Houston P.D. Orders All Officers Turn Off Body Cameras During Protest !

If this is true so much for police body cameras, No? As I have said as well as many others at ATS... The Cameras need to record and store the activities someplace where the police department cannot get their little editing hands on the data or send out a blanket order to turn the cameras off !

Even if this story is only slightly true or misstated who in their right mind would issue a camera setup like this ?

I don't like you and I am going to rearrange (aka Kelly Thompson) your face...handcuffs secure check... Gloves on check... Camera off check

“We’re going to go ahead and turn off the personal video devices going forward, so be sure all officers have them turned off when engaging the protesters.” The words cut through me and chilled my spine as I sat, helplessly handcuffed in the back of a Houston Police cruiser after being arrested in the midst of a protest.

www.activistpost.com...

a reply to: 727Sky

I hope the Mayor issues his own statement that if the camera isn't on, the cop doesn't get paid.

originally posted by: IslandOfMisfitToys
a reply to: 727Sky

I hope the Mayor issues his own statement that if the camera isn't on, the cop doesn't get paid.

Or goes to jail if someone is injured in his custody.. Never work I know but... What a bunch of "Sleaze" department heads if all this is true..

a reply to: 727Sky

...if only your cat would have done the same, we would not have to watch his suicide over and over again.

If true, that`s bad, why wear those things, to just calm people down for the sake of calming down?

a reply to: 727Sky

so they plan on doing the wrong thing ....so it is apparent the cameras are wotrh as much as the person wearing them...ok then how about live streaming cameras as corruption will go as far as it will be let

originally posted by: 727Sky
What a bunch of "Sleaze" department heads if all this is true..

Actually, I'd call them a bunch of kindergartners.

They are usually the ones who take tantrums when they don't get their way. Not grown adults.

A side issue here which I don't believe many of the anarchy folks have thought out very well is the fact that these videos can (and will) be used in court against both the minority of poorly behaving officers and anyone who actually does resist arrest or otherwise break the law in front of a cop. This is a great example of the masses begging for their own doom, at least in my opinion. Gone will be the days of a sympathetic jury listening to a weeping defendant explain how they were minding their own business or perfectly polite to the cop that pulled them over for speeding, replaced by iron clad evdence of (for example) Micheal Brown um rushing and attempting to beat down an officer legitimately performing their duty.

I've railed against body cameras long and hard. I generally felt like I was standing with a few, even on ATS. I suspect that will still be the case....

When will people realize that anything brought to us by "them" for our "betterment" is NEVER really for us. The cameras serve them not us, silly to think otherwise. Like I've said before, im just waiting for a hot celebrity to get raided while in the shower on the new improved show Cops using the new body cameras. Not because I'm a pervert, I just want to make sure her liberties are not violated.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Then I wonder why the cops are so against them?

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
a reply to: 727Sky

...if only your cat would have done the same, we would not have to watch his suicide over and over again.

Hahahaha craziest avatar by far!

originally posted by: IslandOfMisfitToys
a reply to: burdman30ott6

Then I wonder why the cops are so against them?

No, the fain disgust until they get them the way they want them. God forbid high and mighty citizens pressure congress for legislation forcing them to use them other than the manner they chose. Besides, the cops are "tools" just as much as the cameras are.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
A side issue here which I don't believe many of the anarchy folks have thought out very well is the fact that these videos can (and will) be used in court against both the minority of poorly behaving officers and anyone who actually does resist arrest or otherwise break the law in front of a cop. This is a great example of the masses begging for their own doom, at least in my opinion. Gone will be the days of a sympathetic jury listening to a weeping defendant explain how they were minding their own business or perfectly polite to the cop that pulled them over for speeding, replaced by iron clad evdence of (for example) Micheal Brown um rushing and attempting to beat down an officer legitimately performing their duty.

I had to pause and think about your post for a moment... Actually you make a point considering the "ZERO Tolerance" some money hungry departments subscribe to.. It is, a two sided sword..

a reply to: 727Sky If this is a true statement from the police headquarters. Then I would assume something dirty is going to happen. They do not want anyone to be able to view their misdeeds. That in itself is wrong. The cameras are there to protect everyone involved in any situation, not used for a coverup.

a reply to: 727Sky

These reports? Have they been said anywhere else other than what the person who got arrested claimed? I've read about half the article and not yet found it being reported by anyone else. So unless its reported by more than one person surely it has to be a rumour or at least something we take with a grain of salt otherwise it's just feeding the hatred.

originally posted by: Danny85
a reply to: 727Sky

These reports? Have they been said anywhere else other than what the person who got arrested claimed? I've read about half the article and not yet found it being reported by anyone else. So unless its reported by more than one person surely it has to be a rumour or at least something we take with a grain of salt otherwise it's just feeding the hatred.

A simple internet search shows 5 pages saying the same thing. For those who do not like to read here is a video. youtu.be...

originally posted by: 727Sky

originally posted by: Danny85
a reply to: 727Sky

These reports? Have they been said anywhere else other than what the person who got arrested claimed? I've read about half the article and not yet found it being reported by anyone else. So unless its reported by more than one person surely it has to be a rumour or at least something we take with a grain of salt otherwise it's just feeding the hatred.

A simple internet search shows 5 pages saying the same thing. For those who do not like to read here is a video. youtu.be...

A simple google search shows several pages of activist websites, alternative news sites, an ATS hit, and some google+ hits. All of which say pretty much the exact same thing. So one guy says he heard something over the radio in the back of the car and boom, that's it. Done and dusted?

People want body cameras, great. The problem comes at the tail end of the body camera trail. I've heard/read people on here that want the body cams streaming. Or stored somewhere that the public can access them at any time. People want them on all the time. Lets start with the simple problems: the officer wearing that camera is gonna go take a leak at least once during his shift. You have no right to see that. The officer may have personal conversations during his meal break. You have no right to overhear anything in that conversation. The officer may meet with a witness to a crime who wants to remain anonymous. You have no right to take that away from them.

Now lets get into the more serious problems: the officer may respond to a rape call and interview the victim. You have no right to see the victim's face and hear their story. An officer may deal with a crime involving a minor. Again, you have no right to be privy to that. An officer may respond to a 5 year old kid who was abused by their parents/babysitter/whomever. You absolutely, positively, without any shred of doubt, have zero right to be privy to any of that.

Instead of just saying "we want body cams, we want them on 24/7, and we want access to them all the time" some of you body cam proponents need to realize there are bigger issues than the officers being able to turn them off, most of which need to be worked out for most departments still, and most of those issues aren't going to be resolved in a way you consider favorable.

Personally, I have no problem with body cams. But I do understand that there is a degree of privacy that needs to be maintained in some situations.

a reply to: Shamrock6
Agree with everything you said. However going into an altercation or protest is not a time where the "off switch" should be used IMO.

The pendulum of life swings back and forth. For years the police have been supported and viewed as the good guys; rightly so in most cases.. Now with some of the stories and videos like the killing of Kelly Thompson for all to see some Americans are swinging the pendulum from blind support to more of a "under the microscope" swing.. rightly so IMO ! Unless things get out of hand, the swing will self center after awhile. It should be a time for reflection on both sides, no?

a reply to: 727Sky

Completely agree. Unfortunately I think most of this stuff will fall out of the news cycle eventually, and then we'll all move on to the next MSM supported thing. It's the nature of the beast.

Both sides need to dial it down. Neither side is helping it's "cause" very well right now. There are entire departments out there that are doing good things, making good decisions, day in and day out. You'll never hear about them because there's a comparatively small percentage of idiots out there screwing things up for everybody, on both sides.

Also, your avatar is one of the best ones on here. Not sure if I've ever said that or not

originally posted by: 727Sky
If this is true ...

Hearsay.

Let's have this corroborated and maybe this particular discussion, with its current dramatic title (Houston P.D. Orders All Officers Turn Off Body Cameras During Protest !) can continue.

originally posted by: 727Sky
If this is true so much for police body cameras, No?

As I've often said, the first thing a cop will do with a camera is turn it off or obscure it when he's about to do something unlawful. The second is erase it after the fact.

If the camera can be turned off, it's useless.

If the camera can be erased, or somehow not downloaded, it's useless.

If the local laws don't compel the cop in a clear, unavoidable way to HAVE a recording or be seen as having impugned testimony, or possibly even be charged with destruction of evidence, then there won't be recordings that don't support a police point of view, because they'll all be "lost" or "it must have been broken" or "whoopsie" every time.

It can be done, and it can work, but if you don't hear the cops shrieking to high heaven over it, it's easy to fox.