LA police officers sabotaged their own voice recorders

[NFS4]

Well, isn't that just great

Snippet:

Los Angeles police officers tampered with voice recording equipment in dozens of patrol cars in an effort to avoid being monitored while on duty, according to records and interviews.

An inspection by Los Angeles Police Department investigators found about half of the estimated 80 cars in one South L.A. patrol division were missing antennas, which help capture what officers say in the field. The antennas in at least 10 more cars in nearby divisions had also been removed.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and other top officials learned of the problem last summer but chose not to investigate which officers were responsible. Rather, the officials issued warnings against continued meddling and put checks in place to account for antennas at the start and end of each patrol shift.

Members of the Police Commission, which oversees the department, were not briefed about the problem until months later. In interviews with The Times, some commissioners said they were alarmed by the officers' attempts to conceal what occurred in the field, as well as the failure of department officials to come forward when the problem first came to light.

"On an issue like this, we need to be brought in right away," commission President Steve Soboroff said. "This equipment is for the protection of the public and of the officers. To have people who don't like the rules to take it upon themselves to do something like this is very troubling."

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-lapd-tamper-20140408,0,7666331.story#axzz2yOaKuj8F

 

[techs]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

 

[Triumph]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

A you a paid public servant?

 

[shortylickens]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

Provided you arent a public servant and you didnt have a history of breaking the law then covering your ass, I understand.

 

[NFS4]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

It's not their property to destroy. Don't like the rules, GTFO :biggrin:

 

[Jeeebus]

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and other top officials learned of the problem last summer but chose not to investigate which officers were responsible. Rather, the officials issued warnings against continued meddling and put checks in place to account for antennas at the start and end of each patrol shift.

So basically the instruction was as follows: Hai guyz... you so stupid. Make sure you put the antennas back on the car before you end your shift.

 

[Kadarin]

It should be a felony to tamper with that equipment.

 

[slag]

enforceable by... who(m)?

 

[Attic]

More selective application of the law.

It is a felony to tamper with this equipment. Wonder if it will be enforced in this case and if it would be enforced if some citizen did it to the vehicles.

 

[mizzou]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

agreed

The whole "paid public servant" thing is ridiculous IMO. Everyone is, private or public sector, has the same ability to lie and have that affect their job performance.

The fact that big brother get's to watch specific people only is hypocritical in my opinion.

Either we record everyone, at all times, or we record no one.

We are all people and deserve some fucking privacy every now and then.

 

[natto fire]

agreed

The whole "paid public servant" thing is ridiculous IMO. Everyone is, private or public sector, has the same ability to lie and have that affect their job performance.

The fact that big brother get's to watch specific people only is hypocritical in my opinion.

Either we record everyone, at all times, or we record no one.

We are all people and deserve some fucking privacy every now and then.

It is heading that way, the only reason it hasn't happened sooner is because it was cheaper to "lose" some profit here and there versus the cost of surveillance. Now that surveillance is getting a lot cheaper you will get your wish of everyone being recorded all the time.

If you cannot discern the difference between a police officer lying and a McD's employee lying then yeah I see why you have the viewpoint re: public servants. A corrupt police department can have much more adverse effects than some embezzler or person whoring themselves up the corporate ladder. Police corruption causes deaths, innocent people to be jailed, etc...

 

[BoberFett]

A you a paid public servant

...carrying a gun and with a penchant for using it?

Just thought I'd finish that question for you.

 

[midwestfisherman]

Anyone of those officers that tampered with that equipment should be fired!

 

[Jeeebus]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

People like you and mizzou would probably benefit from actually reading the article once in a while...

The cameras, which turn on automatically whenever an officer activates the car's emergency lights and sirens or can be activated manually, are used to record traffic stops and other encounters that occur in front of the vehicle

An officer farting in his car or talking to himself as he cruises along is not being recorded. The recording triggers when they are responding to an emergency, in the process of arresting someone, etc. - precisely the type of situations that EVERYONE - the cops and the people they are interacting with - should be held accountable for their actions.

Recording protects the police just as much as it protects ordinary citizens.

 

[Renob]

It's not their property to destroy. Don't like the rules, GTFO :biggrin:

Bingo!

 

[Jaepheth]

Cops gotta nef too.

 

[MrPickins]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

Lots of jobs are underneath surveillance cameras.

Why is it only the police that complain?

 

[BladeVenom]

It should be a felony to tamper with that equipment.

Tampering with evidence is usually a felony. If you're not a cop it will get you in serious trouble.

 

[marvdmartian]

I wouldn't want anyone to listen in to me for the 8 hours I was at work.

You're probably not in the position, at your job, where you wield the kind of power a police officer can, which can easily be abused by someone on a power trip (or just having a bad day). LAPD, especially, has had more than its fair share of abusive cops.

 

[KK]

Don't expect nothing less from the stupid asses.

 

[Number1]

WHo the hell want's his every words recorded while at work? It's bad enough that they have cameras in their cruisers.

Their union is failing them badly.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

agreed

The whole "paid public servant" thing is ridiculous IMO. Everyone is, private or public sector, has the same ability to lie and have that affect their job performance.

The fact that big brother get's to watch specific people only is hypocritical in my opinion.

Either we record everyone, at all times, or we record no one.

We are all people and deserve some fucking privacy every now and then.

That's a load of crap. My job has little to no impact on the personal liberty of others, unlike a LEO. Furthermore, this is a group that has been shown unable to act responsibly or hold themselves accountable. We're not talking about putting cameras over the shoulder of the county clerk here. These are guys with guns that can put you in jail. Also the recording devices only activate when they're responding to someone.

Maybe we should do away with court stenographers? I mean, who likes having everything recorded?

 

[natto fire]

WHo the hell want's his every words recorded while at work? It's bad enough that they have cameras in their cruisers.

Their union is failing them badly.

It is not their every word.

People like you and mizzou and Number 1 would probably benefit from actually reading the article once in a while...

The cameras, which turn on automatically whenever an officer activates the car's emergency lights and sirens or can be activated manually, are used to record traffic stops and other encounters that occur in front of the vehicle

An officer farting in his car or talking to himself as he cruises along is not being recorded. The recording triggers when they are responding to an emergency, in the process of arresting someone, etc. - precisely the type of situations that EVERYONE - the cops and the people they are interacting with - should be held accountable for their actions.

Recording protects the police just as much as it protects ordinary citizens.

The surveillance is necessary because you get people that become LEOs that think they are above the law, and/or have a chip on their shoulder. The LAPD has a horrible track record of employing power hungry corrupt dbags, such as the officers in the story.

 

[MrPickins]

WHo the hell want's his every words recorded while at work? It's bad enough that they have cameras in their cruisers.

Their union is failing them badly.

Yeah, so are the unions for bank clerks, retail store employees, employees at your local McDonalds...

/s


Lots of people with a hell of a lot less power than the police are recorded all day at their jobs.

 

[Ruptga]

Threads like this really make it obvious who bothers to RTFA and who already knows their opinion as soon as they enter the thread.