Ferguson Police begin wearing cameras

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JEDIYoda

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Jul 13, 2005
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It`s about time...why does it take something like this killing to get the Police to do what is right??

http://news.yahoo.com/police-begin-wearing-cameras-us-protest-town-204123187.html

Washington (AFP) - Police in the US town roiled by protests after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager are now wearing body cameras in a bid to calm local anger, a news report said.

More than 1,000 protesters again marched Saturday in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, over the August 9 killing of Michael Brown, 18, at the hands of a white police officer.

Some in the St. Louis suburb have also lashed out at the police response to the protests -- which turned violent on several occasions -- accusing authorities of unnecessarily heavy-handed tactics.

Ferguson police began wearing the cameras on Saturday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, quoting the town's police chief Tom Jackson as saying the force -- which is overwhelmingly white -- was donated about 50 body cameras by two companies.

"We are still playing with them," Jackson reportedly said, adding that each officer will get one to use.

"The quality is good," he said.

Critics believe police will be more accountable if they wear cameras, which will also allow judges and juries to view for themselves police action in disputed incidents.

A grand jury is hearing evidence to determine whether police officer Darren Wilson, 28, used excessive force in fatally shooting Brown, who was hit at least six times.
 

The Merg

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Feb 25, 2009
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I thought I read that the town had already ordered cruiser cameras or body cameras before the shooting, but that they had not been installed/instituted yet.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
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I thought I read that the town had already ordered cruiser cameras or body cameras before the shooting, but that they had not been installed/instituted yet.

Ferguson police began wearing the cameras on Saturday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, quoting the town's police chief Tom Jackson as saying the force -- which is overwhelmingly white -- was donated about 50 body cameras by two companies.

"We are still playing with them," Jackson reportedly said, adding that each officer will get one to use.

"The quality is good," he said.
:)
 

The Merg

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Feb 25, 2009
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Yes, I saw that. I was just surprised to read that as I thought they already had them, but just hadn't been put in use yet. :)
 

dmcowen674

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www.alienbabeltech.com

PokerGuy

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I think those kinds of cameras, while not the panacea that will solve every case, are a win-win, but only provided the information recorded on the cameras is not accessible by the officers or anyone with the department. Otherwise, you'll see just like with the dash cam videos how some videos magically get lost or otherwise recycled (IRS-Lerner style) when issues come up.

The officers know their conduct is being filmed and that they can be held accountable for their actions, and the people also know the conduct is filmed, so there will be fewer false claims of brutality and such. Win for everyone.
 
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