AveryJarhman

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The dystopian danger of police body cameras | MSNBC

Police-worn body cameras are the newest darling of criminal justice reform. They are touted as a way to collect evidence for criminal investigations, oversee and expose abusive police practices, and exonerate officers from fabricated charges. While the nation continues to debate how effective these body cameras are for police departments, less attention has been paid to the appearance of body cameras in other public

via The dystopian danger of police body cameras | MSNBC.

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A Colorado Springs police officer poses with a Digital Ally First Vu HD body worn camera outside the police department in Colorado Springs April 21, 2015. The police department is holding a body worn cameras pilot project, testing several different camera models for a month at a time as they consider purchasing 450 of the units with an initial cost of over $500,000. REUTERS/Rick Wilking – RTX19PVE
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I am a proponent for police body cameras.

Also, I am hoping when camera technology proves its worth as a invaluable evidence collecting tool for prosecuting bad guys or gals, for protecting police officers from unfounded complaints, as well as identifying officers who require further training or officers who have no business serving the public in a LE capacity, we will use camera technology to protect abused and maltreated children by monitoring the common area of homes in which caregivers have established a track record for failing to properly raise, nurture and/or supervise their children.

Children who feel safe and protected are happy children who mature into happy teens and adults, making them less likely to become involved with police while peacefully pursuing their vision for L, L, (Love) and Happiness.

Children who do not feel safe and protected grow up depressed, often not giving a frig about anyone, more inclined to commit anti-social acts that emotionally or physically harm their peaceful neighbors, getting the police involved and subsequently filling our prisons with depressed teens and adults who wish when they were kids, there was a camera in their home to make them feel safe.

Early in my police career when I was assigned to the Brooklyn community Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter raps/writes about attempting destroy by selling poison to depressed people living and working in his community, and rapping about engaging in extremely harmful anti-social behaviors designed to protect his drug operation from rival gangs in adjoining neighborhoods, I really wish I had a body camera to document the human dysfunction in the community that caused me and peaceful people living or working in the community to fear for our safety.

HOWEVER, police body cameras have one MAJOR drawback that impacts a significant number of people in many American communities.

NYS law permits police officers to use “Discretion” when investigating “traffic infractions.”

In other words police do not have to issue a traffic ticket, they are permitted by law to “warn and admonish” an alleged traffic law violator.

Here is where the big HOWEVER comes in. When a cop lawfully detains a person, and during the investigation locates a small amount of crack, cocaine, heroin, ect, on the detainee’s person, the officer does NOT have discretion, by law and PD guidelines he or she MUST arrest the person committing a CRIME in the officer’s presence.

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I know for a fact during the 80s and 90s there were dozens and dozens of people living or working in Brooklyn, NY possessing small amounts of illegal dangerous drugs, who were detained by police though they were never arrested and charged with committing drug crimes.

How do I know? Because I did NOT arrest every single person I observed possessing a small amount of narcotics or narcotics paraphernalia.

If I were to arrest every person I observed possessing a small amount of narcotics I would have spent much of my career processing and testifying about drug arrests – taking from me valuable time needed to locate and identify dangerous, depressed, unpredictable, sometimes suicidal (NY Times May 18, 2015 – Rise in Suicide by Black Children Surprises Researchers) teens or adults with guns and box-cutter razor blades who were violently robbing their peaceful neighbors in order to acquire funds to purchase illegal drugs, sneakers or the latest clothing fashion craze.

Frankly, if there was a body camera recording my self-initiated police investigations I would be very reluctant to disregard NYS law and NYPD guidelines by ignoring small amounts of illegal dope or other contraband my body cam recorded me discovering on a person.

A big part of being a good cop is possessing and using common sense. My common sense told me, the community was better served by me ignoring these low level drug violations while using them to spread good will and possibly add another informant’s name to my list of neighborhood snitches who benefited from my good will.

One thing I am fairly certain of…the people who become incensed that Americans of African descent are disproportionately arrested for drug offenses, well, they would really go out of their minds if cops were actually arresting every person they discovered possessing a small amount of illegal narcotics.

Despite this drawback to police body cameras, I really wish I had one recording my activities.

I am inclined to believe after video and audio recordings of my investigations and arrests were made available to defense attorneys, more attorney’s clients would accept Plea Deals resulting with me spending more time investigating crimes and much less time sitting on a hard bench in a courthouse hallway waiting to testify for The People.

Come to think of it, why are peaceful Americans allowing prosecutors to offer plea deals when police have gathered on video unimpeachable evidence that a defendant committed the crime(s) he or she is charged with?

Bring on police body cams!

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Related story:

How Making and Not Making Drug Arrests Threatened My Police Career
 
Lets see. A cop camera might get me busted for a little bit of something in my pocket, but no cop camera increases my chances of being dead..........Not really a hard choice is it? Bring On The Cameras!!
 
Lets see. A cop camera might get me busted for a little bit of something in my pocket, but no cop camera increases my chances of being dead..........Not really a hard choice is it? Bring On The Cameras!!

Hi, Bulldog.

Refusing to comply with orders from a police officer may result in you being injured or worse.
 
Lets see. A cop camera might get me busted for a little bit of something in my pocket, but no cop camera increases my chances of being dead..........Not really a hard choice is it? Bring On The Cameras!!

Hi, Bulldog.

Refusing to comply with orders from a police officer may result in you being injured or worse.


The discussion is about cameras.
 
The discussion is about cameras.

Hi, Bulldog.

The title of this discussion is about police cameras.

The substance of this discussion is about Childhood Abuse and Neglect that often leads to gun violence, drug abuse, refusal to obey lawful authority, community violence and developing children being deprived of a safe fairly, happy American kid childhood by immature African American women emotionally abusing their children who often mature into angry, frustrated teens or men who view females a "nasty bitches" much like this man angrily sharing his thoughts, concern and emotional pain with our world.



Peace.
 

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