New Camera Could Prevent Police Brutality

Anybody who visits here more than once a month knows that we have some growing issues with LEO's and the brutality some of them seem to be dishing out more and more. This breeds fear and resentment on both sides. The good officers get thrown in with the bad and the citizens either get too scared to even come into contact with officers or they go out of their way to give the officers a harder time.

Neither is helpful. But there appears to be some folks who are trying to make things safer for the good cops and the good citizens that they are supposed to protect and serve.

Meet Taser

--the world's favorite non-lethal weapons manufacturer--says its new surveillance device can protect both cops and citizens.

Taser Axon Wearable Security Camera. Surveillance cameras permeate modern life. Mounted in convenience stores, retail outlets, bars, clubs, ATMs and elsewhere, silent observers record everything from the mundane to the criminal. The cameras serve a dual function as both deterrent and instant legal record. In light of the police shooting of unarmed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, national attention has focused on wearable cameras for police officers. For the (less lethal) weapon manufacturer Taser, there is opportunity in this civic need.

At $400/unit, the Axon Body is Taser’s main entry into the field of wearable cameras. The Axon is chest-mounted and records 640px by 480px in a 130-degree arc. American Photo, which is owned by the same company as Popular Science, recently talked to Taser’s VP of communications Steve Tuttle about the camera. Tuttle highlighted one major difference between video recorded by the Axon and video recorded by onlookers with cell phone cameras:

The Axon is constantly filming, but it only keeps a 30-second buffer that it keeps rolling over. Once you press the record button, it saves the previous 30-seconds of video and starts recording audio. "Normally, we rely on videos taken by citizens with their phones, but it's unclear when they started recording," says Tuttle. "It takes time to pull that recording device out of a pocket and you lose context that can be crucial."

How many times have we seen videos here when you just wished for that extra ten seconds of video that always seems to be missing?? Most of the time, right? This could help with that. When a person's life was lost or could possibly be saved (court cases) 10 seconds is a hell of a lot of time and priceless.

For law enforcement, recording the full incident from the perspective of the officer could protect her against contrary recordings that start later. It could also protect citizens by deterring police from using excessive force. American Photo also talks about the experience of Rialto, California, where after police adopted wearable cameras “police officers used force 60 percent less often and complaints about officers shrank by 88 percent,” though the profile notes that the sample size of complaints in Rialto was small.

THIS ^^^^^^ that I put in bold does not surprise me and just further proves that there is a need for these devices in every PD across the United States.

Every time something comes across the news about an abusive officer, there are folks that always say that they are not trained to wound or that they have no option but to be rough. Granted the size of the sample done above, they are probably correct in some cases, but obviously there are a lot of instances that happen that do not need to end in the use of force.

This resulted in the PD above receiving 88% FEWER complaints from the public. Again... This can only benefit both the citizens and the officers in the end. It will protect the officers from false complaints and the citizens from excessive force, etc.

There was a time people trusted police officers and I think implementing something like this could help us get some of that back. It wasn't lost overnight of course, so it would take time.

Naturally... There is always a downfall -

It's also not clear whether the cameras will work as intended. In March, the Albuquerque Police Department captured national headlines when an officer’s camera recorded the fatal killing of a homeless man camped out in the foothills on the edge of the city. A Department of Justice investigation into the Albuquerque Police Department found that “Officers failed to record some incidents even when it was the officers themselves who initiated the contact, making their failure to switch on their cameras or recorders before beginning the encounter especially troubling.”

It would be nicer if they could figure out a way for the video to turn on automatically and run until. Maybe it could be activated by the officers voice or when the officer stepped out of his car. The honest police officers (that we don't have to worry about anyway) would never forget to turn their video to record, but the dishonest officers would somehow conveniently forget whenever they felt they might need to. So that would have to be solved for this to work more efficiently IMO.

Still, there can’t be implementation and training for proper use without a camera. Taser’s Axon Body, and other wearable cameras like it, could add silent, mechanical witness to police patrols.

I agree. I think this is an absolutely exceptional idea and think it should be implemented across the board ASAP. With some changes this could be a real game changer. People need to ask for this. We need to really start looking into ways to fix the injustices we see growing daily.

You can read more here:
www.popsci.com...

I have mounted a "Go-Pro" on my crotch... think that should suffice

I call it my "nadcam"...

this is probably better for drivers to use in general than the cops.

it could be perfect for insurance claims or police stops and such.

also probably very handly for average joe just in the street, how many crimes would be halted when you say "im recording this" muggings and stuff would drop if everyone had one of these

I have said it before but....Everyone needs a personal witness....just like a cop cam....then life would be a matter of consulting the witness to find the truth....
Something small and wearable with huge shortage capacity, they can carry with at all times.....no more broken verbal contracts or deniable lies.....

originally posted by: stirling
I have said it before but....Everyone needs a personal witness....just like a cop cam....then life would be a matter of consulting the witness to find the truth....
Something small and wearable with huge shortage capacity, they can carry with at all times.....no more broken verbal contracts or deniable lies.....

Suddenly my "nadcam" is a hit! I want royalties

originally posted by: madmac5150
I have mounted a "Go-Pro" on my crotch... think that should suffice

I call it my "nadcam"...

I didn't know they were making them that small yet??

well its not just crime prevention, once they are caught on it their face is forever trapped in it, but of course they could simply steal it as well as your money.

but its definitely a great deterrent.

alot of cops are now using a wearable cam thats on and recording for their whole beat. and thats a great idea, they get called out to stop a disturbance, it keeps them from being over baring and prevents violent people doing anything.

question, do they have to tell you "you are being recorded" or because they are the police, do they just record anything with no warnings.

you get those signs "you are being recorded on cctv" do cops have to wear a sign that says anything similar? do we just now have to assume a cop might have a cam and we are being recorded?

Though I think that cameras are a great idea it really only limits the symptoms of the disease.

The disease being the corruption that stands behind the thin blue line. That is where the problem is.

Just thinking for myself though. I can see a journeyman cop at 5 years see something bad and never say a word.

a reply to: Terminal1

good point, i cant imagine theres people that watch every minute of every beat.

they will only use the footage if they themselves say somthing or the criminal complains and knows they cop had a cam that they could be called up on

originally posted by: Terminal1
Though I think that cameras are a great idea it really only limits the symptoms of the disease.

The disease being the corruption that stands behind the thin blue line. That is where the problem is.

Just thinking for myself though. I can see a journeyman cop at 5 years see something bad and never say a word.

While I can definitely agree with that... We have to start somewhere. I think we have a huge mess and it's going to take a while and many different things coming together to even think of fixing it. One small step leads to the next.

originally posted by: Biigs
a reply to: Terminal1

good point, i cant imagine theres people that watch every minute of every beat.

they will only use the footage if they themselves say somthing or the criminal complains and knows they cop had a cam that they could be called up on

Just imagine the uproar when the public doesn't have access to the footage since it is police material.

Boon for lawyers (just conjecture of course) since maybe they would have to be required to gain access through the courts.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe

originally posted by: Terminal1
Though I think that cameras are a great idea it really only limits the symptoms of the disease.

The disease being the corruption that stands behind the thin blue line. That is where the problem is.

Just thinking for myself though. I can see a journeyman cop at 5 years see something bad and never say a word.

While I can definitely agree with that... We have to start somewhere. I think we have a huge mess and it's going to take a while and many different things coming together to even think of fixing it. One small step leads to the next.

Yea. I see that cameras actually work to deter even complaints so that is a great start. My main worries would be the videos would be police property and very hard to get to.

AFTERTHOUGHT: But it would be a start. Maybe it will start something else...

originally posted by: Terminal1

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe

originally posted by: Terminal1
Though I think that cameras are a great idea it really only limits the symptoms of the disease.

The disease being the corruption that stands behind the thin blue line. That is where the problem is.

Just thinking for myself though. I can see a journeyman cop at 5 years see something bad and never say a word.

While I can definitely agree with that... We have to start somewhere. I think we have a huge mess and it's going to take a while and many different things coming together to even think of fixing it. One small step leads to the next.

Yea. I see that cameras actually work to deter even complaints so that is a great start. My main worries would be the videos would be police property and very hard to get to.

AFTERTHOUGHT: But it would be a start. Maybe it will start something else...

They probably would be hard to get to knowing how that works. I am surprised though at the amount of dash cam footage I have seen come out that was detrimental to the officer and/or the department. So who knows.... Even a dirty chief will hang his officers out to dry before he takes the fall for hiding evidence I think. I'm always amazed at the folks who believe there is honor among thieves when there never will be. If there was we would be in a crap load more trouble than we are now I think.

BTW - I love your avatar.

That other thread of that guy who got asked out of his car because he didnt want to be brutalized and beaten for some minor traffic violation is an absolute perfect example of why cams are a good idea... yet...

He still got out of his car (with serious aggression from the cops) and beaten, fearless evil cop didnt even care he was being recorded so having a cam doesnt always help, but he has the footage and will get compensation. but the point of me saying this is, a cam still isnt always pure insurance against brutality.

Thitry seconds off video is ridiculous...

We have the technology to record EVERY officers actions for his ENTIRE
shift, updated in real time to a cloud server, and deleted after a reasonable
period of time. It should be adopted by all law enforcement.

I can't even fathom an argument against this. It's a no-brainer.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

The Ft Worth PD down here ordered 400 more of these camera's a few months ago, and plan to have a total of about 600 in the next 12 or so months.

www.wfaa.com...

FORT WORTH -- The Fort Worth Police Department is putting 400 new body cameras on the streets.

City council approved a five-year, $2.5 million contract Tuesday. Funds will come out of the police budget.

It also looks like Ft Worth is the leading PD in the nation with these camera's.

'We now have more cameras deployed than any other law enforcement agency in the U.S.,' said FWPD Police Chief Jeff Halstead.

The department started testing body cams about two years ago. The cameras, about the size of a lipstick tube, mount snugly onto special glasses or can be worn on the uniform.

Halstead said videos already have cleared up several citizen complaints that, in the past, might have led to lengthy internal investigations.

'What it will really benefit us in the long run is that public trust will be at its highest level ever,' he said.

The technology is there, and it's actually pretty cheap. In this day and age, every mid to large size department should be required to have these camera's. (and small size departments to, if they can afford it)

originally posted by: rival
Thitry seconds off video is ridiculous...

We have the technology to record EVERY officers actions for his ENTIRE
shift, updated in real time to a cloud server, and deleted after a reasonable
period of time. It should be adopted by all law enforcement.

I can't even fathom an argument against this. It's a no-brainer.

I agree about the 30 seconds. In my OP there were several other things that would probably need to be changed/improved as well, but they are not impossible changes/improvements. It could all be done fairly easily.

The cloud is also an excellent idea I had not thought of. We have the ability to store massive amounts of information within very small spaces so that could also be done without hardship and the cloud implementation would be genius as well so no one could tamper with the information within the department at will.

I agree it's a no brainer. I'm hoping more and more people will start contacting their local PD's about implementing something like this. As it stands, the cashiers at Wal Mart are filmed more than police officers, and when you think about it like that... Well...

a reply to: buni11687

That is EXCELLENT!!

Thanks for sharing that, I didn't know about it. You would think most police departments would welcome something like this. The amount of money that they would need to implement something like this would have to be far less than what they currently spend in man hours when complaints against officers are filed and investigated, and the money they have to pay out in lawyer's fees to protect themselves when complaints go to the next level. That's not counting all the money they stand to lose when false claims are fought and still won by the claimants because the PD lacked evidence to prove their side. Or the money they will save by the dirty officers actually reigning themselves in to keep their jobs and not committing offenses that have to be compensated for in the millions of dollars range.

It seems like common sense to me, but I guess not all of them feel the same way.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

theres easily enough storage for every minute of every day. Compression and video tech can easily handle it.

But will any of it be public? Hell no

originally posted by: Biigs
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

theres easily enough storage for every minute of every day. Compression and video tech can easily handle it.

But will any of it be public? Hell no

If a case is called into question then it damn well should be IMO. But again... we need to start somewhere. If we just say, "Nope... We'll never get to see it" or "Nope it will be tampered with", etc. then we don't get that start. We don't get that first step in the right direction. We give up before we get started and doing that?? We will never fix this. It will be impossible.

We need to start with getting all of them to wear cameras, then we can work on where it's stored, who can access it, who can release it, etc. We can't give up before we start.

It shouldn't just prevent police brutality. It should also protect the police from abuse themselves, aslong as they made everyone aware they were getting filmed. It might make police feel a little bit more secure in their jobs which in itself could prevent these massive panic-induced over-reactions.