Why All Officers Need Body Cameras

[RicInOR]

From Mas Ayoob:

"Case Two: An excessive force case filed against a law enforcement agency, in which I was retained as expert witness on behalf of the involved officer and his department. Plaintiff claimed that he was shot and wounded for nothing by out-of-control rogue officer; officer who unleashed his department-issue SIG stated that the suspect was trying to run him over when he fired. Case ends shortly after deposition of plaintiff, who claims under oath that he was backing up away from officer when officer shot him for no reason; plaintiff and his attorney are shown the video of the shooting in which the plaintiff can be clearly seen attempting to crush a police officer to death with his vehicle, at which time the cop opens fire. Because judges in civil cases know how costly it is to the taxpayers to pay for days or weeks or months of trial – particularly when the plaintiffs have a bullbubblegum case – they encourage the defendants in civil suits to at least attempt to settle. A chump change offer has been put on the table accordingly, shortly after the case was filed. After seeing the video of the actual incident, plaintiff and lawyer take the chump change and run. Case closed. It would have cost far more to try the case and win. (I don't like it… the lawyers defending the cops didn't particularly like it…and the wrongfully accused officer couldn't have liked it, but that's how things work in this society.) "
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/

99% of the time it will justify their actions.

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[John H]

Should have lock him up for lying under oath.

 

[chemist]

Let's add a caveat: the cameras in their cars and on their bodies shouldn't be able to be switched off by the officers in question.

 

[John H]

Let's add a caveat: the cameras in their cars and on their bodies shouldn't be able to be switched off by the officers in question.

Or the video be tampered with in any.

How about a instant upload to a publicly accessible site ??

 

[mkwerx]

Or the video be tampered with in any.

How about a instant upload to a publicly accessible site ??

I don't think a instant upload/streaming would be a legal/proper thing - as the police do deal with sensitive/private information. I do think, however, that they shouldn't be able to switch the cameras off, and there should be backups, possibly even a secure live stream able to be monitored by the officer's supervisors/admin.

The majority of cops who aren't out to abuse their power, and abuse the public have nothing to worry about by being under such scrutiny. The ones who are corrupt, abusive, or refuse to do their jobs are the ones who should be worried. The good cops would likely be thankful that they are more easily vindicated by the video corroboration.

 

[ocarolan]

This is also why everyone here needs a dashcam in his car. I bought one at the suggestion of Burt Gummer and it's already come in handy.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/th...misidentified-truck.122526/page-2#post-801452

Remember nowadays people only tell the truth when it is convenient for them. Sadly, I see this even in my own friends 5-10 years younger. It's simply how their generation is and you have to accept it.

 

[YOURSUPREMECOMMANDER]

How did I live to get so old? Back in the day, video cameras everywhere - not even an idea.
Are you so eager to give up more of your civil rights, and rights to privacy? Do you really think cameras tell the truth? If we possess the technology to video record everything, then it follows that certain people also have the ability to alter said videos to fulfill their agendas.

 

[Ttuck]

This is also why everyone here needs a dashcam in his car. I bought one at the suggestion of Burt Gummer and it's already come in handy.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/th...misidentified-truck.122526/page-2#post-801452

Remember nowadays people only tell the truth when it is convenient for them. Sadly, I see this even in my own friends 5-10 years younger. It's simply how their generation is and you have to accept it.

I thought dash cams were illegal here in Oregon?

 

[ocarolan]

I thought dash cams were illegal here in Oregon?

Legal in public for video. If it's recording audio, then technically you have to inform the other party. So any guests in your car would have to be apprised of the audio, or just turn it off.

Note however, the city's legal consensus here in Portland is "the act of holding a video camera or a cell phone in plain sight is enough to inform officers of the recording."

 

[RicInOR]

Oregon - back in the day when I worked the phones - we were taught that the center was in OR because so long as one party was aware of the recording, it was legal.
Example - the "waiter" who recorded a presidential hopeful by planting a device on a table and leaving would be breaking the law. Had he recorded the audio while standing there, would have been ok.

I am not current on the case law in this area.

There is a recent case where a security cam in a persons home got them convicted of murder when they should have been a successful DGU. The homeowner said something to the effect "and that will finish them off" - indicating intent to kill rather than intent to stop.

I think if you have a dash cam in OR you are OK, when you travel elsewhere - no idea.
But if you get in an incident, hand the recording to your lawyer - let the lawyer decide what to give the police.

And, that advice is worth what you paid for it.



As for all Government agents --- all need to be recording all their interactions with the public. Let the lawyers edit out their trips to the bathroom, if that is what you are worried about. Should they be taking care of personal business which would be 'private' while on the clock? No. So I am not concerned about recording that - they would know they are recording. Don't want everyone to know, don't do it. This would apply to police, social workers, parole officers, building inspectors, etc. etc.

 

[Sabertooth]

I don't think a instant upload/streaming would be a legal/proper thing - as the police do deal with sensitive/private information. I do think, however, that they shouldn't be able to switch the cameras off, and there should be backups, possibly even a secure live stream able to be monitored by the officer's supervisors/admin.

The majority of cops who aren't out to abuse their power, and abuse the public have nothing to worry about by being under such scrutiny. The ones who are corrupt, abusive, or refuse to do their jobs are the ones who should be worried. The good cops would likely be thankful that they are more easily vindicated by the video corroboration.

Better idea.

 

[Sabertooth]

Rodney King video, "this isn't what really happened" and the lawyer really did say that.

 

[RicInOR]

But
The Rodney confrontation started before the video started to capture.
This I think is part of the carry over effect - once the adrenaline kicks in, how to shut it down?

I also think it was the first time I heard of the "stop resisting" problem. You have a horse, dead on the pavement and are beating the crap out of it. If you are yelling "stop resisting" at the time of the trial all your co workers will say - I wasn't hands on and Bob kept telling him to "stop resisting"

 

[RicInOR]

Older story

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/business/wearable-video-cameras-for-police-officers.html?_r=0

via reddit "TIL that in some cities police officers were required to wear a camera in order to document their interactions with civilians. In these areas, public complaints against officers dropped by 88%"


"Rialto's police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often — in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who weren't wearing cameras during that shift, the study found. And, lest skeptics think that the officers with cameras are selective about which encounters they record, Mr. Farrar noted that those officers who apply force while wearing a camera have always captured the incident on video."



"Mr. Farrar says officers have told him of cases when citizens arrived at a Rialto police station to file a complaint and the supervisor was able to retrieve and play on the spot the video of what had transpired. "The individuals left the station with basically no other things to say and have never come back," he said. "

 

[Riot]

Let's add a caveat: the cameras in their cars and on their bodies shouldn't be able to be switched off by the officers in question.

I guess you like seeing officers take a dump then? 12 hour shifts is a loooong shift

 

[mkwerx]

I guess you like seeing officers take a dump then? 12 hour shifts is a loooong shift

There could be special blooper n pooper reels sold by depts to pay for cams "Cop Squad: Taco Night" edition.

Release highlights as a real Super Troopers type movie.