The Power of Video

By TChris, Section Misconduct
Posted on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 01:55:00 PM EST
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It used to be that ordinary people were extremely reluctant to believe that police officers ever abuse their power. The prevalence of video cameras is changing that.

Within the past week, two videos have surfaced showing what appears to be police misconduct in New York. In one video, viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube, a police officer is seen charging a bicyclist and knocking him to the ground during a July 25 group bicycle ride through Times Square -- despite the officer's sworn complaint that the cyclist tried to run him down.

So let's hear it for "Jimmy Justice," a "cop-arazzi" who "prowls the streets of New York looking for law enforcement officers who are breaking the law." While the abuses he documents are minor -- police cars parked illegally while drivers engage in personal errands -- he's performing a public service by exposing the "laws don't apply to us" mentality that drives too many officers.

Update: For those who don't read the comments, you should check this out.

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The Power of Video | 10 comments (10 topical)

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St. Louis (5.00 / 3) (#2)
by RustedView on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 02:05:10 PM EST

A teenager set up a camera in his automobile to record any interaction with police. On two separate occasions, he was harassed by police, in one incident, a cop repeatedly threatened to make up charges to send the young man to prison.

Since the videos have been released, Police have been staking out the young man's home, threats have been posted against him on an online police discussion forum, etc.

This is the state of "professional police". The same "professionalism" that leads some scholars and jurists to question the continued need for the exclusionary rule.
Police Stake Out Home
DUI Roadblock Incident
Parking Lot Harassment

: I'm so glad that (none / 0) (#6)
by Fabian on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 05:13:06 PM EST

none of my interactions with the police have been that appalling. The worst I got was a cop who checked me to see if I had been drinking. I'd finished working third shift and drove a behemoth seventies something Impala. In order to park on the street, as close to the curb as possible I would ride the front wheel up on the curb and off again. It was an effective trick but could also look like sloppy driving. The cop told me why he stopped me (I was stopped already.) and let me go once he was satisfied I was sober.
I've worked my share of second and third shifts and if the cops started hassling just because I was out at odd hours, I'd be very, very unhappy. Come to think about it, there was one theft ring in our state that was run by junior high students - during school hours because that was when people were at work. Clever little criminals.

: Sounds typical to me (none / 0) (#8)
by splashy on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 03:51:39 AM EST

Young people, especially males, are targeted, along with the poor.
I remember being stopped very often when in my 20's, just for fun it seemed. Once I got into my 30's it really slowed down. Now that I am in my 50's, I never get stopped. The last time, in my 40's, was for an expired tag. I was actually grateful, since we were about to go on a trip and it would have possibly been a problem in another state.

Cameras are focused on the citizen (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by jerry on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 03:29:37 PM EST

I always thought the Berkeley project, copwatch, handing out cameras to citizens was a pretty stellar idea.

David Brin talks about a transparent society where citizens with cameras will have lots of power over government, I'm not optimistic that will happen, most of the cameras I see are in the wrong hands and focused in the wrong direction.

But... There is a lot of power in our video taking cellphones combined with teh Intart00bs. Technology for the win in this case.

Wish we could find someone to follow around (none / 0) (#1)
by Angel on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 01:54:04 PM EST

members of Congress who think the laws don't pertain to them.

We used to have that (5.00 / 7) (#3)
by Valhalla on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 02:21:21 PM EST

They were called 'journalists'. They practiced something called 'reporting', a now-arcane activity that involved something many people called 'facts'. Some old-timers claim first-hand knowledge, but I'm skeptical, myself.


: LOL (none / 0) (#4)
by Angel on Sun Aug 03, 2008 at 02:28:38 PM EST

Poor people have always known (none / 0) (#7)
by splashy on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 03:47:09 AM EST

That the police can be abusive. They are the most likely to be the victims of the abuse, because they don't have the resources to fight back with lawyers.

That is part of the psyche of being poor, not feeling as though you have any rights.

The transcript... (none / 0) (#9)
by kdog on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 09:33:32 AM EST

of the encounter really turned my stomach.

I've been there....that powerless feeling of being wrong no matter what you did or do because the guy with the badge and a gun says so. Right or wrong, legal or illegal...makes no difference...a badge and a gun makes right, unfortunately.

: No (none / 0) (#10)
by Patrick on Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 04:08:18 PM EST

It doesn't make it right. That cop was wrong, and jumped all over the kid way too quickly. There's a time and a place for using loud, stern language, and even profanity, but not the way he did it. I'd like to be a fly on the wall in that IA.