform daily, and I wish them well.”

UPDATE: Just saw this, via Busted Coverage. It is allegedly a cache of the since-removed Xanga site of Robert Powell. A highlight (?):

The count downs begin:

18 days of work then the real work starts and I can shoot people

33 days then own apartment, with cable and high speed internet

So. This could have been a lot worse.

Leading Off (3/30/09)

1. If you catch this before heading into work, Ryan Moats and his wife will be on Good Morning America today, talking to Robin Roberts. Updating the story: former Cowboy Zach Thomas says Officer Robert Powell mistreated his wife, too. (I’ll say the timing seems questionable, but that’s as far onto Powell’s side as I’ll go.) And Angela Hunt has called for his dismissal.

2. Prepare for a feisty Wednesday, when the per-pack tax on cigarettes goes from 39 cents to $1.01. Between that and the smoking ban taking effect on April 10, not to mention my wife’s unquenchable blood lust, there is little to no chance I’ll be smoking in a month. Thanks for kicking me in the jeans again, America.

3. The Mavs made a concerted, team-wide effort to murder me dead yesterday afternoon, allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to outscore them…let’s see…carry the two…huh, that’s doesn’t look right…82-44 in the last three quarters of the game. In other Mavs news, Mark Cuban was fined 25 grand by the league for comments he made about refs via Twitter. He responded with a joke about someone figuring out how to make money off Twitter and several other similar japes that I would publish in their entirety, but he’s sounding litigous. (He’s @mcuban, by the way.)

Chief Kunkle to Speak About Officer Robert Powell at 2 PM

No one’s sure what the gist of his comments will be, but he will address Officer Powell’s behavior during the March 17 traffic stop in front of Baylor Regional Medical Center today at a 2 p.m. press conference. Doubt there will be a suspension announcement, but I’m sure you’ll hear about an investigation and a few words about the proper behavior in that situation.

UPDATE: Watch it here. Or here.

2ND UPDATE: Lost my video feed after a few minutes, but what I caught was: Powell is being placed on administrative leave and the Department will file administrative charges; Kunkle personally apologized to Ryan Moats and his family and complimented Moats and his wife on their patience in dealing with Powell; the Department only became aware of the incident on March 23, and Kunkle is trying to figure out why that happened. If you caught the rest, update us in the comments.

Leading Off (3/26/09)

1. DPD officer Robert Powell has been reassigned to dispatch, and he’ll probably be lucky to stay there. Why? On March 17, he pulled over Ryan Moats outside Baylor Regional Medical Center. Moats, a Bishop Lynch grad and running back for the Houston Texans, was hurrying to see his dying mother-in-law. Though hospital staff and security backed up Moats’ story, Powell spent 13 minutes writing a ticket — and saying things like “I can screw you over,” all of which was caught on his dashboard camera — during which time Jonetta Collinsworth passed away. This will not end well for Powell.

2. My favorite part of this look at the District 2 council race, in which challenger Billy MacLeod credits his alcohol-fueled criminal past for inspiring him to get into politics, is this section:

[Pauline] Medrano said she is running on her own record and doesn’t plan to make MacLeod’s criminal record a campaign issue.

But her record, Medrano noted, is one of fighting crime, not committing it.

In other words: “I don’t really want to talk about it, but since you asked…”

3. And finally, in case you missed it, the Cowboys will join the bandwagon and install the Wildcat offense, Coach Jerry Jones says.