Edmonton Police will no longer wear badges with names, only numbers. The stated goal is to reduce doxxing, harassment and threats against officers and their families.
1. Making it even harder for members of the public to launch official complains through official channels seems likely to only increase the level of online doxxing.
2. Threatening or harassing an officer or their family is already a crime. If it happens: investigate and press for prosecution.
3 …
3. I will reflect what the ‘law-and-order’ types always say to anyone concerned about civil liberties: “If you aren’t doing anything wrong, why are you worried?”
4. Show me evidence that this is actually a problem
5. I think that evidence will show the greatest risk comes from the radicalizing right
6…
6. If maintaining distinctions between personal and professional roles is important, then I’m still waiting for polices services to come down hard on officers who air their personal views through ‘talking in the car’ videos while *in uniform*;
… or for that matter, still waiting for *any* consequences for police who themselves doxx sitting MLAs (looking at you Lethbridge police)
David Mitchell 