LAPD officers monkey-wrenched cop-monitoring gear in patrol cars

[roo_ster]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/04/lapd-officers-monkey-wrenched-cop-monitoring-gear-in-patrol-cars/

The Los Angeles Police Commission is investigating how half of the recording antennas in the Southeast Division went missing, seemingly as a way to evade new self-monitoring procedures that the Los Angeles Police Department imposed last year.

Further Reading
Boston policemen complain about new plan to watch their movements

Anon officer: “No one likes it. Who wants to be followed all over the place?”
The antennas, which are mounted onto individual patrol cars, receive recorded audio captured from an officer’s belt-worn transmitter. The transmitter is designed to capture an officer’s voice and transmit the recording to the car itself for storage. The voice recorders are part of a video camera system that is mounted in a front-facing camera on the patrol car. Both elements are activated any time the car’s emergency lights and sirens are turned on, but they can also be activated manually.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an LAPD investigation determined that around half of the 80 patrol cars in one South LA division were missing antennas as of last summer, and an additional 10 antennas were unaccounted for.

If they aren't doing anything wrong, they ought not mind being monitored...

[Tallpine]

“No one likes it. Who wants to be followed all over the place?”

Certainly not all the people that you've been following 

Ha!   

[brimic]

They used that equipment to fire some Milwaukee cops  a few years back who were breaking into a closed down bowling alley to bowl and drink while they were supposed to be out on patrol.

[griz]

When we hear about some officer that does bad, wrong, or illegal things, the defenders usually fall back on the "few bad apples" defense.  I'll admit that one officer may have disabled (lets call it vandalized, which is a crime) more than one system.  But half of the cars?  That's a systemic problem, not an isolated incident.

[Scout26]

an LAPD investigation determined that around half of the 80 patrol cars in one South LA division were missing antennas as of last summer, and an additional 10 antennas were unaccounted for.

When I was in the Army, "missing" was pretty much the same as "unaccounted for". 

So it's ~50 out of 80 that don't have antennas?

[Balog]

I find it interesting how sharply rates of use of force drop when the cops are on camera. It's almost like they were using unjustified force before, and stop when they know they'll be held accountable...

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

That is one perspective.  There is another.  You might find it elusive

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[Balog]

That is one perspective.  There is another.  You might find it elusive

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I assume you're implying that people realize they're being filmed and so are on their best behaviour? Because of course people who are willing to assault a cop and take a beating/shooting for it, would be too timid to do so on camera. 

I bet they were the ones who disabled the recorders on these poor cops' cars too huh? You really are beyond parody sometimes. And now, back to my policy of not feeding your troll ass.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-putting-cameras-cops-behave/16202

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[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://abcnews.go.com/News/school-bus-rides-from-hell-do-surveillance-cameras-help/blogEntry?id=17354805

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[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Do they drive the same car everyday? I know some fleets that monitor.  And some drivers learn how to disable the systems.  never knew anyone who hooked it back up after.

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[cassandra and sara's daddy]

And how do they mount? Which district? I think its odd that only one area has a bunch missing.  Would expect a more widespread action. What is the range on these things with and without?

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[MechAg94]

Have they ruled out vandalism by others?  Just curious. 

I also would think they ought to know who was the driver.  The question is can they discipline them for it? 

[cordex]

Have they ruled out vandalism by others?  Just curious. 

Seems pretty unlikely to me.  That would be a pretty specific and consistent vandalism.

Honestly, I get the sentiment from the officers.  I'd not be thrilled if everything I did throughout the day in my office were recorded to later possibly be used against me.  However, perhaps that is the price they need to pay for the protections they enjoy.

[Tallpine]

I also would think they ought to know who was the driver.  The question is can they discipline them for it? 

Don't they have to do a "pre-flight" check of the car at the start of the shift 

We had to do that with school buses.

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

I also would think they ought to know who was the driver.  The question is can they discipline them for it?

Yes. Arrest their arse, vandalism, destruction of government property. Will they arrest them?  No. Not going to happen.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Any idea what the antenna looks like? Size?  Apparently missing just cuts range by 1/3. And is their system always on? Typically they aren't

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[cordex]

Apparently missing just cuts range by 1/3.

I doubt the beat cop knows that, though.

And is their system always on? Typically they aren't

The body mics that our county mounties use are tied to the dash cam which only operates (along with a 30 second or so buffer) when they activate their lights or manually tell it to record.  Also, the mics can be manually disabled even when the dash cam is going.  I've seen that happen when a deputy wanted to cut someone a real break without being recorded doing so.

That said, my guess is that if the cops are attempting to disable the systems on their car by yanking antennae, they probably don't have that level of control over them.

[KD5NRH]

IMO, the solution is to go to the on-body cameras, and use them as the time clock; shift starts when your camera comes on, and when it goes off, you're on an unpaid break.  Allow 5-10 minutes to report a camera failure, and use the dashcam to monitor their return to the station for a replacement.  Too many camera failures in high pressure situations and you get a full crew with a Panaflex following you around.  (Film costs deducted from the chief's discretionary budget, of course.)

[MechAg94]

Seems pretty unlikely to me.  That would be a pretty specific and consistent vandalism.

Honestly, I get the sentiment from the officers.  I'd not be thrilled if everything I did throughout the day in my office were recorded to later possibly be used against me.  However, perhaps that is the price they need to pay for the protections they enjoy.

I wouldn't want to be videoed at all times either.  BUT, if I was in a job where I knew a good percentage of people were looking for reasons to complain against me, I might be much in favor of having it all on video.  As one of the quotes said that I saw on one of the links; this is really about collecting evidence, not playing gotcha with the cops or others.  There is a more or less impartial record.

[cordex]

I wouldn't want to be videoed at all times either.  BUT, if I was in a job where I knew a good percentage of people were looking for reasons to complain against me, I might be much in favor of having it all on video.

Totally agree.  Recorded interactions with the public is a benefit to a good cop.

As one of the quotes said that I saw on one of the links; this is really about collecting evidence, not playing gotcha with the cops or others.  There is a more or less impartial record.

In general, yes, but I don't get the feeling that this system is purely for collecting evidence on people the cops interact with.  If it were, there wouldn't be a good reason (short of bad coppery) for the cops to want to disable it.  Moreover, if it were primarily for evidence collection then there isn't really a reason I can think of to spend all that extra money on a dedicated radio-based system in each car to transmit that information in real time to a centralize location.  It is in the interests of police to collect good evidence, and a conventional dash-cam or on-body camera handles that pretty well for a lot less.

Thus, it makes me think some combination of the following is true:
1. This particular system is directed at catching bad cops - perhaps for good reason.
2. LAPD's budget is too big
3. Someone high up in LAPD knows (in the biblical sense) someone at a vendor that sells realtime cop car monitoring systems.

[Balog]

If they get sovereign immunity, they wave any right to whine about getting recorded every second they spend on the job. Or 24/7 for that matter, if they have the same immunity when off duty.

[cordex]

If they get sovereign immunity, they wave any right to whine about getting recorded every second they spend on the job. Or 24/7 for that matter, if they have the same immunity when off duty.

Qualified immunity != sovereign immunity.

[Hawkmoon]

I find it interesting how sharply rates of use of force drop when the cops are on camera. It's almost like they were using unjustified force before, and stop when they know they'll be held accountable...

Yeah ... what a coincidence.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

dedicated radio-based system in each car to transmit that information in real time to a centralize location

is that whats happening?  i read it differently

"The antennas, which are mounted onto individual patrol cars, receive recorded audio captured from an officer’s belt-worn transmitter. The transmitter is designed to capture an officer’s voice and transmit the recording to the car itself for storage. "


seems its just to take the signal from camera and record it in car