Comments on: The People of Poker vs. Dallas SWAT http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/ Texas Hold'em and Las Vegas WSOP Poker Blog, now with PLO too! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Pokerati | Texas hold’em blog » Blog Archive » Re: Re: Another Another Austin Raid http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/comment-page-1/#comment-28968 Pokerati | Texas hold’em blog » Blog Archive » Re: Re: Another Another Austin Raid Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:07:54 +0000 http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/#comment-28968 [...] An fresh comment posted on a relatively old post about a Dallas poker raid caught my eye — seemed relevant in light of discussions we’ve been having about police activity in other Texas poker scenes. In it, the accused houseguy makes claims of borderline abusive behavior from police. Nothing Rodney King-like, but still, pain-addled nuisances that might kinda should be expected when dealing with armed enforcers charged with putting a scare into a semi-criminal subculture. [...] [...] An fresh comment posted on a relatively old post about a Dallas poker raid caught my eye — seemed relevant in light of discussions we’ve been having about police activity in other Texas poker scenes. In it, the accused houseguy makes claims of borderline abusive behavior from police. Nothing Rodney King-like, but still, pain-addled nuisances that might kinda should be expected when dealing with armed enforcers charged with putting a scare into a semi-criminal subculture. [...]

]]> By: n/a http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/comment-page-1/#comment-28895 n/a Thu, 15 Feb 2007 16:53:05 +0000 http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/#comment-28895 I just wanted to write a comment about the injustices of the poker world that have occured in the past year or so in dallas tx. First of all I wanted to say that while the swat team was absolutely doing their jobs, there absolutely were two instances in my raid where people were injured who should have been protected. I would like to re-iterate that I was one of the people arrested in the grand daddy of them Aces and recall very vividly an 83 year old man who was sitting very uncomfortably for three hours on his butt being hit rather hard in the back by a SWAT member with the butt of his rifle. This man did nothing but try to acquiesce to the desires of the swat team and was punished with a rifle in his back. Furthermore lets not forget that there was an instance where a dealer was injured by a pair of flex-cuffs that were on much too tight and was given a permanent scar on his arm because of it. While I agree that these members of the Elite were doing their job, I feel as though there was too much emphasis on the cameras involved and the politics for anyone to really look at what good it did the county and even the nation to raid these people who were doing physical harm to anyone. I sincerely hope my words be read by as many people as possible since there cannot be double standards in a country like ours. In each state to texas borders gambling is not only legal but a major source of income for the states themselves. When will texas grow up and realize that poker will not go away and instead embrace it to take in a slice of the pie themselves. Thanks, Arrested Citizen I just wanted to write a comment about the injustices of the poker world that have occured in the past year or so in dallas tx. First of all I wanted to say that while the swat team was absolutely doing their jobs, there absolutely were two instances in my raid where people were injured who should have been protected. I would like to re-iterate that I was one of the people arrested in the grand daddy of them Aces and recall very vividly an 83 year old man who was sitting very uncomfortably for three hours on his butt being hit rather hard in the back by a SWAT member with the butt of his rifle. This man did nothing but try to acquiesce to the desires of the swat team and was punished with a rifle in his back. Furthermore lets not forget that there was an instance where a dealer was injured by a pair of flex-cuffs that were on much too tight and was given a permanent scar on his arm because of it. While I agree that these members of the Elite were doing their job, I feel as though there was too much emphasis on the cameras involved and the politics for anyone to really look at what good it did the county and even the nation to raid these people who were doing physical harm to anyone. I sincerely hope my words be read by as many people as possible since there cannot be double standards in a country like ours. In each state to texas borders gambling is not only legal but a major source of income for the states themselves. When will texas grow up and realize that poker will not go away and instead embrace it to take in a slice of the pie themselves.
Thanks,
Arrested Citizen

]]> By: Wes http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/comment-page-1/#comment-6848 Wes Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:15:49 +0000 http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/#comment-6848 While I agree that Dallas SWAT does not set the policy that criminalizes poker, and cannot change that policy, I think you go a little too easy on them. Remember, SWAT is a bureaucratic institution and, as such, its first order of business is self preservation. A raid on a poker room is fun, easy, and looks good on the books. The number of raids, number of arrets, and dollars seized (and forfeited), all help SWAT justify its existence, expand its budget, acquire new equipment, increase its influence in the department, etc. etc. So SWAT's institutional interests are a factor that tends to increase the number of raids on poker rooms and to make those raids much, much more violent and dangerous than they need to be. While I agree that Dallas SWAT does not set the policy that criminalizes poker, and cannot change that policy, I think you go a little too easy on them. Remember, SWAT is a bureaucratic institution and, as such, its first order of business is self preservation. A raid on a poker room is fun, easy, and looks good on the books. The number of raids, number of arrets, and dollars seized (and forfeited), all help SWAT justify its existence, expand its budget, acquire new equipment, increase its influence in the department, etc. etc.

So SWAT’s institutional interests are a factor that tends to increase the number of raids on poker rooms and to make those raids much, much more violent and dangerous than they need to be.

]]> By: Lavigne in Austin http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/comment-page-1/#comment-6723 Lavigne in Austin Sat, 02 Dec 2006 18:45:05 +0000 http://pokerati.com/2006/12/02/the-people-of-poker-vs-dallas-swat/#comment-6723 you are absolutely right, Dan you are absolutely right, Dan

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