ACLU Launches Phone App to Record Police Stops: Should Police Recordings Be Required?

by thezilch Posted 2012/07/05 18:00:00

Related Topics: American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Law Enforcement, Police, New York, Phone App, Android, iPhone

275 votes
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	Yes	201 votes	73%
	No	74 votes	27%

All too often, police officers are accused of acting unlawfully. Either officers are wrongly accused of brutality or they have indeed brutally handled a case and gotten away with it. Well, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wants to have your back.

A new phone app, called "Stop and Frisk Watch," plans to deal with shady cops by recording video and audio of all police encounters when the authority stops you. So, how do you feel about it? Should we equip our law enforcement with recording devices that both hold them more accountable and also help to better protect their rights as officers of the law?

AUTOBLOG.COM reports:Shortly after the New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union created an app called Stop and Frisk Watch, in response to the law enforcement

civil liberties union created app frisk watch response law enforcement

+18

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Roger47 2012/07/05 18:27:32

Yes

+9
Police like nothing better than to have it come down to a credibility contest between them and someone they have arrested. They know this is a battle they can win almost every time in front of jurors. A few years back, a local police force began videotaping field sobriety tests on DWI arrests. They quit doing so after a few months, because in too many cases what they wrote in their reports was not backed up by the tape.
There is a simple way to keep police honest, and that is to make them record. If a person is really guilty, it will reinforce the case for the prosecutor.
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exhon2009 to historian 2012/07/05 20:26:32

+2
Like I stated I am really undecided. I was once falsely arrested for something so I can understand how some police abuse their power. What's interesting is the arresting officer was sympathetic and believed in his heart that I did not do anything wrong but was forced to carry out the orders of his seargent who was not on scene. I appreciate your argument and it moves the needle a bit to the yes side of undecided for me.

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Professor Wizard 2012/07/05 19:50:23

Yes

+1
I would think Honest Police would want recordings to back things up... besides, their report could simply state :See Video Recording".

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historian 2012/07/05 19:47:30

Yes

+4
What's the harm? Remember what they tell We the People when they spy on us, "if you have nothing to hide....", but at least their being recorded is while they're at work, and not out and about in the normal course of their lives.

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exhon2009 to historian 2012/07/05 20:02:33

An employer CAN require their employees be recorded while at work. Call centers constantly remind us that "this call may be recorded to ensure......." Would you be okay if ALL workplace encounters for everyone were recorded?

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historian to exhon2009 2012/07/05 20:12:41

+3
I know employers can record their employees, as every job I've ever had employed cameras in the worldplace. As for "ALL workplace encounters" being recorded, in case you haven't noticed, a police officer has been raised to a superior status over the rest of us, and it has been well documented, oftentimes in blood, that interactions between the public and police can result in death or injury(to both the police officer and the innocent person).

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exhon2009 to historian 2012/07/05 20:29:05 (edited)

+3
True and even though I answered NO I indicated I was undecided. You make solid points for allowing recordings and I probably budged a bit more towards YES.

EDITED TO ADD: Did anyone notice the irony in that there is an ad for people to complete their criminal justice degree on this page?

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Tony 2012/07/05 19:18:46

No

+2
Police cars already have recording devices in them that record all police stops.

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Profess... to Tony 2012/07/05 19:48:05

+3
Odly enough :: all too often those recorders were turned off, or broken at the time of an incident - of the incident happened out of the field of view of the camera.

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Tony to Profess... 2012/07/05 22:39:31

I don't know about where you are but here the recorders are automatic when the lights go on. On some vehicles they are recording when the engine is on and stay on until the car is returned to the garage.

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Shadow_Wolf 2012/07/05 19:09:41

Yes

+2
Wouldn't stop corruption, but would help just a tiny bit

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CODE 11 2012/07/05 19:07:41

No

The police need to be out on the street..not sitting back at headquarters logging in tapes of the days actitives.

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wolf sloan 2012/07/05 19:06:05

Yes

+2
When the ACLU says that they have your back....be afraid

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sockpuppet 2012/07/05 19:02:49

Yes

+1
I don't know about "required" but I think it's a good idea. Sort of a safety net for all involved.

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TheBadOne 2012/07/05 18:56:13

Yes

+1
Some Law Enforcement forget that it's their duty to protect and serve. There were two instances I encountered in Detroit before I had a smartphone that made me feel this way. One was an instance where two white cops drew their guns and forced a group of black guys to spread up against a wall before jeering "How's it feel to get dry-humped by a white guy?" while speeding off. The other was an instance where a woman was stopped for DUI and the officer told her that she was going to jail unless they "settled it in the back of the squad car." Some police departments will take this seriously, but most blow it off entirely. As much as I hate a nanny state, this isn't undeserved.

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Devonly 2012/07/05 18:37:22

Yes

+2
It's not that much trouble to have a dash cam operational during traffic stops.

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Debowman to Devonly 2012/07/05 21:29:49

However those recordings often disappear

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Devonly to Debowman 2012/07/05 21:36:08

Okay, then it wouldn't be that much trouble to keep them.

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Debowman to Devonly 2012/07/05 21:51:06

Not if the police want them to go away, then you are screwed

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Devonly to Debowman 2012/07/06 03:12:27

+1
Don't misunderstand me, I understand there is corruption, I'm simply saying that it is possible and isn't that much of a hassle if the right people want it to happen.

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Roger47 2012/07/05 18:27:32

Yes

+9
Police like nothing better than to have it come down to a credibility contest between them and someone they have arrested. They know this is a battle they can win almost every time in front of jurors. A few years back, a local police force began videotaping field sobriety tests on DWI arrests. They quit doing so after a few months, because in too many cases what they wrote in their reports was not backed up by the tape.
There is a simple way to keep police honest, and that is to make them record. If a person is really guilty, it will reinforce the case for the prosecutor.

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MlssCue... to Roger47 2012/07/07 22:03:32

+1
And if they aren't doing anything wrong, then why be worried about it recorded?

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Aurora 2012/07/05 18:15:06

No

+3
ACLU should not have the authority to demand anything. The police men and woman do a great job everyday and should be protected.

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TheBadOne to Aurora 2012/07/05 18:48:04

+3
You've obviously never been to Detroit.

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Aurora to TheBadOne 2012/07/05 18:48:28

+1
No and do not plan too.

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Shadow_... to Aurora 2012/07/05 19:10:38

+1
so you aknowledge the fact that they don't all do a good job.

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Aurora to Shadow_... 2012/07/05 19:17:23

Well Detroit is a democratic town this is what you voted for.

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Shadow_... to Aurora 2012/07/05 19:20:11

+2
I'm done here

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Debowman to Shadow_... 2012/07/05 21:38:01 (edited)
Shadow_... to Debowman 2012/07/05 21:53:21

+1
See I usally just debate with everyone that I don't agree with, but this guy he is just an idiot.

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Debowman to Shadow_... 2012/07/06 21:59:17

Actually I am a Lawyer, and sorry I said anything

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Shadow_... to Debowman 2012/07/06 23:34:01

? you've stumped me Mr. Lawyer manI'm not understand you mean. You've done no wrongs here, what's with the apologies.

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Debowman to Shadow_... 2012/07/06 23:49:07

Ahhh you were addressing him, not me? My mistake

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bryguy to Shadow_... 2012/07/07 14:34:22

Why is he an idiot? Did you actually watch any of the videos he posted? They all show police abusing their power. Maybe you are the one that's an idiot.

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Shadow_... to bryguy 2012/07/07 15:51:11 (edited)

I think you are mistaking the person you are thinking about with the person I'm talking about. My person said there is no need for recording the police, which I think is pure stupidity. We can not both be talking about Aroura, or whatever the hell his name is. I see now, I was talk to bowman about the other guy. It wasn't that I was talking to everyone else about bowman. When I reply I am talking to the person I am replying to novody else.

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Debowman to Shadow_... 2012/07/08 15:43:08

yes it was a case of mistaken uh response, lol

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bryguy to Debowman 2012/07/08 15:37:10

This is the proper response to police brutality:

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Debowman to bryguy 2012/07/08 15:43:51

Please don't try that in the US, they will shoot you

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bryguy to Debowman 2012/07/08 16:15:11

Even with guns they wouldn't stand a chance against that many people.

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Debowman to bryguy 2012/07/08 16:57:35

true, but who wants to be the ones that get shot???

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Shadow_... to Debowman 2012/07/08 18:06:42 (edited)

Yeah I'm not that guts YODO, but it's funny that the guy with the sign got away like that. Wonder inthe caugh him in the end.

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