You've probably all heard the story of Sandra Bland, stopped by a Texas Trooper for failing to signal.  The trooper and Bland end up having a tense verbal exchange and she is arrested even though the Trooper had decided to let her go with a warning.

 

She ended up dying in jail a few days later as the result of an apparent suicide.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/us/texas-sandra-bland-arrest/index.html

 

The video of the arrest is at that link.

 

I think one thing that surprises me, in the wake of the hyper-sensitivity to police actions, why the Trooper would be so discourteous and contribute to the escalation of the exchange.  There needs to be a lot of re-training across all police forces to stamp out the macho authority attitude.

Everyone needs better training, I don't see anywhere where each person is perfect.

Literally the only way policing can be 100% is if we create robotic cops...!!!

ED209?  Nothing could go wrong there.  ;-)

I could post a gazillion stories where criminals acted absolutely awful and yet nobody posts those videos online.

C'mon, what are you even talking about? We have a whole TV show about criminals acting the fool:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cops_%28TV_series%29

It's run for twenty-eight seasons. It is older than the Bombers' Grey Cup drought, for christ's sake.

I don't see anywhere where each person is perfect.

So what? Does that mean we shouldn't fire / charge out-of-control cops?

Of course we can't expect perfection from the cops. But what we can expect out of them is improvement -- that they'll be on the watch for the violent, lying assholes in their ranks, and guide them towards different careers.

That's not the instinct though. It's to close ranks and lie and cheat to protect the bad apples.

But their is people who appear to be angels and behind closed doors they are awful.

Happens from all walks of life. It's impossible to make everything perfect.

I don't know why the **** cops seem to think it's illegal to film them. They should all have body cameras at all times.

Yes there are good and bad people and there are good and bad police officers.

Yes I can see the validity with body cameras, absolutely.

It's another story with Jane and John Doe filming though.

It would make me very nervous to want to be a police officer nowadays or for that matter any profession where your job requires you to engage with people in public environments.

The things that people (like people who hate the police no matter what) can do to fool people with videos/technology (e.g., no context) with an instantly judgmental society (not everyone I'm saying) is often times a recipe for disaster. Ultimately and thankfully in this day in age the truth usually comes out that correctly shows what happened. Unfortunately for some (Private citizen and/or law enforcement professional) the damage as already been done.  

Ofcourse it isnt illegal to film the police.  I can certainly understand by cops dont like it.  For one, Im sure there are those anti-government nuts that think they know their rights sticking a camera or cell phone in the cops' faces all the time.  Secondly, it raises personal safety and security issues.

 

I know that generally they are told to stay off social media and whatnot so as not to make it easy for people to intimidate or attack them.  Corrections officers especially are told to keep it off so no one can lean on them or their family for favours in the can.  I know officers who tape over the name on their ID badge for that reason too.

 

But if Im a police chief, Im making it very clear that officers are to allow, even encourage, citizen filming.  The other concern is when a camera gets turned on mid-way through an incident and catches cops being "rough" when in reality maybe you missed the part where someone threatened, attacked, assaulted them.  Remember, the general public still thinks that when someone is shot and killed the cop was wrong for not "aiming for their leg" which shows a fundamental lack of understanding of law enforcement.

 

And yes, all police forces should wear body cams.  Expensive, but maybe buy in bulk and get it done.

*sigh* clueless people suggesting body cams...

It's almost as bad as me suggesting that PCW should bring in John Cena and have every show at the MTS center...

The costs for body cams are massive and the cops are already weighed down with excessive amounts of gear.

I have an easier solution... Don't commit crimes!

The issues with filming is two fold... Officer security and you can't always believe videos. Videos don't always tell the complete story.

Your remarks about body cams would make sense of no one uses them. But they do.

John Cena is under contract and the cost of MTSC would be prohibitive. Not the best comparison.

The cost of body cams are astronomical,  trust me as I said before I've done research on them before and it would cost way to much money.      

 

It would literally be cheaper to send a tonne of drones with cameras in the sky then to have body cams on everyone.   

 

Also the reason because someone else does it that we should do it does not fly...   did you know in dubai the police have these:

 

 

Body cams *if* they ever come to Winnipeg will be at least minimum 10 years away.... if that even.   It's way to expensive.  

Here's the latest "cop caught on tape".  A police officer "violently" removing a student.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/us/south-carolina-school-arrest-video/index.html

 

Watch the video.  Personally, I think the cop was within his rights.  If that is my kid I do two things 1) make sure she's ok 2) tell her the next time a teacher, administrator, principle and cop order her to leave the classroom, do it.

 

The outcry is "oh she wasnt hurting anyone". 

http://ktla.com/2015/10/29/tucson-police-facebook-gun-viral/

 

 

A Facebook post praising the professionalism of the Tucson Police Department and challenging anti-police sentiment has reached hundreds of thousands of users on social media, and authorities have since authenticated the man’s story.

 

Steven Hildreth Jr. said he was pulled over for a broken headlight and asked by police if he was armed.

 

“‘Yes, sir,'” Hildreth said he replied. “‘I’m a concealed carry permit holder and my weapon is located on my right hip. My wallet is in my back-right.'”

 

As part of the traffic stop, Hildreth said, the officers disarmed him. The officers then checked the man’s license and registration, and then let him go with a warning, according to his Oct. 27 Facebook post, which has been shared more than 174,000 times.

 

Hildreth credited the officers for their professionalism, and then challenged anti-police sentiment he attributed to “certain social movements.”

 

“Officers return with my Glock in an evidence back, locked and cleared. ‘Because you were cool with us and didn’t give us grief, I’m just going to leave it at a verbal warning. Get that headlight fixed as soon as possible,'” Hildreth wrote. “I smile. ‘Thank you, sir.’

 

“I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities,” he wrote.

“Maybe … just maybe … that notion is bunk,” Hildreth wrote.

 

Tucson Police Department Officer Kristopher Goins on Thursday confirmed Hildreth’s story to KTLA, saying the traffic stop occurred on Oct. 27. The department was still working on putting together a news release and making the responding officers available for interview, Goins said.

 

Read Hildreth’s Full Facebook Post:

 

So, I’m driving to my office to turn in my weekly paperwork. A headlight is out. I see a Tucson Police Department squad vehicle turn around and follow me. I’m already preparing for the stop.

The lights go on and I pull over. The officer asks me how I’m doing, and then asks if I have any weapons.

 

“Yes, sir. I’m a concealed carry permit holder and my weapon is located on my right hip. My wallet is in my back-right pocket.”

 

The officer explains for his safety and mine, he needs to disarm me for the stop. I understand, and I unlock the vehicle. I explain that I’m running a 7TS ALS holster but from the angle, the second officer can’t unholster it. Lead officer asks me to step out, and I do so slowly. Officer relieves me of my Glock and compliments the X300U I’m running on it. He also sees my military ID and I tell him I’m with the National Guard.

 

Lead officer points out my registration card is out of date but he knows my registration is up to date. He goes back to run my license. I know he’s got me on at least two infractions. I’m thinking of how to pay them.

 

Officers return with my Glock in an evidence back, locked and cleared. “Because you were cool with us and didn’t give us grief, I’m just going to leave it at a verbal warning. Get that headlight fixed as soon as possible.”

 

I smile. “Thank you, sir.”

 

I’m a black man wearing a hoodie and strapped. According to certain social movements, I shouldn’t be alive right now because the police are allegedly out to kill minorities.

 

Maybe…just maybe…that notion is bunk.

 

Maybe if you treat police officers with respect, they will do the same to you.

 

Police officers are people, too. By far and large, most are good people and they’re not out to get you.

 

I’d like to thank those two officers and TPD in general for another professional contact.

We talk so much about the bad apples who shouldn’t be wearing a badge. I’d like to spread the word about an example of men who earned their badges and exemplify what that badge stands for.

Here's the latest "cop caught on tape".  A police officer "violently" removing a student.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/us/south-carolina-school-arrest-video/index.html

 

Watch the video.  Personally, I think the cop was within his rights.  If that is my kid I do two things 1) make sure she's ok 2) tell her the next time a teacher, administrator, principle and cop order her to leave the classroom, do it.

 

The outcry is "oh she wasnt hurting anyone".

I too dont think the cop was out of line. My 2nd baby momma has a now 15 yr old kid and when we were together this kid was a straight s*** disturbor. Getting into fights with teachrs, telling his principle to go f himself, b & e's..ect I told him many times hes gonna get smacked around someday by someone who doesnt care who he is or how old he is. Didnt believe me till someone tuned him out. I have theories on this the main being spanking and a lack of it putting a physical consequence behind bad behavior