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Citizens Given Video Cameras To Monitor Police

Posted by kdawson on from the project-vigilant dept.

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."

8 of 434 comments (clear)

  1. Tomorrows headlines by Kainaw · · Score: 5, Funny

    Pawn shops in high crime areas, such as St. Louis, have an overload of camcorders for sale dirt cheap!

    --
    The previous comment is purposely vague and generalized, but all of the facts are completely true.
    1. Re:Tomorrows headlines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was hoping for a boom in amateur erotica.

  2. "to help them monitor officers" by TheBearBear · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As opposed to monitoring the criminals in their neighborhood? They're as much a plague on civil liberties as big brother.

    1. Re:"to help them monitor officers" by brunascle · · Score: 5, Insightful

      i think the point is that criminals are already being monitored, but no one's monitoring the cops.

  3. Make friends, not enemies. by xplenumx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In addition to reporting any misbehavior by the police, I hope that the ACLU has enough integrity to also publicly commend any officer that is recorded acting responsibility in a difficult situation. A little positive reinforcement can go a long ways.

    1. Re:Make friends, not enemies. by rhakka · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Funny, I thought their job was to act responsibly in difficult situations?

      I will, and have, thanked officers personally for doing good work, because I appreciate it. But it's pretty ridiculous to even insinuate that an organization with a serious focus should waste its time and resources thanking people for doing their jobs.

      That would be the job of the police department itself, to recognize its own employees that do exemplary work, and reward them, not the ACLU's job, right? The ACLU's job is to make sure they do not abuse the additional power (and thus, additional responsibility) that has been accorded to them by the people they have power over.

  4. Re:What do you do it. . . by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    if a cop has the authority to shoo you away from a "scene" and make sure you aren't taping him/her doing something, they can still get away with doing "bad things".
    My first thought was "well cops don't have the authority to shoo you away from a scene," then I realized I was wrong.

    Cops have the authority to disperse a 'crowd' so that they can maintain order. Failure to disperse = failure to obey a lawful order = arrest/taser/mace
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  5. Re:What do you do it. . . by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...failure to obey a lawful order = arrest/taser/mace

    Hopefully not in that order.