Early in the morning of January 25th 26th, 2014 a man saw some Lodi police employees detaining another gentleman and attempted to capture the truth of the incident with his camera. Immediately he was aggressively confronted and called a “fucking clown.” This, by someone who swore an oath to “protect the innocent against … intimidation” and to “enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear.” The videographer left the scene as he felt “very threatened,” according to the person who send the copy of the video to Cop Block.
There are two things that could be done to reign in questionable behavior by police and other public officials.
1. Eliminate “qualified immunity” for ALL public officials. If public officials (yes, this includes police officers and their administrators, firefighters, prosecutors, court officials and all other “public servants”). If they knew that they could be sued personally (and possibly lose everything they own), they would tend to behave themselves.
2. Establish and enforce an “video audit trail” whenever there is interaction by any public official with the public. In the case of police and firefighters, no “video audit trail” would mean the inadmissability of “evidence” as well as censure and possible dismissal of public officials’ failure to assure that this “video audit trail” is present. A “video audit trail” would do much to eliminate the possibility of frivolous lawsuits by the public against public officials as well as assure that public officials “behave themselves”. This is especially true in police interrogation rooms where police-coerced “false confessions” occur with alarming frequency.
These two changes would put the public on an equal footing with our “leaders” (who are actually supposed to be subordinate to us citizens).
There have been many cases where people who have been legally recording police (mis)behavior have been harassed by police, their equipment damaged or destroyed, and charges brought against them. This police misconduct must stop! Severe punishment should be meted out to those public officials who interfere with lawful recording by citizens.
anarchyst:
There’s a simple solution…..make all government employees legal game animals with a bounty on each one commensurate with the amount of harm he or she does to the cause of individual freedom……
Wouldn’t most people hunt them for free? No bounty required?
Free? Hell I’d PAY for the privilege.
It seems the language of all public [or pubic] servants has gone markedly downhill and guttery. Perhaps this is due to their lack of intelligence, morals, and humanity…..