What happens when everybody winds up wearing 'AI body cams'?

Then there's this...

Lawyer says body cam video shows LAPD officer planting drugs (2017)
apnews.com

... Los Angeles police launched an internal investigation Friday after an attorney released body camera video that he says shows an officer planting cocaine in his client's wallet during an arrest.

The video was taken during an arrest in April when officers stopped Ronald Shields, 52, who they suspected had been involved in a hit-and-run crash.

It appears to show an officer standing beside Shields, who is in handcuffs, as another officer leans down and picks up a small baggie filled with white powder -- which later tested positive for cocaine -- that is on the ground. The officer who picked up the baggie then motions to the second officer, points to Shield's wallet in his hand and appears to place the baggie in the wallet.

The officer then turns on his body camera, but the cameras automatically save the previous 30 seconds when they are switched on. ...

@#2 ... The officer then turns on his body camera, but the cameras automatically save the previous 30 seconds when they are switched on. ...

Oops.

fwiw...

LIST: These new Connecticut laws go into effect Oct. 1
www.wtnh.com

... Law enforcement officers must not pause their body cameras during interactions with the public

Law enforcement officers must not pause their body cameras during interactions with the public. According to the new law, officers can deactivate their body cameras "if they determine that under the circumstances, the investigation could be significantly hampered by continuing to record." ...

There is also this ...

Baltimore Police Caught Planting Drugs In Body-Cam Footage, Public Defender Says (2017)
www.npr.org

... A Baltimore man was held in jail for months after police found a stash of drugs " but the officer who found the drugs also seems to be the one who hid them in that spot, according to footage from his body camera. The public defender's office says the man is now free and it is questioning the officer's involvement in 53 active cases.

The officer has been suspended and two of his colleagues are on administrative duty, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said, as the agency's internal affairs unit looks at the case.

The recording is from the afternoon of Jan. 24, when the officer, Richard Pinheiro, was standing in the trash-strewn backyard of a row house along with two other officers. At the start of the footage, Pinheiro is seen holding a soup can with a clear plastic bag stuffed into it. He then places the can among rubbish, before leading the other officers out of the narrow access alley.

On the sidewalk, Pinheiro activates his body-cam -- apparently unaware that the device would also preserve his earlier actions.

"Police cameras have a feature that saves the 30 seconds of video before activation, but without audio," The Baltimore Sun reports.

"I'm gonna go check here, hold on," the officer tells his colleagues, walking back to the property " and seeming to spark laughter from his fellow officers. After a "search" that lasts about 15 seconds, he picks up the soup can, pulls out the plastic bag and displays it to the camera, showing that it's holding white capsules. ...

" but the cameras automatically save the previous 30 seconds when they are switched on. ..."

Oops.

Of course, the law should say all cops dealing with the public MUST have cameras on at all times, or are assumed to be lawbreaking.

If you have nothing to hide, right?

@#7 ... Oops. ...

One thing I also noticed in my searches was that those events occurred circa 2017.

But there have been few, if any, since then.

So, have the police officers become wise to that, I'll call it, the 30-second rule?

Whoa, my search turned up this, which I had not known about...

Twenty years ago, YouTuber 'would be dead,' Danbury cop says in body cam video (2021)
www.newstimes.com

... Newly released footage from the Danbury Police Department gives further insight into police officers' response to a man recording video inside the city's library and City Hall, including the suggestion from one officer that the man "would be dead" had the incident occurred years ago.

The new footage, in addition to reports connected to multiple incidents involving the man, comes as Danbury police officials work to conclude their internal investigation into the matter.

The 15 videos with hours of body camera footage released this past week to Hearst Connecticut Media through a Freedom of Information Act request are similar to the videos SeanPaul Reyes has posted on his YouTube channel. His channel, Long Island Audit, includes incidents recorded last month at the Danbury Library and this month at City Hall in which he claims to exercise his First Amendment rights to film in public spaces.

An internal police investigation was opened following the library incident that occurred in early June. Friday, Chief Patrick Ridenhour said the initial investigation is in its final stages, as a hearing is pending "and a decision on what, if any further action should be taken."

"It revealed some violations of our policies, including the comments you are referring to, and is now being addressed through our department's disciplinary process," Ridenhour said of the investigation in an email, declining to provide a copy of the report. The comments referred to include a comment made by one officer stating "20 years ago, that f***** would be dead," referring to Reyes. ...

And, fwiw....

CT Appellate Court dismisses YouTuber's appeal of Danbury guilty verdict for trespassing (2023)
www.newstimes.com

" Studies measuring their efficacy have been mixed. A 2014 pilot program in Orlando, FL, showed a 53% reduction in use-of-force incidents and a 65% drop in civilian complaints. But a large-scale study in Washington, D.C., in 2017 found no significant effects."

One of those studies was corrupt.

@#9

My concern with those early studies is that they took place when the officers could just turn the body cams off if the recording was, let's say, inconvenient.

So, that, alone, skews the results.

#8 | Posted by LampLighter

Sean Paul Reyes - that guy is a genuine fight for our rights guy. I watch his videos occasionally. Always respectful but asking questions and expecting answers. He shows why police need to be wearing body cams and rarely does he run into officers who respect the actual law. I don't know how many times he has been arrested but it is a few at this point. When he finds "tyrants" he does go after them.

On that note... Body cams - I am sure the police do use them in the way that is mentioned. It's funny how many times they "fail to record" encounters of significance or are turned off though.

A civil right lawyer I watch sometimes is John H Bryan. He always has good content. There is a particular video recently of a guy with expired registration and what he goes through for refusing to allow a search by a rookie. He does not grant them the right to search his car. They call in a K9. When the dog isn't indicating, the experienced officers on scene can be seen turning away from the handler "because they know what's coming". The rookie doesn't. The handler taps the car's glass the dog then indicates. Of course the guy is watching and calls it out "we don't care..." He had nothing illegal.

People are in for a horrifying shock when their actions are shown to the public.

Remember that New York McDonald's worker who got attacked by two women? The legal system couldn't believe that he wasn't somehow at fault. Then the public saw the video and it turns out that yes they really did go over the counter clearly intending to assault him and rather than find out if they had a knife or a gun he really did defend himself with a metal pipe till he was sure they were no longer a threat.

It took some time but next to the video the legal system recognized that he it was a victim trying to defend himself not the aggressor.

That's The Power of video right there.

Interesting how society changes and technology is a driver. Once upon a time not long ago customers called businesses to get information from the business - whats in stock, when can you do it, how much etc. Fast forward to today when the mission has changed to where customer calls to business the priority has become to get information from and about the customer, demographics, location, income of customer, etc.. Customers and people are being watched and data stored.

Customers and people are being watched and data stored.

#14 | POSTED BY ROBSON

Now. Imagine a hateful vengeful totalitarian like Trumpy in charge of all that power and information on you and then you might begin to understand why this election is so important.

Trump did well as POTUS. DEMS make all these absurd unproven claims. Every such claim should be required to be proven and those making them held accountable.

In reference: #16 | Posted by Robson at 2024-10-02 09:28 PM

Perhaps you have me plonked, but this is still visible for everyone else to see.

@#5 ... There is also this ...

Baltimore Police Caught Planting Drugs In Body-Cam Footage, Public Defender Says (2017) ...

A look at some new CT laws taking effect on Oct. 1
ctmirror.org

... Police officers' body cameras

Currently, Connecticut police officers are required to activate body cameras during on-duty interactions with the public but can choose to deactivate the camera if they believe doing so could interfere with an investigation.

The new law requires the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Police Officer Standards and Training Council to update their guidelines on body-worn camera equipment to outline the circumstances under which an officer cannot stop recording. ...

Kicking the can down the road, or a real solution?