Police State - Police fitted with cameras record encounters

[treble]

Officers fitted with policecam caps

January 07, 2007 11:29am
Article from: AAP

ELEMENTS of the science fiction film Robocop have become a reality in Queensland, with police trialling the use of head-mounted miniature cameras.

Police officers in Brisbane's CBD and Fortitude Valley area are the first in Australia to use the technology as part of a special squad enforcing the state's liquor laws.

The Cylon Body Worn Surveillance System takes the form of a miniature camera fitted to a police officer's cap.

Two officers, who are part of a 20-member public order squad, are using the $4500 cameras to gather evidence in CBD and Valley clubs on weekends.

Club owners are shown the footage of their employees serving drinks to drunk patrons and then warned to clean up their acts or lose their licences.

While the footage has not been used in court to date, it is understood some club owners have pleaded guilty and accepted fines after seeing video evidence.

Police say that while the cameras are effective there are no plans to expand them beyond the current trial.

In April last year a British woman became the first person to be convicted by evidence filmed on one of the cameras.

British and Scottish police are using them to investigate a range of offences including domestic violence.

So police can now record their activities and encounters with the "citizens" to be used in court procedings. I wonder how much of what gets recorded is reviewed in fine detail to identify opportunities to bring charges later that the officer may have missed at the time?

I wonder how much of the stuff that records abuse of power gets reviewed or submitted to court?

I know in car cameras have been used in some countries for a while, UK and US but with some countries not having institutions like the miranda rights or the arrest statement used in the UK everything and anything you say or dont say while under this overt survielance can be used against you.

People will need to wear their own systems now to record their side of the situtation. Wonder if the courts would allow that type of evidence?

treb

 

[HCSmyth]

My big problem with this is police are going to abuse this because they will decide when and what to record most likely. When they want to do something shady that may help your cause in court they will switch the camera off.

 

[Trichome Toker]

This is old news.

I was involved in a DUI stop 2 years ago, it was filmed, and let us just say I made many unappropriate remarks to the arresting officer that he later used against me in court.

Like that one comedian said: "I had every right to remain silent... the problem was I didn't have the ability."

 

[Verite]

I heard the new technology is kinda bulky.

 

[Guest]

But check out how pissed they get if YOU whip out a camera or camcorder on them.

We had some trouble here with the local head shoppe, and the leos that were on scene were almost violent with the patrons because of cams being trained on them.

Tried to physically take cams - using phrases like "I order you to stop, and give me the cam", "it's illegal to film us", etc.

They were of course told to stuff it - but average joe doesn't know the cops can bullshit you all they want. Most people think that if leo talks, they have to co-operate fully.

I have a very close buddy who's one of the good leos, but even he agrees that there are some real douchebags who will do or say anything that suits them.

ws

 

[Guest]

This is old news.

I was involved in a DUI stop 2 years ago, it was filmed, and let us just say I made many unappropriate remarks to the arresting officer that he later used against me in court.

Like that one comedian said: "I had every right to remain silent... the problem was I didn't have the ability."

Mel? Mel Gibson????

Damn, dude - nice to have ya here...

While I have your ear - I'd like 2 hours of my life back for "Lethal Weapon XXII". It sucked.

ws

 

[Trichome Toker]

No, unfortunately what I said was much worse than "the Jews start wars".

That would have just got me laughed at.

These involved many detailed threats to be carried out at a later date...

Plus a few other things...

Shame.