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Should All Police Have to Wear Body Cameras?

Should All Police Have to Wear Body Cameras?

  • Yes

    Votes: 61 83.6%

  • No

    Votes: 8 11.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 4 5.5%
  • Total voters
    73
tres borrachos said:
I know it happens. It isn't the norm and it isn't what they were hired to do, and it isn't what most of them (900,000+) do.
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Yes, it does happen, which is why your previous blanket statement claiming otherwise was called into question.

Quite often what will happen is an officer will tell someone to stop filming, which is an illegal command to begin with. Then, if the person continues to film, which is well within their rights, the officer will attempt to take the recording device. If the person even does so much as turn away they get charged with "resisting arrest".

The offending officers, backed up by their superiors usually, feign ignorance... and usually get off scot free.
 
radcen said:
Yes, it does happen, which is why your previous blanket statement claiming otherwise was called into question.

Quite often what will happen is an officer will tell someone to stop filming, which is an illegal command to begin with. Then, if the person continues to film, which is well within their rights, the officer will attempt to take the recording device. If the person even does so much as turn away they get charged with "resisting arrest".

The offending officers, backed up by their superiors usually, feign ignorance... and usually get off scot free.
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Once again, I was talking about what a police officer is hired to do, which is not to compel us to follow "their orders".
 
americanwoman said:
How do you know it's not the norm? Have you had much interaction with police and being arrested?
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I don't know what the norm is. I can only guess. Do you have links to show that the majority of the 900,000+ police officers in this country are acting improperly?

I do have some law enforcement in my family.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
Should All Police Have to Wear Body Cameras?
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I think it should be up to the jurisdiction they work for, not a national law. I'm all for it if the citizens want it. And whatever appears on video should be allowed into evidence in trials.
 
 
I voted other just because I dont want it to be decided on a national level but probably yes if each municipality, county, and/or states decides they want them to.
 
tres borrachos said:
I don't know what the norm is. I can only guess. Do you have links to show that the majority of the 900,000+ police officers in this country are acting improperly?

I do have some law enforcement in my family.
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I don't know what the "norm" is, either, as far as specific percentages go, but even I believe the majority of cops are good cops. Corrupt cops, unfortunately, are not uncommon, and are common enough to be a legitimate concern. And when even otherwise good cops are complicit in cover ups, it serves nobody well. It doesn't serve the citizens well, and it makes even their own jobs that much harder because they have to fight this negative reputation and stereotype that they themselves (and/or their friends) helped create.
 
DVSentinel said:
Should you have to wear one for your work? If not, then why should others?
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If they're not doing anything wrong, then they shouldn't worry about it. Yes?
 
Cephus said:
Sure they are, through their votes, where they put the system in place. Or didn't you get that? :roll:
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I have seen some stretches attempting to make a person appear correct before but this one might take the cake... :lol:
 
Bodhisattva said:
I have seen some stretches attempting to make a person appear correct before but this one might take the cake... :lol:
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We live in a society of laws, we have all voted, or have agreed by our presence in the society, to be accountable to those laws. We have also voted, or have agreed by our presence in the society, to respect the law-enforcement systems that are in place. We elect politicians to represent our interests and to pass laws that collectively represent the will of the people. This is how our society and system of government works. Did you miss all of this in civics class?
 
tres borrachos said:
Um, actually cops force citizens to comply with the laws, not "their orders".
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Wrong. Their orders are backed by the law.

Many times though cops issue orders without the backing of law hoping to catch a person breaking a law that will justify their orders after the fact.

Falls under the "suspicion of" category...
 
Bodhisattva said:
Wrong. Their orders are backed by the law.

Many times though cops issue orders without the backing of law hoping to catch a person breaking a law that will justify their orders after the fact.

Falls under the "suspicion of" category...
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Once again, they are not hired to make up their own orders. Their role is to enforce laws, protect personal property, and limit disorder.
 
I'm pretty sure MaggieD posted an exact duplicate poll like this. Why the hell does DP allow duplicate threads? What a waste of space.

Anyways, yes, cops should have cameras (for the second time).
 
Yes, they absolutely should. I think it would cut down drastically on police abuse, and in cases where an officer was falsely accused of abuse, it would quickly exonerate them.
 
Cephus said:
We live in a society of laws, we have all voted, or have agreed by our presence in the society, to be accountable to those laws. We have also voted, or have agreed by our presence in the society, to respect the law-enforcement systems that are in place. We elect politicians to represent our interests and to pass laws that collectively represent the will of the people. This is how our society and system of government works. Did you miss all of this in civics class?
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Sure. I missed it. Years of actually teaching it too... and I missed it. :lol:

If you know the difference between a direct and indirect democracy you understand the difference between the police and the rest of the non-police citizens.
 
tres borrachos said:
Once again, they are not hired to make up their own orders. Their role is to enforce laws, protect personal property, and limit disorder.
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Who ever said that they are making up their own orders? I think that a few hear need basic reading revision...
 
Bodhisattva said:
Who ever said that they are making up their own orders? I think that a few hear need basic reading revision...
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A few "hear" (here) need spelling revision too.

I'll say it again. They aren't going out deciding what is the law today. That isn't their job. Their job is to uphold the laws.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Sure. I missed it. Years of actually teaching it too... and I missed it. :lol:

If you know the difference between a direct and indirect democracy you understand the difference between the police and the rest of the non-police citizens.
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Ah, you're one of those paranoid crazies that think that the government is some alien entity out to get them. Gotcha. :roll:
 
tres borrachos said:
A few "hear" (here) need spelling revision too.

I'll say it again. They aren't going out deciding what is the law today. That isn't their job. Their job is to uphold the laws.
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I have an issue with spoonerism... that is my excuse, what is yours?

I'll say it again... who the **** said that they are going out and decided what the law is? I clearly didn't. In fact I stated what their job actually is...
 
Cephus said:
Ah, you're one of those paranoid crazies that think that the government is some alien entity out to get them. Gotcha. :roll:
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Huh? :lol:

You are one of those crazies that is so far off track that you aren't even making sense... literally. Lost in the deep end... :lol:

I can't even fathom (get it) how you got so lost or concluded the bizarre assumptions that you are.
 
Bodhisattva said:
I have an issue with spoonerism... that is my excuse, what is yours?

I'll say it again... who the **** said that they are going out and decided what the law is? I clearly didn't. In fact I stated what their job actually is...
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Actually, I'm trying to remember ... wasn't it Obama who said he would decide what the law is? Seems to me I recall ....
 
Yes, unless there is a situation that makes it impossible to have a body camera on him. If it goes against his safety or speed he can react with then no, safety of the public or lack of speedy response should not be compromised by officers first having to put on body cams.

But, normal officers going on their regular duties/patrols can have body camera's on them like is sometimes done in the UK.

However, if a swat team is training and exercising and there is a scramble for them to safe a hostage/help the public or fellow officers they cannot be expected to take extra time until everyone has their camera's attached and tested.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
Should All Police Have to Wear Body Cameras?
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Absolutely. As our government likes to remind us citizens: If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about.
 
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