Look, if people are going to eschew their work day in favor of having a gaming tournament, we're the first to sympathize. In the case of those in the business of protecting our lives from murderers and financial institutions though, we find it hard to offer much solace. So when eleven officials from several Florida agencies were caught on videotape playing games a couple months back and the story caught on internationally, we were hopeful that those found guilty would maybe, you know, actually receive some form of punishment.
Instead, the Lakeland Ledger reports that the offending officers will suffer such retribution as ... a few hours of retraining? The names of the officers are even being withheld due to their "undercover" status at the time. Lakeland sheriff chief of staff Gary Hester goes as far as to say, "We are learning from our mistakes ... I think we handled [the investigation] properly." He then hurriedly rushed back to a game of Street Fighter IV in progress against a competing police department.
... Okay, we made up that last part.
Reader Comments (44)
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 9:35AM The Dead Marxist Trio said
You're right, they busted that one drug dealer and everyone else just packed up and went home, crime dropped to 0%. Amazing. Yes, they had NOTHING ELSE to do.
Dolt. These guys should have gotten a drop in rank for such ridiculous oversight- or at the very least made them pay back the thousands of dollars it cost in overtime/undercover/endangerment pay that we tossed to them. Meanwhile the roads could use paving...
Reply
Dolt. These guys should have gotten a drop in rank for such ridiculous oversight- or at the very least made them pay back the thousands of dollars it cost in overtime/undercover/endangerment pay that we tossed to them. Meanwhile the roads could use paving...
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 3:13AM B3astofthe3ast said
They waste our tax money playing video games and all they get is a slap on the wrist? Boooo!
Reply
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 10:05AM (Unverified) said
It's called cronyism, it's rampant wherever taxpayer money is involved. Get used to it or do something about it on election day.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 3:23AM Giantenemycrab said
I can foresee a highly intellectual debate coming from this comment section.
... Just kidding.
FUCK THA POLICE!
OBAMAS A MUSLIN!
Reply
... Just kidding.
FUCK THA POLICE!
OBAMAS A MUSLIN!
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 10:38PM (Unverified) said
I personally can't stand Muslin. Gives me a rash.
Reply
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 3:59AM bigphil2003 said
It's very easy to condemn them when you play video games for a living.
Reply
Posted: Nov 13th 2009 1:11AM Mr Numeros said
That's true. I once got caught serving and protecting my local community when I was supposed to be playing Halo 3.
I TOTALLY got reprimanded. I was sent home and spent the rest of the day playing GTAIV.
Reply
I TOTALLY got reprimanded. I was sent home and spent the rest of the day playing GTAIV.
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 4:03AM (Unverified) said
I love the way the general public spends all their working time surfing the internet, trying to avoid doing any work, trying to claim the maximum amount of expenses and tax exemptions.... but when someone else does it it's all shock and outrage.
Maybe i should do some work instead of posting on joystiq... someone might be filming me with a hidden camera!
Reply
Maybe i should do some work instead of posting on joystiq... someone might be filming me with a hidden camera!
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 4:28AM (Unverified) said
Slap on the rist is all they deserve. Seriously, focus on the wankjob cops out there who spend all day power tripping, some guys who play Wii and still catch the crooks are okay in my book.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 5:19AM (Unverified) said
I dont care what the say, or what they do. To hell with cops. Please, no more mention of them after this story shrivels up and dies.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 12:12PM redjack said
Clearly you've never dealt with the police.
In my own area we're having a rash of police drunk driving and hitting people. And the most they get is a slap on the wrist even when they killed the other person. One even did a hit-and-run on a pregnant woman. His excuse was that he was rushing to the hospital to get help after it happened.
Or in my home town the chief of police owns a bar. When a new, competing, bar opened in town he sent multiple officers to that bar every night to harass everyone who went there and tried to forcibly shut it down multiple times. Can't have competition.
I think cops get hardened and jaded pretty quick on the job and always act like everyone is guilty til proven innocent. Unless its one of their own. Then they can do no wrong and are above the law.
Reply
In my own area we're having a rash of police drunk driving and hitting people. And the most they get is a slap on the wrist even when they killed the other person. One even did a hit-and-run on a pregnant woman. His excuse was that he was rushing to the hospital to get help after it happened.
Or in my home town the chief of police owns a bar. When a new, competing, bar opened in town he sent multiple officers to that bar every night to harass everyone who went there and tried to forcibly shut it down multiple times. Can't have competition.
I think cops get hardened and jaded pretty quick on the job and always act like everyone is guilty til proven innocent. Unless its one of their own. Then they can do no wrong and are above the law.
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 9:35AM brdystyls said
Yeah, like the cop that tazed the 12 year old for no reason. All caught on tape. Stupid power hungry cops. Just proves to me more that the people in power should get more than a slap on the wrist for the same things we get slapped on the wrist for. If it was anyone else they would have gotten trespassing and various other crimes on top of that. Cops, judges, presidents, etc (anyone with even the smallest power) should get the worst punishment, no exceptions, for their crimes/ misdoings. By showing us they get off Scott Free for this it just going to make someone else do it and expect to get the same slap on the wrist. For example, if a cop abuses his/her power, he no longer gets to be a cop and possibly jail time. Regardless of what he or she did. Abuse is abuse and if it isn't stopped from the beginning it will just continue. They didn't stop when they got caught they just learned to be better at not getting caught. No more cop posts!!!! PLEASE!!!!! My blood pressure is going up.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 8:45AM (Unverified) said
There are cops that do way worse things. For the effort that is required of police they are certainly not paid accordingly, but at the same time there are a lot of lackadaisical officers. It's a complicated issue.
They certainly should not have been playing Wii however. Shoulda just took out their iPhones, DS's and PSPs
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They certainly should not have been playing Wii however. Shoulda just took out their iPhones, DS's and PSPs
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 10:46AM LuiginDaisy said
I read the title as a STRAP on the wrist, guessing they broke a TV.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 10:51AM DonaldMick said
Nice to see the "Florida" tag migrate over from Fark.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 11:08AM Petebot330 said
If they had been playing an FPS, they could have claimed it WAS training...
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 3:23PM (Unverified) said
A slap on the wrist is all police ever get. It doesn't matter if a cop rapes someone, beats someone violently or plants evidence, the fraternity of police will protect their own, and the worst any cop'll ever get for doing the outrageous and terrible abuses they do is a paid vacation.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 12:58PM TreizeKnight said
Oh balls, if you were in the same position, you'd do it. (Although it is a false dichotomy since you own the gaming system, I doubt many of the officers do.)
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 2:18PM (Unverified) said
I have needed the cops before, and when we called them, they never showed. Apparently a cracked out man with a knife breaking our windows getting ready to kill us wasn't a good enough reason for them to go. What about that other time an abusive step father started beating us? I was 9 years old and called the cops, guess what? The Los Angeles Police Dept was too busy to send anyone also! So yes, fuck the police, for harassing us, and not helping out for shit when we really need them to do their jobs we pay them for.
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Posted: Nov 12th 2009 2:39PM (Unverified) said
Oh and if youre a journalist and plan on coming to Los Angeles, be prepared, these cops got away scott free on account of "lack of evidence"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivn8PrZlAXo
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivn8PrZlAXo
Posted: Nov 13th 2009 10:54AM brdystyls said
@Riggy469
In the words of Eminem,
"I found you offensive for finding me offensive"
We are all entitled to our opinion. That said F#@$ all the cop LOVERS/ Familiars here. Seriously. You guys need some therapy, a swift kick in the nuts, and or get plowed in the rear with a cops baton before you realize they all have too much power and no rules are enforced on them.
Reply
In the words of Eminem,
"I found you offensive for finding me offensive"
We are all entitled to our opinion. That said F#@$ all the cop LOVERS/ Familiars here. Seriously. You guys need some therapy, a swift kick in the nuts, and or get plowed in the rear with a cops baton before you realize they all have too much power and no rules are enforced on them.
Posted: Nov 12th 2009 11:02PM kenny goo said
And people wonder why cops are so hated by such a large group of people....
Well at least they weren't killing innocent people, arresting innocent people, planting evidence on innocent people, violating the rights of innocent people, or doing anything else that would characterize your typical crooked cop... Do I smell progress?
Reply
Well at least they weren't killing innocent people, arresting innocent people, planting evidence on innocent people, violating the rights of innocent people, or doing anything else that would characterize your typical crooked cop... Do I smell progress?
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