What happened to accountability?

"IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- State legislators around the country are pushing to make it much harder for the public to obtain police officer body camera videos, undermining their promise as a tool people can use to hold law enforcement accountable.

Lawmakers in at least 15 states have introduced bills to exempt video recordings of police encounters with citizens from state public records laws, or to limit what can be made public."

Supposedly for the privacy of those shown in the video. Uhhh I'm sorry, but if they get a request for a video for a particular incident, such as a shooting, or a beating during an arrest those should be made available IMMEDIATELY!!!!

Otherwise they are just trying to hide something.

The largest issue here isn't "Privacy Concerns" It is "Accountability Concerns" Thuggish Police don't want to be held accountable for their actions. "We Are The Police!! Do What We Say Or Go To Jail Or DIE, And No One Will Hold Us Accountable"

That thinking is why I got OUT of Law Enforcement.

I got on doing Security for the Housing Authority NOT because I wanted to carry a gun and a badge, but because I REALLY wanted to help people. To be able to live without worrying about dope dealers and thugs trying to rob them or hurt them. And at first I felt I was actually making a difference. I was actually called Sergeant Psycho because I kept locking up dope dealers and prostitutes and any other thugs I could catch and I was the ONLY WHITE Security Officer who would and could work alone. Then I was suddenly having threats called in against me. I was working the Wellston Senior Citizen Building, an apartment complex with a small rec room and an office for the use of us Security types, and I was returning to that office after running off some teenagers at 3 am in the morning, when the whole building was surrounded by cops. Someone had called 911 and threatened to kill me then hung up. Hence all the cops, from 4 different agencies. The Company transferred me to working grocery stores and pharmacy's for a few months because of that. It took months for me to get transferred to the Kinloch Housing Projects.

I found out about a year after that had happened, that the person who called in the death threat was one of my fellow officers. He was getting paid by the local drug dealers to stay out of the way and let their people sell dope. And I kept locking them up and seizing their product and their cash.

A person who I considered a good friend, went on to join a police department full time and even became a Lieutenant in his department, recently went to prison for 5 years for covering for a dealer.

Those are reasons why I got out of Law Enforcement.

Because I couldn't TRUST the people I was working with.

And these bills being filed for to put the bodycams footage out of reach of the people?

It is so, bad police officers do NOT, get held accountable for their actions.

I'm sorry, if the officers could be trusted, we wouldn't NEED to have them wear cameras in the first place.

So NO,  you don't GET to keep the video private.  If anything, each officer needs to wear a body cam AND a digital voice recorder to record every word coming out of their mouths while they are on duty.  Also there needs to be several cameras in EACH police car.  One facing forward, one facing the officer and one facing the backseat.  And EVERY room in EVERY police station needs to have a camera monitoring it 24/7.

NONE OF THIS would be necessary, if Law Enforcement could be TRUSTED.

But the vast majority of them have proven, they CANNOT be TRUSTED.

Law Enforcement can now look through your walls - Without a warrant

"WASHINGTON — At least 50 U.S. law enforcement agencies have secretly equipped their officers with radar devices that allow them to effectively peer through the walls of houses to see whether anyone is inside, a practice raising new concerns about the extent of government surveillance.

Those agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, began deploying the radar systems more than two years ago with little notice to the courts and no public disclosure of when or how they would be used. The technology raises legal and privacy issues because the U.S. Supreme Court has said officers generally cannot use high-tech sensors to tell them about the inside of a person's house without first obtaining a search warrant."

The devices are sensitive enough they can even see your breath from more than 50 feet away. So they could just drive down the street, slow down and aim the device at your home and tell which room of the house you are in, if you and your significant other are having intimate relations, or if you are on the toilet or alone.

Law Enforcement say they need it to protect lives in case they have to enter after a suspect.  In a case where they HAVE a Valid and proper warrant signed by a judge, I have no problem with that.

However, Law Enforcement Agencies having been using these for at least 2 years, and the general public is just NOW hearing about these?  SO how long have these devices been used without a warrant or proper supervision?

Who has access to these devices?

Do they have a built in recording function?

Just how detailed are they?

Can a person be readily identifiable?

How many children may have been viewed with these devices?

Do you see what the problem is?

Law Enforcement agencies could have used these devices to go on "Fishing Expeditions", drive down a street peering through peoples walls, see something they think might be a crime and the next thing you know, you have a SWAT Team kicking in your door and people and property getting damaged, injured or killed.

So right now, we the Citizens, need to know WHO is using these devices. HOW their use is regulated and supervised, WHETHER or not they have the ability to record the information and JUST HOW detailed that information is.

And we need to be sure they ARE NOT being used by Law Enforcement to violate our 4th Amendment Rights.

Looking through our walls to see if someone is doing something, or even if someone has a grow operation, WITHOUT a warrant is a violation of our Rights.

So if the Police want to use these, they need to have a Valid Warrant specifying exactly where the device is to be used, and limits just how long that device can be used at that location before another warrant is required.

For all we know, a Law Enforcement Agency could get a warrant for an arrest or a search and then leave one of these devices across the street surveilling  the location for weeks, recording what the occupants do.

Think I'm crazy?  Look around you now at all of the stuff going on.

NYPD Officers were found planting firearms on suspects just recently.  In the past that and the planting of narcotics have also been done.  It's documented FACT.

Do you think for a second, that if the cops had this kind of technology in their hands that they WOULDN'T abuse it?

It' human nature.

No Knock Warrants?

The Vocal Minority on No-Knock Warrants.

Matt has been a Peace Officer for a Long Time.   Notice I said "Peace Officer" he and officers like him do their best to do their jobs with as little injury to any and all.

I didn't say without injury to any, but to as few as possible.  Matt and Officer's like him know and understand, that ordinary folks just like they themselves don't want a dust up or to get hurt.  However there are too many people who get into Law Enforcement who feel that the badge gives them extra Rights and an excuse to act egregiously toward the citizens they are supposed to be protecting.

That has to stop.

We need more Officers and Deputies like Matt and LawDog, than we need "Warriors" like some you may have read about in the news media.

Arming TSA Agents? Bad Idea...

"Friday’s slaying of a Transportation Security Administration officer at Los Angeles International Airport is fueling calls from union leaders to give some of the agency’s employees guns, handcuffs and the power to make arrests."

Note it is the UNION which is trying to get the TSA Agents armed and with the power of arrest.

I've met many TSA Agents.  With my own history and experience in law enforcement, over half of the TSA Agents I've met shouldn't even have the responsibility to tie their own shoes.

Many many years ago when I was working security in St. Louis City and County, there were many people I worked with who had the "Tin God Complex"

If you aren't familiar with the "Tin God Complex" let me acquaint you.

As a Security "Officer" in the State of Missouri, I carried a firearm, handcuffs, pepper spray, a night stick, a expandable baton and many other implements.  I had the power of legal arrest while I was on duty.  I was not a "Guard" I could and did arrest many people.

In my 10 years of working security and as an auxiliary with a municipal police department, I only drew my weapon in the line of duty maybe 5 or 6 times.  The only time I fired it, except n the firing range, was to put a dog out of it's misery after it had been run over by the metrolink train.

Many of the men and women I worked with, used any excuse to draw their weapon.  They used their authority to mess with people, arresting them for simply "Disrespecting" them.  HAving vehicles towed because they felt like it.  And if the person tried to complain, almost everyone of them had the same reaction.  Hand on their weapon and they start using their index finger to poke them in the chest.  Berating them.

They were little "Tin God" because of the badge on their chest and the authority their license, pinned to their shirt pocket gave them..

Many police officer have the same complex.  Many didn't get into law enforcement to help others.  They got in because of money and the authority to carry a gun.

For them it is a power trip.  I'm sure you've seen plenty of Youtube videos of police officers going off the deep end and exerting their authority like horses hind ends.

Now multiply that by the number of TSA Agents.

And you now know why arming TSA Agents is a BAD idea.

How it's supposed to be.

Sunday, I took my friend Troy and his 2 sons over to my families property, (2.5 Acres) to shoot off a few rounds. Well in this part of Texas it's F-L-A-T. So if I'm going to do some shooting, I need to make sure my bullets don't go where they are not supposed to. Well along one side of the family property there is a drainage ditch, which last month the county cleaned out and took down an additional 2 feet. Which gave me a very good berm to shoot into. So instead of a 2 and half foot to 3 foot berm, I had almost 5 feet of berm to shoot into. Well we took my G-3 Clone, my SKS, my Mav 88 12 gauge, in addition to Troy's 20 ga/.22 LR Rossi combo gun. We were having a ball, shooting at tin cans, and a board I set up in the ditch. Then suddenly, I saw a Sheriffs car driving down the road. So Troy and I took all the weapons unloaded them and set them on the hood of the Suburban, and waited for the sheriff to come on over, as I saw him doing the slow drive by, so I knew he was looking for the entry to the property. Finally he came on over, I made sure we all were standing away from the 'Burb, our hands out of our pockets. He stopped about 15 feet away, and I approaced him with my hands at my sides, a little away from my body so he could see they were empty. I stopped about 5 feet in front of his car, making sure I wasn't blocking his view of Troy and his boys, ( a 15 year old and a 10 year old). I waited for him to get out of his car, as he did I could see he relaxed as he chacked all of our hands which were all in plain sight. He asked me if we were shooting I said "Yes sir." He asked if I owned the property, I said, "My family owns it sir, it's in the family trust" He asked if I had some I.D. I siad "Yes sir, left front pocket." He asked to see it, I got it out and handed it to him. He asked what were shooting. I told him "My SKS, C-91, 12 Gauge Pump, and a 20 gauge/22 combo gun" He asked what were shooting into. I told him "The berm of the ditch, as it's the only sure backstop we have until mom and I can rent a dozer to put up a good one for a backstop" He simply nodded then called in my license number to dispatch, and told them we were shooting a few semi auto's into the ditch, and he didn't find anything wrong. He then handed me back my license and thanked us for our cooperation, and then got in his car and left. That is how it should be handled. He verified we were shooting in a responsible manner made sure who we were and then left. I, when I saw him coming, I stopped and unloaded all weapons and put them where if he wanted to could examine for himself to ensure they were unloaded and no threat to him, then we all stood away from the vehicle where the weapons were, with our hands in plain sight so he could see we weren't offering any threat. After he left we went back to shooting for another 30 minutes, as the 10 year old was getting really good with the .22. Finally we cleaned up all of our shot up cans, picked up all the brass and shell casings, came home and started cleaning guns.

That is how you are to do it. If a L.E.O. comes over while you are shooting, unload and secure your weapon where he can see it isn't loaded. Stand away from your weapons with your hands in plain sight, so he can see you don't have a weapon to possibly harm him. If he asks for Identification, tell him which pocket it is in before you reach for it, and don't get too close to the officer until he has determined the situation. Answer any questions the officer asks you immediately, and don't try to be evasive, Most officers have a built in BS detector and can tell. Just tell him the truth. Remember, he has to ensure 3 things. His safety, the public's safety, and then your safety in that order. His safety comes first. So don't offer anything to him which might make him think you're a threat to him, especially since he doesn't know you from Adam.

Enjoy yourself, and be safe.

Mark