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GardoneVT
10-20-2014, 10:00 PM
In the .mil, it was the kiss of death career wise to be hit with a sexual assault complaint even if the accusation turned out to be BS. In LE, how can officers do their jobs when every female arrested can pull a stunt like this (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/20/drunk-woman-says-cop-sexually-assaulted-her-cop-shuts-her-down-with-video-evidence/)?

I shudder to think of how that would have gone had the officer not had video proof his DUI suspect was lying through her teeth. Occupational hazard of the future, then?

Coyotesfan97
10-20-2014, 10:31 PM
I had to take a sexual assault report one time with the "victim" saying she was raped during a DUI investigation involving another agency. She dropped everything when we told her she'd be going to the hospital for an exam. All of a sudden she didn't want to prosecute or even gave the report taken. Hmmmmm

One of the guys on my squad was accused of rape while transporting a female prisoner. Thus was before GPS and cameras. She alleged he had stopped during the transport. Fortunately the time frame didn't match her story. The milage driven and the times involved help clear him along with absolutely no physical evidence. He was still the suspect in a criminal and internal investigation that dragged on for months before he was cleared.

Yet again a Dept refuses to back an Officer and charge the suspect even though it's clearly proven false with video evidence with the hollow claim of not wanting to stop future complaints blah blah blah. How about deterring false complaints?

I hope the civil suit follows.

philpac33
10-21-2014, 02:15 AM
Another prime example of on-body cameras providing proof of false accusations against law enforcement. Body-cams could debunk the vast majority of false accusations including the ever popular "police brutality" yet there seems to be a lot of apprehension on the part of LEOs. Forgive my naïveté, but why all the push back?

Trooper224
10-21-2014, 03:47 AM
Another prime example of on-body cameras providing proof of false accusations against law enforcement. Body-cams could debunk the vast majority of false accusations including the ever popular "police brutality" yet there seems to be a lot of apprehension on the part of LEOs. Forgive my naïveté, but why all the push back?

Why is your automatic assumption that the "push back" is coming exclusively from the officers in the field? Fact check: most hesitation regarding cameras comes from adminstrations that don't want to pay for the hardware. It usually takes a fairly expensive lawsuite to get them to change their minds. Personally, I fully realize my admin is not on my side and considers me to be an expendable commodity. As such, I refuse to work without a camera.

KeeFus
10-21-2014, 05:58 AM
Another prime example of on-body cameras providing proof of false accusations against law enforcement. Body-cams could debunk the vast majority of false accusations including the ever popular "police brutality" yet there seems to be a lot of apprehension on the part of LEOs. Forgive my naïveté, but why all the push back?

I agree that cameras help and I love my in-car camera. To me, body cams aren't necessary. From the ones I have seen once the struggle/fight/whatever happens there is limited visibility because of what the body is doing in the fray. In-car cameras have always shown the over all picture, not just one point of view that can be blocked by a body part. From what I have seen they then become more or less a wireless mic. I will admit though that this one video was pretty clear...but there wasn't much going on there either. I have seen a body cam that interacts with the in-car camera which I think would be more of an asset than having just a body cam.

As to the false allegation...they should charge her ass! For the past couple years when ever I come into contact with a female I activate my camera PERIOD! It's just not worth the hassle of trying to defend yourself without it...when with it you can quickly dispel the allegation.

This is a NO-GO as far as I'm concerned... UPDATE: Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Tanner Tixier told TheBlaze on Monday evening that police were not pursuing additional charges against Griego because, despite the apparent falsehood of her sexual assault claim, police did not want to set a precedent that could discourage other potential victims of sexual assault from coming forward.

Chuck Haggard
10-21-2014, 07:52 AM
We have had superb service from our Taser Axon cameras, including completely capturing one of our OISs. The officers that have then wouldn't give them up for anything.

Chuck Whitlock
10-21-2014, 10:04 AM
We have had superb service from our Taser Axon cameras, including completely capturing one of our OISs. The officers that have then wouldn't give them up for anything.

My new department uses them. Getting "wired up" was funky at first, but now is no big deal.

Chuck Whitlock
10-21-2014, 10:06 AM
Oh, and to the OP:

Those kind of allegations used to happen all the time up in Standing Rock (IIRC). A few accusers caught federal time.

PD Sgt.
10-21-2014, 10:19 AM
Many departments are reluctant to file charges for false complaints because they are afraid of being accused of discouraging people to complain. The rationale used is not being able to draw the line between purposeful lies and mistaken perception. I even heard one that the complainant (who alleged physical assault with injury in the back of the cruiser) may have been too drunk to accurately remember what happened, so we should not charge her, despite in car video showing otherwise, and no injuries documented at arrest or booking.

Personally, I think if the complaint can be shown to be purposely false, charge them. Legitimate complaints will still come in, and once word gets out you will be charged for lying, the false complaints will drop substantially.

czech6
10-21-2014, 12:51 PM
Why is your automatic assumption that the "push back" is coming exclusively from the officers in the field? Fact check: most hesitation regarding cameras comes from adminstrations that don't want to pay for the hardware. It usually takes a fairly expensive lawsuite to get them to change their minds. Personally, I fully realize my admin is not on my side and considers me to be an expendable commodity. As such, I refuse to work without a camera.

That and there's push back from officers that work at departments where the video willed be used nitpick everything they do and generate discipline. There are plenty of holier than thou command staffs, with zero police experience, and don't understand that police work doesn't follow a scripted routine. When they see videos of cops deviating from what "should" have happened, they're ready to start handing out discipline.

Unfortunately there are a lot of departments that put their officers in a "I can't do anything right" environment, and unfortunately a lot of the time the officers feel they are better off in a "he said, she said, but you can't prove anything" situation, then have video that will exonerate them.

Lon
10-21-2014, 01:10 PM
I'm all for body cams. Ponied up the cash and bought my own, in fact. But they aren't the end all, be all. Here's a great article on their limitations:

http://www.forcescience.org/bodycams.pdf

45dotACP
10-21-2014, 03:56 PM
From what I gather, most cops actually don't mind, or would prefer to have body cams. That's because most cops are actually conscientious, hardworking, and morally upstanding members of society and have nothing to be worried about.

Thus, the attempts by some to write a narrative that most cops hate the idea of body cams because they're jack booted thugs. And racists.

I don't post here often, because I'm not LE. But I have nothing but respect for you guys and the job you do. I hope that the higher ups do back your play should things go wrong, otherwise, I think body cams would be a great way to add a layer of insurance if you see them as useful.

Just surfing the net, I found this video. Just taking the cruiser footage, it looks like the cop took the guy down after a pleasant conversation about IV drugs...the body cam portrays a different story no?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfNcMbK6Upw


Stay safe out there guys!

Kyle Reese
10-21-2014, 04:05 PM
Years ago at Ft.Hood we had dash cams installed in our TAI vehicles, and this definitely cut down on the bogus complaints. One woman went to the PMO to file a complaint against one of the road units for sexual harassment, and she was kindly asked to wait while the footage from the stop was reviewed, and she could make a sworn statement immediately thereafter. Upon hearing that the stop was recorded, she couldn't beat feet out of there fast enough.