7.27.2010

..almost time...until then. here's your first x-tra credit assignment


Hello AP'ers. As mentioned in the email I sent yesterday, here is your first X-Tra credit assignment for the impending school year. I hope it finds you well. And that you've enjoyed your summer...but...its almost time to jump back in. As an introduction, as I mentioned in the meeting we had before school ended, this is our class blog. This is where I post X-Tra credit opportunities, inspirational words, and various other life changing assignments and activities.

Assignment: Read the following article posted in The Chronicle. Post your answers to the following questions in the comment section. Make sure you include your name.


What are the possible implications for the communities of the Bay Area if cops begin to utilize "cop-cams"?


Explain the following quote, "We live in a YouTube society where people have the ability to record us...We firmly believe officers do the right things for the right reasons, and this is a way to show our side."


Find one quote or passage in this article that represents a Point Of View that is different than Lopez's. Summarize this quote and explain the main ideas being shown.


Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

SF Gate polls are strictly surveys of those who choose to participate and are therefore not valid statistical samples.

Our poll software uses a variety of methods to ensure that only votes determined to be valid are tabulated. When this determination cannot be made, we may not process your vote.


Brentwood police Officer George Aguirre and two other traffic officers wear Vievu cameras on their chests.

As police work is increasingly captured on camera and scrutinized by the public, from traffic stops to a BART police officer's killing of Oscar Grant, many law enforcement agencies are asking the same question.

Why not control the cameras ourselves?

Around the Bay Area, police departments are studying what would be a profound cultural shift in law enforcement: outfitting all cops with wearable cameras to record stops, arrests, sobriety tests and interviews.

The practice, meant to gather evidence and provide a video record if misconduct allegations arise, is a step forward from dashboard cameras that have become common in cruisers and audio recorders that many officers strap to their belts.

Police departments in several cities, including Union City, Campbell and Brentwood, recently bought batches of the body cameras. Officials in many other cities see the trend as unstoppable.

"In the future, officers will not hit the streets without a camera," said Sgt. Ronnie Lopez of the San Jose Police Department, where officers recently tested a set of 18 over-the-ear cameras made by Taser International Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz., the same company that makes the electronic shock guns.

"We live in a YouTube society where people have the ability to record us," Lopez said. "We firmly believe officers do the right things for the right reasons, and this is a way to show our side."

The cameras may present a rare opportunity for accord between police commanders and police watchdogs.

John Burris - an attorney who specializes in police misconduct cases and is suing BART over the killing of Grant, an episode filmed by five train riders - said the cameras could compel officers to be more professional.

"Nothing looks uglier on camera," Burris said, "than the gratuitous use of force on a person."
Potential problems

However, as with many powerful technologies that police have adopted, the cameras bring some thorny issues - concerns that have arisen inside and outside law enforcement circles.

The cameras "can be an important tool for promoting police accountability and integrity as long as they are used in a proper way," said Kelli Evans, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

Evans, who was appointed by a federal judge to monitor reforms of the Oakland Police Department, said the presence of the cameras could de-escalate tense situations, while supervisors could use footage as a training tool and a method of auditing officers' conduct.

However, she said, departments must set clear rules governing when officers turn the cameras on and how footage is stored, to make sure it is not altered and is available if someone makes a complaint.
Rules for cops

In Campbell, Union City and Brentwood, officials said, officers have discretion over when they turn on their cameras. But they cannot alter or delete footage.

Campbell officials said they keep all footage for at least a year. Brentwood officials said the video is kept for at least three years. In Union City, officials said, video that is considered to be evidence in a case is kept permanently, but more routine footage is discarded after a day.

George Beattie, the president of San Jose's police union, has a different concern. He said officers who wear cameras may be hesitant to use force, such as kicks and baton blows, in situations that demand it.

"The officer may not think, 'Am I doing the right thing?' but instead, 'How is it going to be viewed by somebody else?' " said Beattie, a police lieutenant. "On paper, it sounds like a great idea, but there are definitely some drawbacks to it - drawbacks that can have life-ending consequences."
Not inexpensive

Then there is the price. The high-definition Taser Axon cameras that San Jose borrowed for a couple of months cost $1,700 each, plus a monthly $99-per-camera fee to a third-party firm that manages the footage, Lopez said.

The Axon has three parts: the camera, a microphone worn on the shirt and a DVR box for the belt. When an officer presses a button to start recording, Lopez said, the prior 30 seconds are captured as well because the camera is always on.

Union City, meanwhile, recently paid nearly $150,000 for 85 cameras made by Vievu of Seattle, plus the computer infrastructure to support them and store footage. Oakland police are now trying out 20 of the same cameras.

Union City police Lt. Kelly Musgrove said it was too early to assess the value of the cameras, which are also available to animal control and parking enforcement officers.

"I know my officers are using it, especially for victim interviews, field sobriety tests and suspect interviews," Musgrove said. "Some things you just can't describe in a police report."
Camera is 'impartial'

He said the cameras aid in prosecuting criminals and handling complaints against officers.

"If someone has an issue with one of my officers," Musgrove said, "the camera is very impartial."

In Brentwood, George Aguirre and two other traffic officers wear Vievu cameras on their chests. It's part of a larger devotion to video in the city, where cameras are in police cars and inside every officer's Taser shock weapon. Turn on the Taser, and the camera rolls.

Aguirre's chest camera - which can store four hours of footage - clips onto his uniform and is roughly the size of a pager or garage door opener. To start recording, he simply slides down a lens cover. Most drivers, he said, don't even notice.

"I'd rather you see what I did than hear accusations," said Aguirre, who does traffic enforcement on a motorcycle and commercial vehicle enforcement in a truck. "When you do everything you're supposed to do and someone challenges you, there's nothing better than being able to show the video to them or my supervisors."

During a crash investigation, Aguirre said, he turns on the camera not only to record the statements of witnesses and suspects, but to capture their facial expressions and gestures.

And if a traffic stop turns confrontational, Aguirre often points at his camera.

"I will make a point of saying, 'Sir, just to let you know, you're being recorded,' " he said. "That will change their tone."

E-mail Demian Bulwa at dbulwa@sfchronicle.com.

8 comments:

  1. 1. If cops began to utilize "cop-cams" it would definitely cause people to become more cautious about their actions. Anyone could be recorded at anytime. It could also ease the tension between the police and public since we are able to see any abuse of power. Cops are going to be recorded when they come in contact with someone whether its a sobriety test or an interview. We will be able to see any form of police brutality or misconduct.

    2. The quote explains how our society focuses on the "YouTube" mentality and police officers are hoping to take advantage of that aspect to show off their genuine and honest nature. They believe that with the use of these "Cop-cams" they will be able to show that their actions are appropriate during that time and they are in the interest of protecting the public without any abuse of power.

    3. "The officer may not think, 'Am I doing the right thing?' but instead, 'How is it going to be viewed by somebody else?' " said Beattie, a police lieutenant. "On paper, it sounds like a great idea, but there are definitely some drawbacks to it - drawbacks that can have life-ending consequences."- George Beattie, the president of San Jose's police union.
    Beattie feels that with the use of "Cop-cams", officers may be more hesitant in taking action when it is appropriate. They may question the public's view and how their actions will be interpreted. Instead they should be focused on whether or not they are taking the right actions. Overall he Beattie believes the "Cop-cams" have good intentions however in reality they make officers second guess themselves thus resulting in life threatening decisions.

    -Nancy Tat.

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  2. 1. Cop-cams will have positive and negative side effects. On the positive side, recorded videos can be used in courts to benefit someone. It can also be used to protect people’s well beings. If cop-cams are used, people would be able to feel safer knowing that cops are watching over them, making sure criminals won’t be able to come in contact with them. It will also be easier for police officers to get a facial recognition from the videos they get in order to put the criminals back in jail as fast as possible. However, cop cams will also invade people’s privacies. Even with honesty policy, police officers will always be tempted to alter the videos in their favor. Technologies such as cop cams are expensive, and with the recession, the government might take money from the community itself.
    2.The quote implies that the society is used to cameras following them everywhere. Not only do we have youtube to show videos of people, but there are reality tv shows such as big brother that uses cameras to follow their every move. If society allows their privacy to be invaded for money or entertainment; they would surely feel safer if they are being watched for their security. Police officers should earn the society’s trust since they risk their lives to protect others from criminals.
    3. Officers have the choice when to turn on the camera in Campbell. This shows that the officer might just turn on the camera when it is convenient to him or when it will benefit him. He will not be recording the whole situation and just turn it on when he can implicate someone he wants.

    -Jobel Salubre

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  3. 1) It seems that if cops begin to utilize cop-cams, both the police officers and the people of the communities would not be able to be themselves, which can be positive and negative. Some officers and some citizens would try to behave better because they are being captured on camera, which is good, but the knowledge of being watched makes others feel paranoid, which in turn could lead these people to do things they would not naturally do. It might make them look suspicious, when in actuality, they’re just nervous and frantic about being recorded. But, if all goes well and people just proceed as they do normally, these cop-cams could help courts reach honest verdicts more quickly, because anything captured on film is supposed to be impartial. These verdicts would also receive less opposition because it would be difficult to argue and convince people otherwise when the recordings are solid evidence as to what happened.

    2) The quote is saying that cop-cams is the next step in technologically advancing into the future, and that by recording the actions of police officers, people would put more trust into the law enforcement system because they can see for their own eyes that the police are acting accordingly. But, Lopez seems quite biased because police brutality and misconduct does happen.

    3) “George Beattie, the president of San Jose's police union, has a different concern. He said officers who wear cameras may be hesitant to use force, such as kicks and baton blows, in situations that demand it.”

    The quote is saying that police officers might act differently because they are being recorded and since they do not want to come off as the bad guy, they will question themselves. In a situation where one does not have time to think, the cop-cams might be a setback for the officers because it might result in injuries or death if the cop is worried about their image for their “brutal” actions that might be necessary.

    -Emily June Chen.

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  4. 1. The use of "cop cams" would have certainly cause more caution among the general populous, as they would know that most police interactions would be filmed. However, this particular technology would have little effect on any day to day activity. In theory at least, this would have little negative effect. The police would have concrete evidence of crimes committed in their presence, and the people would have similarly concrete evidence of any abuse of power.

    2. This quote simply states that the basic precept of our current society is that anything can be filmed, but that this is largely used against authority figures. The police rightfully believe that they have just as much right to record their actions, particularly if those actions might be inflammatory, so they can either defend them selves against untrue accusations, or inflict the appropriate punishments on those within the force that have themselves broken the law.

    3."The officer may not think, 'Am I doing the right thing?' but instead, 'How is it going to be viewed by somebody else?' " said Beattie, a police lieutenant. "On paper, it sounds like a great idea, but there are definitely some drawbacks to it - drawbacks that can have life-ending consequences." This quote points out that all violence may look excessive when viewed by a normal civilian, causing officers to not react with force when appropriate or necessary. This caution could potentially result in the death of the police officer, particularly when dealing with gang crimes. The crux of this statement is that people who support the actions of the police don't talk about it, while people that do not support these actions do. This basic bias could make cop cams dangerous to those that carry them.
    - Julian Fontaine

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  5. 1) If these cop-cams are implemented throughoutt the Bay Area, it will not only cause the communities to be cautious, but law enforcement as well. These cop-cams will force officers to be more professional and to not abuse their power. If these cop-cams are turned on from the moment the officer clocks in & clocks out, then officers are forced to behave more appropriately. For exmaple, they would not be able to utilize their cell phones without handfree devices on the road because their fellow officers may be watching (I witnessed this the other day).

    2) The "YouTube" reference is meant to show that our society is focused on recording posting, & viewing almost anything. With that said, Lopez is trying to convince the people that the videoes being recorded and viewed depict that law enforcement do what they do for the people and to protect the people. Nothing more and nothing less.

    3)"Nothing looks uglier on camera," Burris said, "than the gratuitous use of force on a person." Burris is basically saying that the videoes being recorded with the cop-cams can be utilized against a fellow officer rather than being used to portray the heroic side of the law enforcement. If an officer is recorded beating on someone, that can be used against the officer in court.

    -Ninah Solidum

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  6. 1. If police officers begin using these "cop-cams", it would cause the officers themselves to be more cautious. One will act differently if they know they are being recorded. Police officers will probably hesitate before doing anything rash. "Should I tackle this hostile drug dealer down? What if my superior sees this?" As a result, I believe that police officers will be less-aggressive than before - which can be both positive and negative. However, same thing can be said to the community. Everyone will be even more cautious around police officers because the officers are now "walking cameras".

    2. The quote means that every event happening today can be easily caught on film and posted on the internet. A bystander's recording's point of view is very different from the officer's point of view. For example: From a bystander's POV, the officer can be seen "brutally" beating the caught culprit. However from the officer's POV, it shows that the culprit was about to pull out a hidden weapon from his sleeves and the officer was trying to disarm him. The quote is trying to say that with the "cop cam" implication, this one sided point of view is eliminated.

    3. "Nothing looks uglier on camera," Burris said, "than the gratuitous use of force on a person."
    Unlike Lopez, Burris suggest that these "cop cams" may go against the officer rather than the culprit. If the recorded camera footage shows officers abusing their power, this can be trouble and cause distrust in the police.


    -Robin Kuang

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  7. 1. People would definitely respect the police's demands more. On the flip side, police must also act more respectable, since they are also being recorded. The cameras at intersections would also encourage safe and diligent driving, as people would be conscious that they are being recorded. However, the amount of money necessary for upkeep for even a relatively small number of cameras is quite high. Another concern is, perhaps the widespread usage of cameras would decrease the need for human input and take some jobs off the market.

    2. The person speaking subtly acknowledges that people have caught rather suspicious acts on film, but he inserts an implied denial by affirming his faith in officers. He also claims that he won't shy away from such matters and that they will now be able to show their side of things. He's a rather beat-around-the-bush kind of figure, isn't he?

    3. "Nothing looks uglier on camera," Burris said, "than the gratuitous use of force on a person."

    Lopez believes that the cameras will show that the cops are doing nothing wrong. Burris believes that the cameras are in fact what will FORCE them to act in the respectable manner Lopez seems to assume is the norm.

    -- Justin Yoo

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. People would definitely respect the police's demands more. On the flip side, police must also act more respectable, since they are also being recorded. The cameras at intersections would also encourage safe and diligent driving, as people would be conscious that they are being recorded. However, the amount of money necessary for upkeep for even a relatively small number of cameras is quite high. Another concern is, perhaps the widespread usage of cameras would decrease the need for human input and take some jobs off the market.

    2. The person speaking subtly acknowledges that people have caught rather suspicious acts on film, but he inserts an implied denial by affirming his faith in officers. He also claims that he won't shy away from such matters and that they will now be able to show their side of things. He's a rather beat-around-the-bush kind of figure, isn't he?

    3. "Nothing looks uglier on camera," Burris said, "than the gratuitous use of force on a person."

    Lopez believes that the cameras will show that the cops are doing nothing wrong. Burris believes that the cameras are in fact what will FORCE them to act in the respectable manner Lopez seems to assume is the norm.

    -- Justin Yoo

    ReplyDelete