Police body cams

[knkali]

yes or no. I say NO.
http://news.msn.com/us/ferguson-fallout-a-call-for-police-body-cams

[spud]

yes or no. I say NO.
http://news.msn.com/us/ferguson-fallout-a-call-for-police-body-cams


I think that it would be a good idea for police to wear cameras. Improper use of force should drop and BS complaints against cops should drop.


In a one-year study in Rialto, California, the numbers speak for themselves - use-of-force cases by officers wearing the cameras have dropped 60 percent, and complaints are down 88 percent.


Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/08/study-police-body-cams-reduce-use-of-force-claims-by-up-to-88-percent-106226.html#ixzz3B8orEFMe
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[Bawanna]

Most officers around here that have used them love them. We haven't had any here yet.

If your a good cop with nothing to hide they are a good cover thy backside tool.

I don't believe they should be made mandatory. I hate anything that is mandatory.

[Longitude Zero]

I would like to see them used more. They can be a double edged sword however. Cameras only show what they can see and many times relevant actions are not within the view of the camera but the officer can see them.

[Bawanna]

That's a viable concern. Probably better the body cam than the press cam or some dirtbags cell phone.

Like you say, the camera is basically one dimensional and can miss a lot of what the officer can see.

Would sure be interesting if that officer down in Ferguson would have been wearing one. Might clear things up lickety split.

[Longitude Zero]

That's a viable concern. Probably better the body cam than the press cam or some dirtbags cell phone.

Like you say, the camera is basically one dimensional and can miss a lot of what the officer can see.

Would sure be interesting if that officer down in Ferguson would have been wearing one. Might clear things up lickety split.

I believe they were in the process of issuing them out. I am aware of a case a few years ago where the squad cars had cameras. Pursuit termination and one camera clearly showed the fleeing robber with a gun in his hand as he was raising it to fire. The other camera was blocked and did not see the gun rising. Guess which one the media showed non-stop after the robbed was shot to the ground? That is until the prosecuting attorneys office called them on it and took legal action to not only get the other video released but that offending media outlet was banned for one year from being allowed in the prosecuting attorneys office or speaking to any of his employees and the got no stories. Served them right.

[muggsy]

If the officers don't have a problem with them I have no problem with them.

[codegeek]

It's a good deal for everyone. It prevents unwarranted accusations against the LEO and records any potential abuse against the citizenry.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

[ltxi]

Back in the day, being able to abuse the citizenry with impunity was one of the perks of the job. Being a cop just ain't no fun anymore

[deadeye]

Doesn't go far enough. I believe each cop should have a drone circling above his head. That way everything could be seen in the surrounding area. Could be a problem in movie theaters, restaurants, restrooms or other er, ah, up close and personal encounters but, hey! nothing's perfect.

[Bawanna]

I sometimes feel like I got a passel of drones following me around. Violet drones. How they get off the ground is a mystery to me. Like to sell em off as anchors for an aircraft carrier or something.

[codegeek]

Back in the day, being able to abuse the citizenry with impunity was one of the perks of the job. Being a cop just ain't no fun anymore

Don't get discouraged, ltxi. I am sure the fine citizens of this country will still allow the occasional shooting of an unarmed black teenager or rabid chihuahua. As long as the government employee makes it home to their family!

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[ltxi]

Ahhh....we never shot black folk or dogs. Just the privileged white ass hats with attitude. Guess that's why we got away with it.

[knkali]

Guys it is slippery slope toward more intrusion. Don't be fooled. You don't want this stuff. They are recording YOU...please remember that. Rant over. As said...that is a two edged sword.

[muggsy]

KnKali, if you aren't doing something illegal you have nothing to fear. I hear that you are rather photogenic. You're probably on camera more often than you think. That's why I stopped picking my nose. Smile, you on candid camera.

[b4uqzme]

I don't believe they should be made mandatory. I hate anything that is mandatory.

+1000

[muggsy]

It wouldn't be mandatory. If the cop didn't want to wear a camera he could always stop being a cop.

[knkali]

KnKali, if you aren't doing something illegal you have nothing to fear. I hear that you are rather photogenic. You're probably on camera more often than you think. That's why I stopped picking my nose. Smile, you on candid camera.

if you are a law abiding person with nothing to fear, why not have a national registry for guns?
if you have nothing to fear, why not have to show your papers at the citizen checkpoint 50 miles inside the boarder(might be 100 miles next year)
if you have nothing to fear, why not allow the police to search your car during a routine traffic stop
If you have nothing to fear, why not waive your 5th amendment right and speak to the police without an attorney present after you shot a BG

Please don't be so quick to give up privacy and the freedom to maintain your anonymity(what's left of it). Once gone, it isn't easy to get back. What's next? Police cameras in your home in the name of better police protection?

[SlowBurn]

It wouldn't be mandatory. If the cop didn't want to wear a camera he could always stop being a cop.

+1. I'm in favor.
Nobody's rights are violated. If you're where the po-po can see you, they can report and testify about what they see. The camera just means the quality of proof is better than unrecorded eyewitness accounts. There's no constitutional right to weak evidence.
As far as mandatory, that's up to the department. But I'd make it mandatory while on duty, just like other parts of the uniform and equipment. Probably doesn't weigh much.

[deadeye]

Please don't be so quick to give up privacy and the freedom to maintain your anonymity(what's left of it). Once gone, it isn't easy to get back. What's next? Police cameras in your home in the name of better police protection?

Exactly!!!!

[CJB]

Its probably fair to say that DASHBOARD cameras have served their intended purspose. They have aided the LEO's, doing CYA and providing evidence. They have helped weed out the bad LEOs - and there are bad LEO's, sorry to say. What more could you really ask for in that sort of setup.

On the street, I'm in favor of body cams.... to a point. Recording interaction is one thing. Scanning the crowd for facial recognition... quite another. Then, what happens when a LEO might come to your house (like me last nite) and he has his cam on inside your house. You want him there helping you. Review of the video shows that I have a novelty grenade on the shelf. Or is shows that I have two too many cats according to city code. Or it shows that the frikking fire extinguisher is out of date. And what if they act on that?

I dunno. I like the street interaction thing. Thats public. I'm not into the "bring the cam into your abode" thing. Very private.

[Longitude Zero]

Please don't be so quick to give up privacy and the freedom to maintain your anonymity(what's left of it). Once gone, it isn't easy to get back. What's next? Police cameras in your home in the name of better police protection?

Exactly!!!!

Agreed. You would ALL be surprised at what the "G" is doing even now with webcams and baby monitors. Since you have installed them and allow them to "broadcast" you have zero privacy and have tapped yourself. I know what is possible and it is truly Orwellian.

[Longitude Zero]

Its probably fair to say that DASHBOARD cameras have served their intended purspose. They have aided the LEO's, doing CYA and providing evidence. They have helped weed out the bad LEOs - and there are bad LEO's, sorry to say. What more could you really ask for in that sort of setup.

On the street, I'm in favor of body cams.... to a point. Recording interaction is one thing. Scanning the crowd for facial recognition... quite another. Then, what happens when a LEO might come to your house (like me last nite) and he has his cam on inside your house. You want him there helping you. Review of the video shows that I have a novelty grenade on the shelf. Or is shows that I have two too many cats according to city code. Or it shows that the frikking fire extinguisher is out of date. And what if they act on that?

I dunno. I like the street interaction thing. Thats public. I'm not into the "bring the cam into your abode" thing. Very private.

And the public will have NO SAY in how and when the cameras are on. You can bet if body cams are worn they will NOT be turned off in your home even if you ask you will be told NO. You can also bet that like you said ALL usage will be made of the data obtained. Facial recognition software is ALREADY in use with public cameras, in car cams, and body cams. If an officer is where he/she has a legal right to be any and all evidence will be used. If you ask them into your house and later something illegal is notices well guess what we will get a warrant come back and serve it and potentially put you in jail

Be VERY careful of what you ask for because you will get it in spades.

[knkali]

Thanks LZ. Your agreement and coming from a LEO like you means a lot.

[knkali]

Please don't be so quick to give up privacy and the freedom to maintain your anonymity(what's left of it). Once gone, it isn't easy to get back. What's next? Police cameras in your home in the name of better police protection?

Exactly!!!!
Thank you for understanding my position

[muggsy]

There's a name for what you guys have. I think it's paranoia. (When are they going to fix the smiley face emoticon?)

[DavidS]

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=938354056179332


http://www.pic4ever.com/images/l034.gif

[muggsy]

if you are a law abiding person with nothing to fear, why not have a national registry for guns?
if you have nothing to fear, why not have to show your papers at the citizen checkpoint 50 miles inside the boarder(might be 100 miles next year)
if you have nothing to fear, why not allow the police to search your car during a routine traffic stop
If you have nothing to fear, why not waive your 5th amendment right and speak to the police without an attorney present after you shot a BG

Please don't be so quick to give up privacy and the freedom to maintain your anonymity(what's left of it). Once gone, it isn't easy to get back. What's next? Police cameras in your home in the name of better police protection?

I consider a national gun registry an infringement of my second amendment right. I carry my ID at all times. The police are free to search my car anytime I'm stopped. (The last time I was stopped was more than twenty years ago.) I don't waive my fifth amendment rights, because I'm not stupid. I don't fear the government or the police. They work for me. I'm fairly photogenic myself. I'm on camera in every store, bank and gas station that I visit. Don't bother me a bit.

[DavidS]

I consider a national gun registry an infringement of my second amendment right. I carry my ID at all times. The police are free to search my car anytime I'm stopped. (The last time I was stopped was more than twenty years ago.) I don't waive my fifth amendment rights, because I'm not stupid. I don't fear the government or the police. They work for me. I'm fairly photogenic myself. I'm on camera in every store, bank and gas station that I visit. Don't bother me a bit.
I just saw where California is proposing legislation requiring officers to check the state gun registry before making a routine welfare check. If they can require it then, when else can they require a check of the gun registry.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/06/11/isla-vista-massacre-prompts-new-california-gun-legislation-forcing-officers-to-check-firearm-registration-records-during-routine-welfare-checks/

[muggsy]

Ah, California, the land of fruits and nuts. If the liberal idiots in California allow their state to impose unconstitutional laws there is little I can do for them. I'm just a skinny little kid from Cleveland, Ohio. We don't have a gun registry in our state.

[knkali]

There's a name for what you guys have. I think it's paranoia. (When are they going to fix the smiley face emoticon?)

you are right Muggs. I am paranoid that my rights and freedoms will be gone if I/we are not vigilant in protecting them.

[knkali]

ah, california, the land of fruits and nuts. If the liberal idiots in california allow their state to impose unconstitutional laws there is little i can do for them. I'm just a skinny little kid from cleveland, ohio. We don't have a gun registry in our state.

yet!

[knkali]

I consider a national gun registry an infringement of my second amendment right. I carry my ID at all times. The police are free to search my car anytime I'm stopped. (The last time I was stopped was more than twenty years ago.) I don't waive my fifth amendment rights, because I'm not stupid. I don't fear the government or the police. They work for me. I'm fairly photogenic myself. I'm on camera in every store, bank and gas station that I visit. Don't bother me a bit.

so you protect the 2nd and the 5th(because you are not stupid), but allow the 4th to be violated?..... How do you feel about stop and frisk policies by the police? Since the 4th amendment is seemingly not as important to you as some of the other rights, I guess you are OK with the police stopping someone whenever they feel and frisking them and probably demanding they identify themselves without cause? Please tell me that my red white and blue friend from Ohio is not that cavalier with his rights.

[Longitude Zero]

knkali I have always believed the Founding Fathers put the Amendments 1-10 in a particular order for particular reasons. As you go down the list I feel they believe that each was getting lesser in importance. Many of their contemporary writings they made contemporaneous with the events seem to bear this out. In other words if they had to give up rights they would give up them up beginning with the 10th first.

[knkali]

I never really thought that way but that doesn't mean you are incorrect. However, consider the importance of Habeas Corpus which gets its teeth from the amalgamation of the 6th, 7th and 8th amendments. Can one really sacrifice one of those amendments and maintain such an important judiciary concept? I find it very hard to assign degrees of importance when considering each one of those amendments separately.

[TheTman]

I think the dashboard cameras are a pretty good idea. I think having suspects on video reduces the amount of frivolous "police brutality" lawsuits, when it shows the suspect acting belligerently and acting the fool. I was under the impression that some police already wear body cams, to cover their butts from the same sort of deal. Should it be mandatory? That's a tough one. Maybe in some jurisdictions they should be. As far as an officer coming into your home and seeing something illegal while examining the tape, then why did you invite the officer inside your home in the first place. They make devices that will allow you to open the door enough to talk, yet keep people out, they are widely used in motel rooms. If I was concerned the police might see something that they might get a warrant for and comeback, then I'd either use one of those lock out devices, or step outside to talk. Plus I think the police have plenty else to do, besides scrutinizing hours of video footage the might reveal some code infraction or something illegal, which you would be stupid to have on display in plain sight. I suppose having a replica machine gun or grenade or other such device on display might cause some problems, but I doubt that is a concern to very many people. I guess I'd be ok with the body cam, as long as I have the right to record them as well, which we are supposed to have, but I see this right denied to people here and there. Maybe a better option is to have dash cams that cover the sides and interior of the vehicle along with microphones, to pick up sounds like those of a scuffle, and words exchanged between cops and suspects. I do hate to give up rights to be "safer", we've been warned wear that leads. That is a tough question to answer, as it could prevent problems, as well as create new ones.

[TeaDub]

Review of the video shows that I have a novelty grenade on the shelf. Or is shows that I have two too many cats according to city code. Or it shows that the frikking fire extinguisher is out of date. And what if they act on that?

"Review of the video"? Perhaps if you are a suspect in a major crime. Perhaps if the officer has come for a "knock and talk"; again in reference to a crime investigation. If each and every officer has a body cam and has, potentially, several hours of interaction per shift; who will "review" all this footage looking for that out of date extinguisher? I can nearly guarantee that it wont be the beat Cop. He wants to go home after a long shift. Is it possible that someone will? I suppose. As was previously brought up; a LEO doesn't need video to get a search warrant. A quick chat with a Magistrate Judge about what he saw will suffice.

I love body cams. If I were still on the job, I would have bought one with my own money. There are a few negatives, but the positives far outweigh them. When a LEO does his job correctly and professionally, it can be career saving. Several friends have them. It's amazing what happens when an initial "misconduct" complaint is filed. When the citizen is told that the incident was recorded, many times they have a change of heart.

If you are concerned, step out on the front porch to talk. I have talked to many complainants there.

[TheLastDaze]

remember dash cams didn't come out all on their own, an officer lost his life to a group of illegals all while being recorded for his daughter on his own mounted video recorder, she wanted to see his day at work.... sad but true

I don't see any problem with body cams (though I didn't follow your link just yet) I think if anything it will keep everything in check on both sides, nowadays you see freaks recording everything with their cell phones, some even recorded people being beat to death rather then jumping in and doing something.... everything seems worth recording now, lol just go to youtube .... "umm, I just woke up and ahhh, I'm thinking about brushing my teeth so I did this short vid"...

theirs satelite to worry about here, drones, street cams etc.... body cams, not so much

[Bawanna]

The local agencies around here that have them are required to advise on contact that the are recording audio and video. No surprises. Friend who just retired really liked his. Every traffic stop have to tell em, your on candid camera.

I think most here would not have any issues with stuff in the house. Hang out with riff raff, and dirt bags and you'll probably get some probably much earned attention.

[Longitude Zero]

Bawanna fortunately in my area there is NO notification requirement. If the officers feels it is bettering his/her situation they can tell the citizen they are being recorded. TeaDub with facial and object recognition software, that is better then anything you have a clue about, could scan all the video taken by officers in a matter of minutes. Used the tech before and love it.

[muggsy]

The only thing in my trunk is a set of golf clubs and a spare tire. There's a spare tire behind the steering wheel of my car too, when I'm sitting in it, but that's another story. I'm protective of my rights, but I'm not paranoid about losing them. Hell, son, I'm a life member of the NRA and I support my local police.