SC

Black Caucus Wants All SC Cops Wired

AND THEY’RE RIGHT …  By FITSNEWS  ||  Legislation requiring the use of body cameras by all South Carolina police officers will be a top priority of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus in 2015, sources tell FITS. Black lawmakers are already rallying around a bill sponsored by S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard –…

AND THEY’RE RIGHT … 

By FITSNEWS  ||  Legislation requiring the use of body cameras by all South Carolina police officers will be a top priority of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus in 2015, sources tell FITS.

Black lawmakers are already rallying around a bill sponsored by S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard – one that would require government to conduct a cost study related to the idea.  But that’s just the start of the push, we’re told.

“This is about more than just justice,” one black lawmaker explained to FITS. “For you it’s a liberty thing – for us a life thing.”

While we will argue the facts of the Michael Brown case all day long … we’re not going to argue that underlying point.  Especially not in a state with South Carolina’s history.

Which is why we’ve already come out in support of the idea …

“Under our system all  cops – local, state and federal – would be fitted with body cameras and microphones,” we wrote several months ago.  “These cameras and microphones would go ‘live’ the second an officer goes on duty, streaming content directly to a central statewide repository – one manned 24/7/365 by a representative of the state’s chief executive, Attorney General’s office and a designated victim’s advocate.”

Obviously there are certain limitations related to the public disclosure of information collected by such a system.  For example cops shouldn’t be required to film their bathroom breaks (gross), while certain interviews involving sensitive, personal subject matter (i.e. interviews related to rape investigations) should not be made available to the public on a whim.

But at the end of the day, requiring cops to wear cameras and microphones not only protects us … it protects them.

***

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48 comments

David December 18, 2014 at 3:44 pm

What they really want is to be exempt from laws.

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Guest December 18, 2014 at 3:49 pm

The Black Caucus needs to stop living out of their campaign accounts.

I could go for this if we put body camers on all elected cockroaches.

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jimlewisowb December 18, 2014 at 3:59 pm

damn straight

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt December 18, 2014 at 6:20 pm

As opposed to the GOP white boys living out of their campaign accounts.

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Guest December 18, 2014 at 9:21 pm

All of them. The percentage of the Black Caucus living out of theirs is much higher (It is pervasive) than the percentage of the Republican Caucus (a handul). Read the reports Raymond Madcow.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein December 18, 2014 at 3:55 pm

It is a good idea.

PRO TIP (For racial agitators):
Be careful what you wish for.
Since digital and cellphone cameras have become ubiquitous …*credible * UFO/Bigfoot sightings have plummeted.

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shifty henry December 18, 2014 at 4:39 pm

TBG, I know — some of the fun things in life are just gone (sigh)..

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Mike at the Beach December 18, 2014 at 5:07 pm

Precisely! Not that they fully understand this potential ramifications, though. The brainwashing has been pretty thorough. This would be the best thing since yellow grits in that it would disprove the nonsense that most street cops spend their entire shift hunting down poor, innocent, young, black males to needlessly harass (and eventually kill, of course).

This video is pretty poorly produced, but it makes your point…

http://youtu.be/Blhy1eQOjZQ

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Cops are people too,not angels December 18, 2014 at 4:02 pm

If society let’s cops dictate law, then it’s a police state, pure & simple.

Btw, unless a bill passes that makes them wire the camera/mic with no off switch, it’s pointless. They can take off the camera/mic when they take a dump.

If they are on active duty and don’t have it on, immediate grounds for dismal should be policy.

Also, if you want a society where citizens are in charge and not cops, it’d be best that EVERY police department have a citizen review board that’s an elected(not appointed) position.

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Mike at the Beach December 18, 2014 at 5:10 pm

It would certainly be “dismal” to have every second of every conversation video recorded for a 12 hour shift.

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Bible Thumper December 18, 2014 at 6:07 pm

I can see it now. Coach not happy about traffic stop. Film at eleven.

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Cops are people too,not angels December 18, 2014 at 10:49 pm

No one would be listening to the drivel if there was no reason. Good cops would have nothing to worry about or even care.

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David December 18, 2014 at 4:08 pm

Maybe it would be best if we all had one, just attach them surgically at birth, voila, no more he said, she said… Wouldn’t it be wonderful!

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Same ol' Same ol' December 19, 2014 at 9:25 am

Also wire in a taser. That way remote control of the population. Marry that with predictive software and there you have it. Crime problem solved. Think about speeding, BAM, tasered ass. Don’t stop completely at a light BAM…BZZZZ, took care of that crime. Start to walk out of the store with crab legs….. oh, wait, it’s Jameis, give him a pass. It’s all in the programming.
I’m just being snarky but we’re on our way.

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shifty henry December 19, 2014 at 8:51 pm

Well then, give us some more snarky. I like to use some comments from here in conversations for various reasons.

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Squishy123 December 18, 2014 at 4:08 pm

I hear SC cops want all Black Caucus members wired.

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Ol' Sparky December 18, 2014 at 4:14 pm

I want everyone wired. At least for a few minutes.

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Smirks December 18, 2014 at 4:28 pm

Just the Black Caucus?

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jimlewisowb December 18, 2014 at 4:34 pm

“……These cameras and microphones would go ‘live’ the second an officer goes on duty, streaming content directly to a central statewide repository – one manned 24/7/365 by a representative of the state’s chief executive, Attorney General’s office and a designated victim’s advocate….’

You hypocritical son of a bitch

You and your fellow cockroaches(white/black/female/male/other) steal taxpayers blind, turn your backs as other legislators engage in unethical/immoral / illegal conduct and you do nothing, absolutely nothing, to hold accountable school district like Jasper County which year after year fails the children they are sworn to help

You want to spend thousands if not millions of dollars to build a kind of Googlesque Compound dug into the side of mountain in Pickens County to house hundreds of employees, computers and servers big enough to record every cop in every county every second of every day but yet you and your fellow cockroaches sit around with your thumbs up your fat asses while kids go hungry, don’t learn how to read/write and die horrible deaths at the hands of abusive parents/caretakers

I would venture more kids in South Carolina have died at the hands of caregivers than individuals who have died at the hands of an unwired rogue cop

Give me and the rest of the world a break – go fuck yourself

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Hypocrites, yes! Wrong? No. December 19, 2014 at 11:48 am

“You hypocritical son of a bitch”

They might be hypocritical, but it doesn’t mean they are wrong.

Also, I agree with you that’s it’s ridiculous to build any kind of infrastructure to constantly monitor cops via their camera/mic….it’s unnecessary.

All that stuff can be streamed to a server and only accessed if a complaint arises….no need for all that other bullshit.

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RHood2 December 18, 2014 at 4:46 pm

And every police interrogation should be recorded. Every single word, not just that which agrees with the prepared statement.

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RogueElephant December 18, 2014 at 4:59 pm

How much dose the Black Caucus have in their kitty ? Problem solved. Damn that was easy.

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Mike at the Beach December 18, 2014 at 5:08 pm

Minus what they spend on sex toys and other sundries…around $87. That won’t buy many cameras.

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shifty henry December 18, 2014 at 5:32 pm

(guffaw…!!)

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James Fleming Jr December 18, 2014 at 5:11 pm

I want all Politicians,Judges and lawyers polygraphed at least twice a year!

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Republican Follies December 18, 2014 at 5:19 pm

I see the “Usual Suspects” have all gathered,as they do anytime anything racial is mentioned here.

Since they are generally of the opinion that this would really HELP the cops,seems like both sides are on board with this thing,

Right?

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Deo Vindice SC December 18, 2014 at 6:14 pm

Moms want to see where thier food comes from ?

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Limbaughsaphatkhunt December 18, 2014 at 6:17 pm

Props to Fits for supporting this. This is a great idea and excellent use of taxpayers money. In jurisdictions where cops wear body cams…magically the rates of allegations of abuse by cops and likewise allegations by cops of abuse towards them drops off dramatically. Go figure.

This saves taxpayers money in the long run by saving on litigation costs in court and lawsuits arising out of alleged misconduct or cop vs. civilian “misunderstandings”.

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Bobby G December 18, 2014 at 8:08 pm

Lets put body cameras on ALL government employees.

I want to watch the employees at all levels of government do nothing all day. Then we will have proof of government inefficiency, and can demand a reduction in government size and a reduction in our taxes.

Also, body cameras on all judges, elected politicians. If the president or member of congress has an affair we need to know immediately and be able to watch the video.

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Soft Sigh from Hell December 18, 2014 at 8:47 pm

Good luck with that. We can’t even get many official agency meetings opened to the public most affected.

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Soft Sigh from Hell December 18, 2014 at 8:23 pm

Cops should be frequently and randomly tested for illegal drugs and steroids too. And regularly screened psychologically (preferably by pushy butchy black female psychologists, where that can be part of the test).

But cops do have basic American rights to some privacy, so–for example–the “engorgement” test with child pornography should only be done after a formal complain/accusation, and torture should be off the table, at least “officially.”

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True Dat! December 19, 2014 at 11:44 am

“(preferably by pushy butchy black female psychologists, where that can be part of the test).”

lol….my grandfather failed a similar test upon return from WW2(as a field medic, pushing across Europe none the less).

He was pure Sicilian, and when he returned from the war had always wanted to be a cop. This was in Detroit, which at the time had it’s share of Italian run mob….he was interviewed early on by an Irish police sergeant.

The nature of the interview as a series of increasingly annoying questions until he ended with something along these lines:

“So why does a Guinea want to work for the PD? Looking to do your buddies some in house favors?”

My Grandfather was still in pretty good shape at the time(having just come back from ww2) and a pretty big man for those days(6′ 3″). He dove over the interview table and landed a right cross, knocking the sergeant back off his chair and was getting ready to take it to him further before some subordinates rushed in and pulled him off.

The only reason I even know the story is that my great grandfather told my Dad, my Grandfather never told me the story.

There’s no way in hell my Grandfather should have ever been a cop…and that was a good way for the PD to find out. Too bad PC society doesn’t allow for stuff like that today, it’d probably weed out a lot more bad cops.

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True Dat! December 19, 2014 at 11:45 am

Btw, if cops were steroid tested that would eliminate quite a few of them, most of which are probably bad cops anway because steroid use makes them more aggressive and can induce mild psychosis that isn’t readily apparent.

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Squishy123 December 18, 2014 at 8:30 pm

What does the White Caucus want?

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FastEddy23 December 18, 2014 at 8:37 pm

I have no problems with cops wearing cameras or wires.

BUT I believe that cops have the same rights as everyone else and these should be optional at the particular officer’s discretion.

In the case of all of these armed and dangerous federal, state and local g’ment employees, who may or may not have taken psychological profiling examination (as many cops have) … These now heavily armed “civil” servants should wear cameras and wires when they go into the public armed. (Example: Those Swat Teams working for the B. Land Management and carrying assault rifles and other fire arms should have been wearing cameras and wires. … You all remember Dirty Harry Reid’s unconstitutional land grabbers, right?)

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Flip Coscoe December 18, 2014 at 8:42 pm

I agree. Why not wire the president and congress?

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FastEddy23 December 19, 2014 at 11:47 am

… or the “black” caucus …

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What? December 19, 2014 at 11:51 am

“BUT I believe that cops have the same rights as everyone else and these should be optional at the particular officer’s discretion.”

They have rights. If they want to work for the gov’t and the gov’t decides that an employment requirement is to wear a mic/camera, their rights haven’t been violated.

They can go work for some other employer that doesn’t require a mic/camera.

Problem solved.

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FastEddy23 December 19, 2014 at 12:27 pm

… and then many cops would evolve into cameramen and stenographers instead of proactive Constables On Patrol.

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What? December 19, 2014 at 9:21 pm

The Supreme Court has already ruled that they have no duty to protect anyone(other than themselves). It would be nice if they actually were Constables/Peace officers.

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FastEddy23 December 29, 2014 at 6:53 pm

Yes … and if everyone believes what they see on TV, then …

All of the cops I know are proactive, Constables On Patrol, and will respond to a phone request or shout for help, whether their camera gear is working or not.

What?, you some kind o’ sea lawyer?

Scrappy December 18, 2014 at 10:28 pm

I think its a great idea! I just don’t believe that the legislature should mandate it without providing 100% of the funding.

I also think they should order one for every house member and senator. They can jump on board with the cops and we can see how business gets done in Columbia.

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erneba December 19, 2014 at 8:29 am

I welcome the news that all cops will have to wear cameras. And it will show that the majority of arrests of blacks by either a white or black cops will show aberrant to violent behavior on behalf of the person arrested.

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snickering December 19, 2014 at 10:51 am

Excellent idea! Where would one get one of those cameras? I’d like to have one.

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IDK December 19, 2014 at 6:57 pm

Bring on the cop cams – will finally prove once and for all that the majority of law enforcement personal are good honest people who unfortunately deal with dangerous thugs.

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Walker Aguila December 20, 2014 at 7:34 am

Let these same legislators wear cameras. Let’s not forget “history” as he says, Lost Trust, Bobby Harrell, current investigation… On and on.

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RW December 20, 2014 at 11:10 pm

The legislature mandated in car video cameras for all LE. They funded that for about 2 years and then that was gone!!!!! I am sure this plan will work as great as the other plan. There is not an agency in SC that can afford to record and store a shift’s worth of video on an ongoing basis!

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Nope December 21, 2014 at 5:16 pm

Sure they can, it costs nothing to stream a months worth of cam/mic to a cloud server.

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