cameras for cops

[Stainer]

I thought that is why you SWAT guys do all the drug house raids....gotta pay for those 18ft fishing boats

Nope those pay for these

And look closely at the top of the window

 

[phylodog]

Maybe the FOP can kick in a few bucks.... How many cameras could we buy with Bisard's legal fees?

Well we couldn't buy any because it's not our money.

 

[Benny]

Right. Even if I were allowed to, I more than likely wouldn't. I'm in a single-income household and I don't have $3000 to spend on anything, especially an in-car camera system. Were I to wreck my car and destroy the camera I'd be out $3000 because the department sure as hell isn't going to reimburse me.

And I wouldn't think any less of you for not wanting to drop 3k on a camera...I'm just curious as to why IMPD officers aren't even allowed to have the option.

That just seems foolish, considering they can do zero harm and all kinds of good.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I'm just curious as to why IMPD officers aren't even allowed to have the option.

That just seems foolish, considering they can do zero harm and all kinds of good.

Probably because with a personally-owned camera the department wouldn't have any say in what footage was kept and what was deleted.

 

[Benny]

Probably because with a personally-owned camera the department wouldn't have any say in what footage was kept and what was deleted.

Hmm, great point...It still seems like, even though it won't protect citizens from the bad apples, it could help the good cops get out of false accusations in a pinch.

 

[Indy317]

There's a big difference between a ~$500 back up gun or ~$800 rifle and a $3000 video system. I'm sure you are more than willing to shell out your hard-earned money for all the things that you need/want that your department won't buy for you.

The $3,000 is the jacked up "since gov is paying" price. Gov always pays for service contracts, a "main server" system, etc.. Sometimes none of that is needed, but since someone else is paying...may as well buy it. I could easily find a solution for well under $3,000. And if the dept. bans in-car cameras, do they ban those very cheap clip on cameras?

 

[hornadylnl]

There's a big difference between a ~$500 back up gun or ~$800 rifle and a $3000 video system. I'm sure you are more than willing to shell out your hard-earned money for all the things that you need/want that your department won't buy for you.

I'm sure a mechanic will get real far in his career with $5-800 worth of tools. You think cos are the only ones who have to shell out there own money to facilitate their careers?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I'm sure a mechanic will get real far in his career with $5-800 worth of tools. You think cos are the only ones who have to shell out there own money to facilitate their careers?

Mechanics need tools to do their job. I don't need a camera in my car to do mine. I've done fine the first 14 years of my career without a camera in my car, I'm sure I'll do fine the next 20 without one.

 

[k12lts]

I served on our County Council for 12 years. Diversion and Deferal funds are controlled by the Prosecutor but expendatures have to be approved by the County Council (Marion County may be different but all other counties are the the same).

Our Prosecutor spends that money on lots of things including staff and office expense but also likes to get as much as possible to law enforcement. Last year he bought two camera systems for a small local department and the cost was $4150 installed for both. If you bought more they have to be cheaper. All police and sheriff cars in our county have cameras. They protect the officers and the public. If an officer doesn't want a camera in his car he must have something to hide.

He also bought the State Police that work our county seven Tasers because the State is to cheap to buy them.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I served on our County Council for 12 years. Diversion and Deferal funds are controlled by the Prosecutor but expendatures have to be approved by the County Council (Marion County may be different but all other counties are the the same).

Our Prosecutor spends that money on lots of things including staff and office expense but also likes to get as much as possible to law enforcement. Last year he bought two camera systems for a small local department and the cost was $4150 installed for both. If you bought more they have to be cheaper. All police and sheriff cars in our county have cameras. They protect the officers and the public. If an officer doesn't want a camera in his car he must have something to hide.

He also bought the State Police that work our county seven Tasers because the State is to cheap to buy them.

No, that's 100% incorrect. Let me ask you something, have your ever done something completely correct. So well in fact, that your were proud of yourself for doing so? How would you feel, if you believed that someone is always checking up on you?
Hell, how many of you have wives or girlfriend? I KNOW, it "grinds my gears," when she asks me top turn off the stove, I do it, and then seconds later, she goes over to check. Am I along in that?
Further, if the bolded part is indicative of what most people think, why not have cameras posted on every public light pole in the nation. Obviously, these cameras will be kept from the insides of your respective homes. I mean, what's the harm? Anything done in public, is well public, and if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about, right?
My point, and I think cameras are a good thing, is that just because an officer doesn't want a camera, it doesn't mean he's doing the job wrong. I can see how to a guy who has always served the badge honorably, would be offended at the suggestion that he be required to prove that he's a good officer.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

If an officer doesn't want a camera in his car he must have something to hide.

Cameras don't cover the trunk, so I can hide all kinds of stuff in there.

 

[irishfan]

Cameras don't cover the trunk, so I can hide all kinds of stuff in there.

Extra jackboots in case you get an innocent guys blood on the first pair right?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Extra jackboots in case you get an innocent guys blood on the first pair right?

No extra pairs, but a polishing kit for when that happens.

 

[jsharmon7]

No, that's 100% incorrect. Let me ask you something, have your ever done something completely correct. So well in fact, that your were proud of yourself for doing so? How would you feel, if you believed that someone is always checking up on you?
Hell, how many of you have wives or girlfriend? I KNOW, it "grinds my gears," when she asks me top turn off the stove, I do it, and then seconds later, she goes over to check. Am I along in that?
Further, if the bolded part is indicative of what most people think, why not have cameras posted on every public light pole in the nation. Obviously, these cameras will be kept from the insides of your respective homes. I mean, what's the harm? Anything done in public, is well public, and if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about, right?
My point, and I think cameras are a good thing, is that just because an officer doesn't want a camera, it doesn't mean he's doing the job wrong. I can see how to a guy who has always served the badge honorably, would be offended at the suggestion that he be required to prove that he's a good officer.

There's a very simple reason for this: they aren't cops. This website is all about protecting their own rights, they just don't care about anyone else's rights. "I don't want cameras on light poles because I'd be affected by it, but it's perfectly okay to demand that somebody else have to deal with it."

 

[tweekie1]

My thoughts on this were more toward the safty of the officer. Since they are alone in there pattrol cars, they would have the cameras to at least to tell what happened if shtf. Do the incar cameras run all the time or can they be turned on/off by the officer?

tweekie1

 

[Kutnupe14]

My thoughts on this were more toward the safty of the officer. Since they are alone in there pattrol cars, they would have the cameras to at least to tell what happened if shtf. Do the incar cameras run all the time or can they be turned on/off by the officer?

tweekie1

depends on the system. Most newer systems run all the time

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Jackson County has cameras in all its cars?

Is this the same Jackson County that gold plates its roads and makes public bonfires out of $100 bills every weekend?

If Jackson County can afford car cameras, every single county can afford them. Four Million Dollars!

How would you feel, if you believed that someone is always checking up on you?

When I was a public servant I understood that the taxpayers were my boss and I owed them complete accountability, on-duty and off-duty. Videoing non-cops is not relevant here.

We are talking about cops here. We need to able to review the actions of our guardians so we can guard the guardians. Moreover, video protects the officers and the evidence (the reason for cops).

We aren't discussing videoing the officer eating a Subway sandwhich, breaking wind or e-mailing his wife and girlfriend in the car. Rather, all citizen interactions should be video taped and as a matter of law should be (if only I can get 617 expanded to require it).

I can see how to a guy who has always served the badge honorably, would be offended at the suggestion that he be required to prove that he's a good officer.

I can see a rational basis for that viewpoint too, but I also know that a good officer knows that he is a public servant and can see the logic of having a car camera.

Other counties have had car cameras for a long time. Time for Marion County to put aside its historical resistance to car cameras and leap into the 1980s. They have the resources; it just needs to be forced upon them.

 

[Kutnupe14]

When I was a public servant I understood that the taxpayers were my boss and I owed them complete accountability, on-duty and off-duty. Videoing non-cops is not relevant here.

We are talking about cops here. We need to able to review the actions of our guardians so we can guard the guardians. Moreover, video protects the officers and the evidence (the reason for cops).

We aren't discussing videoing the officer eating a Subway sandwhich, breaking wind or e-mailing his wife and girlfriend in the car. Rather, all citizen interactions should be video taped and as a matter of law should be (if only I can get 617 expanded to require it).

Well then, I am in favor for all public interactions being videotaped. In such cases, a person would be able to see the totality of the circumstances.... the "big picture" if you will, related to an officer's actions. For instance, if an officer's dash cam catches him (in it's limited view) slamming an un-cooperative guy to the ground, after a brief conversation, most would yell police brutality.... but what if that camera were to pan out, and show that the officer was being approached by a mob of angry people, and that a quick judgement needed to be maintained for safety reasons? It would appear, that in suh instances publically mounted cameras would be an assest to the officer, more so than a dash cam.

Obviosuly, that's sarcasm, but only point is that officers that don't want cameras, arent opposing them, per se because they are doing something wrong. That "if you have nothing to hide..." line of thought is nonsense. If you want to apply it, then apply it to everybody. I want it applied to automotive workers so I can be confident in quality. I want it applied to doctors so I know that they aren't inept. I want it applied to restuarant workers, so I know my food is handed properly. I want it applied to soldiers, so I know that they are following the Geneva Convention..... it can go on and on and on....

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If you take the King's gold, you are subject to the King's whims.

Restaurant workers are not public servants, cops are.

This King wants all police-citizen interactions recorded.

 

[tweekie1]

I nave been reading up on the cameras and they are very expensive. Sooooo I started looking at grant applications for police force camera purchases and found a lot of towns/counties/citys/states are recieving grants for this purpose. How would one go about this? Could it come from a non-goverment person or does it have to start with the police department/someone in polictal office? Thought it would be pretty easy,but guess nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

tweekie1