• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Police taping you

nitrovic

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
935
Location
, ,
imported post

As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations (or course, it has gotten officer in the same as well). Just wondering on anybody's feeling (pro or con) as to video's and audible equipment in cruisers and on officers. I actually had an officer tell me I was breaking the rules concealing my digital recorder and that the public would get mad when they found out they were recorded.
 

Doug Huffman

Banned
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
9,180
Location
Washington Island, across Death's Door, Wisconsin,
imported post

Reese Joye was a despised DWI attorney in Charleston that IIRC pushed the law requiring dash-cams in SC patrol cars (or maybe it was Dearth-o'-wits). At first everybody resisted them and their use, but now I think that the cameras are valued by prosecutors and defense attorneys and cops and citizens alike.
 

joeroket

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
3,339
Location
Everett, Washington, USA
imported post

As long as it is not illegal I have no problem with it. We tape them here in Wa. all the time,why would it not be OK the other way around. People should know that anything they say to an Officer that is acting in official capacity is not private.
 

LEO 229

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
7,606
Location
USA
imported post

nitrovic wrote:
As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations (or course, it has gotten officer in the same as well). Just wondering on anybody's feeling (pro or con) as to video's and audible equipment in cruisers and on officers. I actually had an officer tell me I was breaking the rules concealing my digital recorder and that the public would get mad when they found out they were recorded.
I do not carry one.

We have all hadpeople complain about things wewere alleged to have said.A supervisor thatknows you for any length of time can identify what words you would commonly use. This can hopefully help them determine if there is any validity to the complaint.

I have used in car video systems and I did not mind them. I did like the idea that every said by both people was captured. It seems that you get fewer complaints when they know everything is being documented.

It is just sad that the person making a false allegation against an officercannot be punished when the lie provedby the video tape.

My contacts end up with them wanting to shake my hand so there is little need for me to record every conversation. I have little fear I will say anything to cause them to want to file a complaint.
 

Deanimator

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
2,083
Location
Rocky River, OH, U.S.A.
imported post

nitrovic wrote:
As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations (or course, it has gotten officer in the same as well). Just wondering on anybody's feeling (pro or con) as to video's and audible equipment in cruisers and on officers. I actually had an officer tell me I was breaking the rules concealing my digital recorder and that the public would get mad when they found out they were recorded.
I'm all for recording of detentions, arrests and interrogations. It tends to deter misbehavior. I suspect that Lt. Burge's electrical escapades with suspects in Chicago would have been substantially curtailed if things were being recorded.

In addition, mysterious "technical difficulties" are valuable evidence of misconduct.

Ohio is a one party consent state. You can record any conversation to which you're a party. The more recordings the better. Cops, citizens, the more the merrier. It's all good.
 

Deanimator

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
2,083
Location
Rocky River, OH, U.S.A.
imported post

LEO 229 wrote:
nitrovic wrote:
As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations (or course, it has gotten officer in the same as well). Just wondering on anybody's feeling (pro or con) as to video's and audible equipment in cruisers and on officers. I actually had an officer tell me I was breaking the rules concealing my digital recorder and that the public would get mad when they found out they were recorded.
I do not carry one.

We have all hadpeople complain about things wewere alleged to have said.A supervisor thatknows you for any length of time can identify what words you would commonly use. This can hopefully help them determine if there is any validity to the complaint.
... if they care. Some simply don't.

The more recording the better. It protects everybody's interests except those of liars, in and out of uniform.

Neither suspects nor officers found to be lying typically seem to be punished for their dishonesty, even under oath in court.
 

LEO 229

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
7,606
Location
USA
imported post

Deanimator wrote:
... if they care. Some simply don't.

The more recording the better. It protects everybody's interests except those of liars, in and out of uniform.

Neither suspects nor officers found to be lying typically seem to be punished for their dishonesty, even under oath in court.
Regardless if any action is taken.

The difference is.... One CAN be punished. The other cannot.

The person telling a lie has everything to lose. The other.. not.
 

TheMrMitch

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
1,260
Location
Hodgenville, Kentucky, USA
imported post

I carry one and remember new batteries when needed. Before I retired in 1997, I carried one at work simply because of a certain fleet super....He tried calling me on the carpet for someting a couple of timesand I popped out the recorder. He shut up.

They work....remember..... 'Buddy' W..? HehHeh:D
 

KnightSG7

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
127
Location
Midlothian, Virginia, USA
imported post

The way I see it is,

I have no problem with you guys (LEO's) recording or taping of any sort........as long as YOU do not have a problem withme taping you.
 

Carnivore

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
970
Location
ParkHills, Missouri, USA
imported post

Am I supposed to inform an officer that my recorder is running ? and is my recorded tape submissable in court? Because my wife carries one of those with the micro tapes loaded and ready for chat.. seems to be a recurrance with a specific one horse town cop being attracted to her Grand Cherokee..:question:1 time she didn't dim her lights in timeto the cops liking, and 1 time he thought her plates were expired..
 

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
imported post

I think officers should not only be required to carry voice recorders, I think evidence obtained while the recorder isn't running should be invalidated (you know, to encourage officers to always carry extra batteries ;)).
 

FightingGlock19

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
583
Location
, Kentucky, USA
imported post

LEO 229 wrote:
It is just sad that the person making a false allegation against an officercannot be punished when the lie provedby the video tape.

Not true. I'll have to find the particular case, however I'll explain it the best that I can, while I look for the links ...

A woman falsly accused a police officer of sexual battery and when the tape cleared the officer she was charged with a false report of some kind.

Like I said, I'll have to find the link(s) when I get some free time.
 

codename_47

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
376
Location
, ,
imported post

Am I supposed to inform an officer that my recorder is running ?

Unless your state law requires it (more than likely, it does not) there is no requirement to inform them anything.

and is my recorded tape submissable in court?


Federal court? Yes. State court? Maybe.
 

SlackwareRobert

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
1,338
Location
Alabama, ,
imported post

You are in a one party consent state, and leo confiscates recorder
but doesn't turn it off, records another party with it and then returns
the recorder to you.
What is your liability? after all he is armed and brandishing, I can't stop him.
 

AbNo

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,805
Location
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
imported post

None. It may be your equipment, but it has to do with the user of said equipment at the time of the offense.

Same reason why you don't get charged with murder (typically:exclaim:) if someone breaks into your car, steals it, and tries to break the current mass vehicular homicide record.
 

AbNo

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,805
Location
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
imported post

LEO 229 wrote:
My contacts end up with them wanting to shake my hand so there is little need for me to record every conversation. I have little fear I will say anything to cause them to want to file a complaint.
That's called "Stockholm Syndrome", 229. :lol:
 

FreedomJoyAdventure

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Messages
138
Location
Austin, Texas, USA
imported post

nitrovic wrote:
As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations (or course, it has gotten officer in the same as well). Just wondering on anybody's feeling (pro or con) as to video's and audible equipment in cruisers and on officers. I actually had an officer tell me I was breaking the rules concealing my digital recorder and that the public would get mad when they found out they were recorded.
I certainly don't know about your department's rules or the law in your state, and I'm sure some citizens won't like being secretly recorded, however (and I am not a lawyer!) there's generallyno expectation of privacy if you're out in public.

With the proliferation of camera-capable cell phones, you never know when you're going to to be recorded. So I try not to ever say or do anything in public that I wouldn't want to have show up on the evening news.

I'm all for police cruiser videocams. It protects the innocent, and eliminates a lot of'he said/she said' nonsense. Conflicting stories? Roll tape!

How long before the technology becomes available for each officer to be fitted with a Point-Of-View Cam that transmits whatever the officer sees back to the police station surveillance server in real time?
 

Sheriff

Regular Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
1,968
Location
Virginia, USA
imported post

nitrovic wrote:
As a police officer I always carry a digital recorder in my shirt pocket. It has gotten many officers out of BS complaints and allegations......(of course, it has gotten officer in the same as well).

Yeah. Sure it has. :quirky
 
Top