Citizens Given Video Cameras To Monitor Police

atommota writes "After years of complaints of police misconduct, the ACLU is giving free video cameras to some residents of high-crime neighborhoods in St. Louis, MO to help them monitor officers. The ACLU of Eastern Missouri launched the project Wednesday after television crews last year broadcast video of officers punching and kicking a suspect who led police on a car chase. 'The idea here is to level the playing field, so it's not just your word against the police's word,' said Brenda Jones, executive director of the ACLU chapter. The ACLU has worked closely with the police to make sure they are aware of this program. This is in stark contrast to the recent Pennsylvania arrest for felony wiretapping of a guy who was videotaping a police stop."

Comments

Some ACLU Chapters Ain't So Bright

[Anonymous Coward]

Half of those camcorders will be in a pawn shop or crackhouse within a week.
The other half will be stolen in burglaries/robberies (and the ACLU will defend the thieves as "expressing political speech", even if they kill their victims and the cops in the process.)

Re:Who cares?

[CallFinalClass]

Wow - what a stupid comment.

So, let's stage something where the cops "see" commisaro leading them on in a chase. Hilarity ensues...

Re:I do believe...

[Darby]

I'm sure my view won't be popular, but if it is so easy to be a police officer in a high crime area where the criminals have guns and have no problem shooting a cop, why isn't there a line of people waiting for that job.

Because your job would be primarily to enforce unconstitutional laws with no basis or justification. Duh. You aren't going to find decent people willing to forsake all decency to take such a disgusting job. Maybe it's simply all the evil pricks already have jobs as cops and so there are no more available?

The victims hate the cops as much as the criminals.

No shit. They are quite familiar with the fucking pigs and their criminal jobs. That is a good thing. It demonstrates that they are sane.

After the criminals have killed each other off, then the survivors might decide they want police.

Or simply eliminate the insane drug laws that are the primary cause of violent crime in this country.

Seriously, pull your head out. People are not going to like the fuckers who are *causing* the massive increase in violent crime and the destruction of their neighborhoods. Of course, you don't offer any useful suggestions. Just punish the victims even more. What a fantastic fucking attitude.

It's ok for the crook to hit the cop, but the cop can't hit back.

You're a liar, a fool, or probably both.

Cops regularly beat the fuck out of innocent people and if the cop hurts his foot kicking you in the head then you will be charged with assault.
I know that for a fact since it happened to me.

So, you attitude is probably unpopular because it is stupid and deeply ignorant of reality. You clearly do not know a fucking thing about what goes on with the police in this country.
Since you are so blatantly and incredibly ignorant, kindly shut the fuck up about it. All you're doing is proving yourself to be an ignorant fool.

Re:Having had the crap beat out of me by cops...

[Jherek Carnelian]

I did not say a shady demeanor justified physical force. I said it made them suspicious (weary was the word I used). So, because the cops are tired of people with shady demeanors its ok to beat them?

Re:I do believe...

[Endymion]

Except you DO support those laws as you are enforcing them.

And don't you dare say "But I'm just following orders" (doing my job, enforcing the unconstitutional law, whatever).

As I've said elsewhere, the Nuremburg Defense didn't work before, it won't work here. Say no. Refuse to enforce laws that are wrong. Take a stand. Yes, it may get you fired, but it's a small price to pay to keep your soul intact.

As for your rant on MJ, booze, etc... you are making it more and more obvious you have no fucking idea what you are talking about. What medical degree did you get to know how drugs affect people? What sociology degree did you get to understand the subtle points of prohibition? I'm guessing 'none'. Yet, because you enforce the worst aspect of such activity, you project those experiences to all of society.

I'm done with you, fascist.

Re:What do you do it. . .

[dj_tla]

Shame on whoever modded parent a troll. Grandparent is an asshole; if anyone deserves the troll mod, it's him.

1. The officers were very rude and were completely intolerant of the individual's lack of English skills. I realize I live in a state where people find KQRS' resident racist Tom Bernard "entertaining", but the cops should at least be a little more understanding.

Don't ever visit France, you'd hate it (unless you speak French).

There would be absolutely no travel industry if being fluent in the language of your travel destination was necessary to enjoying it. It's also ludicrous to think that someone can learn a language fluently without first being immersed in it for some time; people go places to learn, you see. Not everyone lives in their little box and mocks those outside of it.

2. They were obviously mocking the individuals that they pulled over because they spoke very little English. Waving (princess style) and "shooing" with their hands while saying "bye bye" and "adios" was ignorant as can be.

Yeah, you kind of covered this behavior in pt. 1. Though I wonder if you consider it equally ignorant to move to a country and not even attempt to learn the language? (Strictly speaking, the cops were not "ignorant" in their behavior, though the non-English speaker was ignorant of English. Though I realize that "ignorant" has certain connotations in some parts of the US apart from its literal meaning.)

That's bullshit. You don't know anything about the situation, or how good the driver's English actually was. Maybe he didn't even want to be in the US, but was there for business reasons outside of his control. You don't even know if he actually has moved to the country. Visitors can rent cars and hold international driver's licenses, you know.

3. When they told the driver that "if you put your tongue in front of the mouthpiece one more time we will take you to jail without question", I wasn't surprised when the drunken driver was more than a little confused when they spun him around and cuffed him.

What would you have done differently, if presented with a drunk driver who had zero command of the common language of your country? How do you expect the cops to behave in a situation like this? Really, I'm curious.

The cops can do their fucking job: determine if the driver was drunk, and take the necessary actions based on that judgment. You don't need to speak English to blow into a breathalyzer, and you don't need to threaten or ridicule someone because you're so incompetent that you can't explain something by showing instead of barking orders.

Grandparent sounds like someone who's never been outside of his hometown of Buttfuck, Texas. Go live a little and learn how to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Parent deserves props for calling him out and not hiding under anonymity.