How the NYPD defeated bodycams

Police boosters insist that police violence and corruption are the result of "a few bad apples." As the saying goes, "a few bad apples spoil the bushel." If you think there are just a few bad cops on the force, then you should want to get rid of them before they wreck the whole institution. Bodycams could empirically identify the bad apples, right?

Well, hypothetically. But what if police leadership don't want to get rid of the bad apples? What if the reason that dashcams, tasers, and pepper spray failed is that police leadership are fine with them? If that were the case, then bodycams would turn into just another expensive prop for an off-Broadway accountability theater.

jayrhacker,
jayrhacker avatar

"we shouldn't let a few good apples exonerate the whole bushel"

Rivalarrival,

Even if they are perfectly fine, we shouldn’t bother trying to sift the corn and peanuts out of the shit.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I said this in a similar thread this morning- body cams don’t matter if the system works always in your favor.

FuglyDuck,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

It wouldn’t be too hard to create a system that records everything the cop does… and transmit it to a storage facility in which that specific cop has no ability to delete would be simple. Incredibly simple.

the idea that a cop gets to choose what the body camera records and that it was a failure of the camera is an intentional narrative to protect bad cops. normal americans live under constant scrutiny (not just by cops, but by everyone.)… they should have more, not less.

ryannathans,

Oops forgot to wear it

FuglyDuck,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

First offense, 72 hour unpaid leave. And better hope there’s no complaints because not wearing it is reasonable suspicion.

Second offense? Goodbye.

(And this is why I’m all for spending hikes for cops. Improved recruiting means better ability to fire shitty cops. Oh, that and better training in how to not kill people, and stuff.) (it’s really too bad that cops go and spend all that funding in armored tanks, and stuff…)

doeknius_gloek,

First offense, 72 hour unpaid leave. And better hope there’s no complaints because not wearing it is reasonable suspicion.

Second offense? Goodbye.

That’s the key. You can do a lot with technology, but many problems are not solvable with technology alone.

It does not matter how safe or reliable bodycams work if there are no repercussions for not wearing or disabling them. But since american cops are not even held accountable if they straight up murder people, nobody should be surprised that bodycams “don’t work” in a system like this.

Zippy,

Will not be long till we all have cams on us while we work.

FuglyDuck,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

most retail already do. and… there’s no need for office types when they can literally see what you’re doing on the screen.

Office buildings, usually have something, too, above the cubicles.

Zippy,

I can see them eventually wanting personal cams with audio. Will happen.

some_guy,

Why not link to the original?

propublica.org/…/how-police-undermined-promise-bo…

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