Straight Talk: Videotaping Police

[laFiera]

as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

 

[SilthDraeth]

:thumbsup:

Great article.

 

[tomywishbone]

It's 2007 in America. The police can do anything they want, and there's nothing you can do to stop them. Congratulations sheeple.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

 

[ayabe]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

Bingo. There has to be proper context in these cases.

 

[SilthDraeth]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

There still shouldn't be any sort of law barring an individual from recording the police, irregardless of people's agendas. You said so yourself, that you have no problem with it.

Yet in at least one of the cases mentioned, the cop asked the person to stop. The camera was in plane site, and they turned it off and handed it over, then they got arrested, and charged with wire tapping illegally. Which is stupid. If they had a hidden camera, and recorded everything, then they would be guilty of that.

To tie things up, reporting about the normal everyday good cops doesn't sell a news story. Reporting about the dirty cops, etc does.

 

[Arkaign]

Most cops are good, but it should be obvious that the only reason that anyone would want to prevent the police from being filmed, is to prevent the recording of WRONGDOING. Laws like this just make the good cops look guilty by association. Of course, whenever a case of police wrongdoing occurs, they usually line up and stonewall until they get the perp cop paid leave/no charges/etc.

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

You mean you want the whole truth? What a concept!! Now if we could just learn to apply that concept evenly across the whole spectrum. Maybe people wouldn't feel the need to have to videotape the police.

You know there is an easy way for the police to protect themsleves from editied video of themsevles. They could pre-emptivley videotape themselves. LOL, of course they don't want to do that..... I wonder why?? :laugh:

 

[Rabidwerewolf]

That is the problem in today's world. Anything and everything can be so easily recorded, and then instantaneously broad cast to the world. It is so easy to see something happening on the news on tv or the internet and to make a quick judgement call when you or I might only being seeing a clip of the whole event. It is easy to take a clip of a police officer having to use a certain amount of force to take down a suspected criminal, but not show the criminal resisting arrest, trying to flee, taking a swing at the cop or brandishing a weapon. News agencies are so quick to post a story now, especially one with video, that they don't always take the time to verify the story and source or get all the angles on it. Even though one should be able to video tape, that is why I think you see a lot of authorities frown upon it. They don't want the majority of their officers, who are good officers, out there being made to look like bad cops when they are just doing their job. I'm not saying all cops are good, but not every video you see of cops tackling a guy or tasering a guy is excessive force or police brutality either.

 

[tomywishbone]

Ah yes, I'm the problem. I'll arrest you. I'll confiscate your property. I'll strip search you and put you in jail. I'm the one.

:laugh:

Hey sheeple.... BOO!

 

[dmcowen674]

Has the Supreme Court weighed in on this issue or has the Constitution been officially thrown in the trash at this point?

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

You mean you want the whole truth? What a concept!! Now if we could just learn to apply that concept evenly across the whole spectrum. Maybe people wouldn't feel the need to have to videotape the police.

You know there is an easy way for the police to protect themsleves from editied video of themsevles. They could pre-emptivley videotape themselves. LOL, of course they don't want to do that..... I wonder why?? :laugh:

So what do you propose? Should we hire a camera man for every single Police Officer in the country to film every single thing that happens? Or maybe we can make all cops wear those cool glasses that have a hidden camera, or maybe they should all wear helmets with cameras mounted on top.

Some of you might not realize this, but sometimes cops have to deal with something that is not conveniently happening right in front of the dashboard cam in their car.

I don't think videotaping cops should be against the law, as long as its not interfering with what the officer is doing. If you want to stay out of the way and video tape something thats going on across the street then you should be free to do that.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: tomywishbone
Ah yes, I'm the problem. I'll arrest you. I'll confiscate your property. I'll strip search you and put you in jail. I'm the one.

:laugh:

Hey sheeple.... BOO!

Yes, its people like you that are the reason that cops don't want to be videotaped, how hard is that for you to understand?

 

[tw1164]

Last month, Brian Kelly of Carlisle, Pa., was riding with a friend when the car he was in was pulled over by a local police officer. Kelly, an amateur videographer, had his video camera with him and decided to record the traffic stop.

The officer who pulled over the vehicle saw the camera and demanded Kelly hand it over. Kelly obliged. Soon after, six more police officers pulled up. They arrested Kelly on charges of violating an outdated Pennsylvania wiretapping law that forbids audio recordings of any second party without their permission. In this case, that party was the police officer.

Kelly was charged with a felony, spent 26 hours in jail, and faces up to 10 years in prison. All for merely recording a police officer, a public servant, while he was on the job.

On a side note, the DA in this case dropped all the charges.

 

[ric1287]

JD50 said it perfectly. Anyone can videotape the police, then edit out everything meaningful, and post a 30 sec clip of them tasering/restraining/etc the citizen.

Then we get a bunch if idiots spouting that all police are corrupt and should be disbanded, blah blah blah.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: tw1164

Last month, Brian Kelly of Carlisle, Pa., was riding with a friend when the car he was in was pulled over by a local police officer. Kelly, an amateur videographer, had his video camera with him and decided to record the traffic stop.

The officer who pulled over the vehicle saw the camera and demanded Kelly hand it over. Kelly obliged. Soon after, six more police officers pulled up. They arrested Kelly on charges of violating an outdated Pennsylvania wiretapping law that forbids audio recordings of any second party without their permission. In this case, that party was the police officer.

Kelly was charged with a felony, spent 26 hours in jail, and faces up to 10 years in prison. All for merely recording a police officer, a public servant, while he was on the job.

On a side note, the DA in this case dropped all the charges.

While that sounds like a silly law, the issue should be with the silly law, not the person enforcing that law. Depending on how that whole situation went down, the Police could have been fully justified in doing what they did, or they could have really stepped over the line.

For instance, if the guy just turned on the camera and set it up on the dash to record the stop, then the Police over reacted. But if the guy was digging around for a camera while the cop was telling him to stop then that puts that guy in the wrong. Again, like so many other things, it depends on the whole story, not just one little portion of it.

 

[imported_Shivetya]

I posted this earlier in the month (guess only dupes I post get nuked)

Regardless, the police should be videotaped by anyone who wants too.

They are in the public eye, its a public forum, they are not above the law.


As for tapes taking footage out of context, the police do it all the time. Footage mysteriously lost or corrupted is common in cases they would be toast otherwise

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

The police are still free to lie about what happened before the video tape just like before so I don't see what the big deal about a 30 second clip is. What trial, the police are never charged for just about anything illegal they do. As for your 99% of cops are good honest individuals they should stop protecting dirty cops if they don't want insults to apply to all police.

 

[Zedtom]

The paramilitary nature of law enforcement creates an atmosphere of paranoia when an officer is put into a vulnerable position. The public in general has a healthy respect of law enforcement, but we also know that there can be abuses of power.

It is never more obvious than when a call goes out on the police radio of an officer down. When it is a legitimate issue, we like to see a show of force. However, sometimes a motorcycle officer will dump his bike in a patch of gravel and twenty officers will suddenly appear.

If I was videotaping something suspicious, I would try to be as covert as possible. If they see you, then you are interfering with their job.

 

[piasabird]

It will be interesting to see where this case goes. It is only wiretapping if audio is captured.

 

[MadRat]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Most cops are good, but it should be obvious that the only reason that anyone would want to prevent the police from being filmed, is to prevent the recording of WRONGDOING. Laws like this just make the good cops look guilty by association. Of course, whenever a case of police wrongdoing occurs, they usually line up and stonewall until they get the perp cop paid leave/no charges/etc.

Most cops are genetically bred to be cops. And since the same gene that predisposes someone to be a cop also appears to be the same one that puts a chip on their shoulder we need a solution. Therefore I declare the cop gene a genetic defect, all embryoes need to be genetically tested in the womb and anyone found containing the cop gene aborted before birth.

 

[laFiera]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: laFiera
as fair and balanced as it gets on fox news...

I was simply amazed this piece of editorial...
for once I can say is on the fair and balanced side of the equation, and is not honoring our latest gods, the police.

I still don't understand why people can't videotape police when as the article points out, they are public servants paid with tax money, so they should be accountable for their actions. I just hope that people don't stop worshipping these power hungry individuals.

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Edit - Yes there are dirty cops out there that need to be held accountable, but 99 percent of the cops out there are good, honest individuals just trying to provide for their family and hopefully make this world a little bit better. Unfornutately there are people out there like you two that decide to focus on the small minority of dirty cops and apply your idiotic insults to all Police.

Bottom line is that cops are not above the law; and I have worked with cops and I would say that the older cops are great cops, in terms of being helpful and having some type of common sense. I've been stopped by cops a fewtimes, and I have followed the advice given by the cops I used to work with---be nice, keep your hands on the steering wheel; turn the light on in the car if it's nite time, be polite, etc , and most cops haven't given me any trouble; however even these tactics didn't work with power hungry younger cops who seem to find it cool to yell at you, even when you're following all their orders.

The point is here that there are corrupt cops out there and people should be able to video tape them. By the same token every profession has their bad fruits; I just disagree with the idea that cops are above the law and citizens don't have the right to tape them.
And since you said you are or were a cop, are you of the opinion that cops can't be video taped?

 

[wetech]

Originally posted by: laFiera

Originally posted by: JD50

As a former Police Officer, I have no problem with video taping the Police and holding them accountable. The problem begins when people such as Tommywishbone and yourself with obvious anti police agendas take a 30 sec clip, ignoring anything else that might have happened before the video was shot, and convict the cops before a trial even begins.

Bottom line is that cops are not above the law; and I have worked with cops and I would say that the older cops are great cops, in terms of being helpful and having some type of common sense. I've been stopped by cops a fewtimes, and I have followed the advice given by the cops I used to work with---be nice, keep your hands on the steering wheel; turn the light on in the car if it's nite time, be polite, etc , and most cops haven't given me any trouble; however even these tactics didn't work with power hungry younger cops who seem to find it cool to yell at you, even when you're following all their orders.

The point is here that there are corrupt cops out there and people should be able to video tape them. By the same token every profession has their bad fruits; I just disagree with the idea that cops are above the law and citizens don't have the right to tape them.
And since you said you are or were a cop, are you of the opinion that cops can't be video taped?

read bold above.

 

[bamacre]

"They arrested Kelly on charges of violating an outdated Pennsylvania wiretapping law that forbids audio recordings of any second party without their permission."


How does that law apply to the video recorder running from the police car? Don't all cop cars have cameras that record what goes on when the cops pull someone over? I mean, they obviously don't get the permission of the person who was pulled over.

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: bamacre
"They arrested Kelly on charges of violating an outdated Pennsylvania wiretapping law that forbids audio recordings of any second party without their permission."


How does that law apply to the video recorder running from the police car? Don't all cop cars have cameras that record what goes on when the cops pull someone over? I mean, they obviously don't get the permission of the person who was pulled over.

If I remember correctly, there's a law that excluded cops from requiring prior permission.