Worldtraveller
Veteran Member
I'm totally ok with this 'hidden cost'.
Money well spent, if you ask me.
Money well spent, if you ask me.
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The hidden cost of police body cams
- Thread starter Bronzeage
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Valjean
Veteran Member
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Clearly the psychological screening of police recruits is allowing authoritarians to enroll in police academies.
You want an honest police force dedicated to public service? Screen to rule out intolerant, anti-social Right Wing Authoritarians.
You want an honest police force dedicated to public service? Screen to rule out intolerant, anti-social Right Wing Authoritarians.
Max Rockatansky
Die dulci freure
Agreed. Why do you think less Left Wingers apply to the police force? Same reason less apply to serve in the military?
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I've told this story before but it was before you were here so I'll tell it again for your benefit. First day of a college class, medical oriented. The teacher asked us to to tell the class why we decided to enter the medical field.
One of the guys in class said he was first interested in criminal justice. He wanted to be a cop. After his first semester, he changed his major. He said most all the other class mates were either the high school bullies and wanted to continue their ways, or the ones that were bullied and wanted to get payback. He said the thought of having to spend eight hours a day sitting next to one of these assholes in a police car turned his stomach.
I guess there's one answer to your question above.
BTW, both of my older brothers are left wingers and both signed up for military service. One is decorated and served in combat in Vietnam and both gulf wars.
Max Rockatansky
Die dulci freure
Thanks for the testimony. Yes, there are always going to be individual differences, but there's a reason why RWers are drawn more to police and the military while LWers are more drawn to journalism and teaching. It's not an absolute. I'm a right-leaning moderate. Although I don't agree with the Libertarian platform completely (specifically on national defense and alliances) I do like their platform better than I do the Republicans and Democrats. I'll be happy to switch again if something better comes along.
The number one reason for applying to the Police Academy is the desire to have a job which expects you to carry a gun.
Wiploc
Veteran Member
The hidden cost is more than a hundred cases which can't be prosecuted because the evidence is dependent upon a lying policeman's testimony. These cases have been prepared and were ready to go to trial based on a lying policeman's testimony. That money and time spent trying to convict people based on lies has been wasted. When body cams were put in place, the DA expected to go to court with better evidence, and now he actually will have to.
Max Rockatansky
Die dulci freure
Is that an opinion or do you have a factual link with data?
Because of the near universal availability of video recording (smart phones) it has been revealed to the world that many cops lie and violate the law. This has tainted the entire profession. The hidden cost of cops not using body cams only continues to make demonstrate that cops can not be trusted.
I speak as a 57 year old white male that I would NEVER, EVER interact with a cop without my phone recording video. Never. I might hold the phone to record the ground so as not to be obvious but the moment I see anything that I consider questionable I will record the cop.
I speak as a 57 year old white male that I would NEVER, EVER interact with a cop without my phone recording video. Never. I might hold the phone to record the ground so as not to be obvious but the moment I see anything that I consider questionable I will record the cop.
Wiploc
Veteran Member
Right. Revealing the lie is what tainted the profession.
You can call it a personal observation from a man who has watched no less than 6 boyhood friends become policemen. That was the common factor in all of them. I doubt you'll find any data to contradict this.
Max Rockatansky
Die dulci freure
kids all from the same neighborhood? No doubt that's a reason why some join, but if they don't mature, they won't make it. It's also important to note that George Zimmerman didn't make the cut to become a police officer.
I don't think this was ever a hidden cost. It's how police dishonesty cases were always handled, and I doubt that the lack of a video was the sole reason for investigating the incident. Perhaps it was an unstated cost because I think it's always been known that there would be additional scrutiny on cops - but making a public argument about training and equipment costs is much better PR than speaking the truth.
Hidden "cost"?? Sounds like a hidden benefit.
I have some problems with how body cameras are handled (I'd like to see them use something like bluetooth to know if they are in a police car and automatically activate when they aren't, manual deactivation would be possible if they're in a situation that shouldn't be recorded--say, the restroom) but I have no problem with the cameras themselves.
I have some problems with how body cameras are handled (I'd like to see them use something like bluetooth to know if they are in a police car and automatically activate when they aren't, manual deactivation would be possible if they're in a situation that shouldn't be recorded--say, the restroom) but I have no problem with the cameras themselves.