Let's review.

November 20, 2009:

A sister of Mayor-President Kip Holden pleaded guilty Thursday in an ongoing federal probe of bribery in the local criminal justice system.

Note that this is a federal probe, and that (at least) two Baton Rouge police officers have pleaded guilty.

March 14, 2010:

Baton Rouge police officers routinely harassed black people, resorted to unnecessary violence and conducted illegal searches in the days after Hurricane Katrina, out-of-state troopers claimed in reports recently released by the Police Department.

Note this is reports issued by out-of-state troopers.

March 25, 2010:

The Metro Council voted Wednesday to pay $300,000 to settle a federal civil rights suit filed by a Baton Rouge man seriously injured by police in a 2006 arrest.

Note this is again external pressure, a federal civil rights suit.

March 26, 2010:

The U.S. Justice Department confirmed today it is investigating complaints New Mexico State Police made about the Baton Rouge Police Department after Hurricane Katrina.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating. You will recall that the BRPD's internal investigation is complete, and the case is considered closed, after a couple written reprimands and one officer's three-day suspension.

I'm glad there is outside pressure to clean up the BRPD. But this is not the way it should work. This should be dealt with locally, with the BRPD investigating its own officers. Failing that, local politics should deal with it, and officers should be fired after pressure from the city government.

I hope the next time I read about police misconduct in Baton Rouge, I hear about the officer being immediately let go and charged with crimes. I hope the police chain of command condemns the actions instead of defending them, and local politicians do likewise. Until then, I will continue to call for the resignation of Police Chief Jeff LeDuff.

After Katrina, a bunch of refugees came here to Baton Rouge. And our police didn't like it:

Baton Rouge police officers routinely harassed black people, resorted to unnecessary violence and conducted illegal searches in the days after Hurricane Katrina
[...]
Officers said they were under orders to make life rough for New Orleans evacuees so they would leave town.

We still wouldn't know about it, except that police from other jurisdictions were here helping out after the hurricane, and they reported what they saw.

Most of the worst allegations don't have names attached, which makes me a little skeptical. But some do:

When the man protested being detained, Clark slammed him onto the hood of the patrol unit, cuffed him and put him into the back of the police car, [New Mexico State Police officer] Williamson said.

Williamson said Clark consulted with his colleagues about what he could arrest the man for, then cited him on counts of pedestrian in the roadway and disturbing the peace.

If I got arrested for "pedestrian in the roadway", I would be in jail all the time. Officer Kenneth Clark still works for the BRPD. In 2007 he got a "medal of merit".

The police's response to all this?

In January 2006, after investigating the claims, the Baton Rouge Police Department announced that one officer was suspended without pay for three days, one was reprimanded and three others were to be counseled by supervisors.

Three whole days. Harsh.

Missing: 100 million girls.

There's a blog dedicated to showing you the writing environment of various writers. That's not a surprise. Last month they profiled my next-door neighbor.

Nicholas Kristof makes the shocking discovery that some people do actually practice what they preach:

A root problem is a liberal snobbishness toward faith-based organizations. Those doing the sneering typically give away far less money than evangelicals.

And in only slightly related news, Bob is giving his Red Mill to his employees:

The Employee Stock Ownership Plan Moore unveiled means that his 209 employees now own the place and its 400 offerings of stone-ground flours, cereals and bread mixes.