I encounter violent individuals sometimes. Know what I do?

I stop and analyze the situation.

Sometimes the violence is just two guys who have come out of a bar, they're arguing, and obviously eager to give each other a few bruises. They looked evenly matched.

Know what I do? I ignore it. If they both want to fight, let them. They're taking it out of the bar and away from the door, and they're not involving anyone else. Sure they made a little noise and attracted my attention, but so what.

Not all violent situations justify intervention.

Another time I saw a guy smacking a girl around. She wanted no part of it, and was trying to walk away. (They obviously knew each other and had some kind of relationship.)

Know what I did?

I intervened, brandished a blade, warned the guy to knock it off (which he did), and a bystander called cops who eventually showed up and took him away for assault. I didn't have to take even one swing, and the girl did not receive any more blows.

Our problem, n5667, is that police are too often demonstrably fond of seeing "necessity of force" where NECESSITY does not exist. Our problem is their over-eager DESIRE to use force.

Seven cops (2 cars, 5 motorcycles) were in front of Starbucks this afternoon on Pacific. A street punk sat across the street, looking dirty but minding his own business. Admist casual conversation, I overheard one cop say to another "Give ya $10 to taser that punk over there."

In casual conversation, in public. Out loud. This afternoon.

The problem isn't the weaponry, it's the irresponsible and immature attitudes of those wielding them. If this is Santa Cruz' "finest", I'd hate to meet the ones who failed the Academy.