Body cameras are coming --- The last straw for many

[Unregistered]

Great post. Nobody that works here wants cameras.

All of my supervisors... and I can't stand a few of those fukcers... all of them have said they don't want any deputies to wear cameras but they will do what the Sheriff says.

[Unregistered]

Some people like em some don't. If it was just used for cases and to "prevent false allegations" that would be one thing. However it is not. The videos get posted to social media, admin reviews and criticizes and questions why you did what you did, officer discretion is gone, everyone's privacy is gone (including medical calls) and death investigations (would you want a loved one who passed to be recorded and available to the public?), if a cop is on scene with a body camera they are likely recording (all public record), and MANY MORE EXAMPLES.. So, what was intended to be used for good is being used against us and at times the public. Do you want everyone to know your business? The layout and interior of your house? You ask me to stop recording.. nope I can't Due to violating policy. People walk up to us and want to provide information of a crime or drug activity and wish to remain anonymous; nope. Policy states I have to record when dealing with the public. So they see that camera get turned on and they turn and walk away. So just a small layer of the many issues.

Nice scary post but you have zero knowledge about what’s public record or not. Many of the recording situations you mentioned would be redacted. Other departments don’t have the privacy issues you’re describing. If we’re the “elite” as some would say, we can figure it out too. Just do you job and let people who know what they’re doing worry about public records. There’s not going to be dead bodies all over social media. Lol

[Unregistered]

For those that actually work here, you may remember that the previous chief deputy said repeatedly during at least two of his "all hands" annual meetings that the former sheriff and he were completely against cameras for some of the very reasons stated above. Without going into massive details...Up front hardware costs, long term data storage (and bandwidth costs if stored remotely), clerical costs for employees to administer the system and redact anything required by Florida law (remember, you still have to release the record even if most of it is redacted), privacy issues for citizens (raise your hand if you want your non-violent argument with your spouse or your half naked daughter who tried to cut her wrists in the bathtub as a public record), the loss of discretion (Robocop), and perhaps most importantly the erosion of trust between the community and the Sheriff's Office. We honest to God have no idea how good we still have it in Hillsborough in terms of community relations. Things get better and worse as a cycle over the years, but overall the citizens really like us and the SAO and courts take us at our word. Good God, can you imagine working in Baltimore? As soon as we add cameras our word is mud because if it didn't record, it didn't happen. Having been one of the few deputies with a camera, I can tell you through no fault of my own that sometimes hardware is just a piece of shit and often at the most inconvenient times. It happens. When your Windows machine crashes with a blue screen of death, well, that sucks, but when a cop's camera doesn't record it's a vast conspiracy to oppress people everywhere. I've been here a very long time and I've never once been the target of a false allegation that couldn't immediately be proven false by my supervisor. But then, I'm the kind of person that just does my job like I'm supposed to.

I have no fear of being recorded. I'll do what I've always done because like the vast majority of cops I'm honest and I don't break the rules. But just like the GPS system, I know that what is said and what is actually done won't be the case and I know it'll end up giving me some heartburn somewhere down the road. I'm more worried about how it'll negatively affect my job, my ability to interact with the people in my zone, and the agency's money that could certainly be used for something better.

The current Sheriff is acquiescing to the demands of a vocal minority. It is no doubt informed by his politics and those of our SAO. The problem is that you can never appease these people. They always want more. Just like Czechoslovakia. They do not want police accountability. They want the complete disbanding of law enforcement. So they do it by baby steps. The public eventually gets accustomed to what used to be absurd.

[Unregistered]

All of my supervisors... and I can't stand a few of those fukcers... all of them have said they don't want any deputies to wear cameras but they will do what the Sheriff says.

If you had integrity, you would contact a supervisor above them and report their behavior. Probably schedule a meeting with your major or captain.

[Unregistered]

Here’s another plague inside Pandora’s box that will come into play with the cameras. Are the deputies who do the interviews during the investigations going to get a chance to review the videos they recorded? When it comes to report writing and the videos being viewed afterwards, what if a deputy misses something, or mixes up something, a victim/suspect said?

What if a deputy writes the victim said he was hit 4 times, and a later review of the video by a supervisor or by the public reveals the victim said he was hit 5 times? Is the deputy going to be accused of falsifying a report?

And, if deputies are able to review the video footage to assist with writing the reports, are the deputies going to be given the adequate amount of time to review all the recoded footage? From all the investigations? As it is now, deputies are not given adequate time to search through, and thoroughly review, all the shoplifting videos that captures the entire incident. Especially when there are multiple cameras capturing a shoplifting incident. If a group of 4 individuals splits up inside a store, and they are there for 30 minutes, with 8 cameras… that’s a minimum of 4 hours viewing video, AFTER the footage is located, cued up, and if the surveillance system is working properly.

Any deputy could get burned, on any case, by leaving something out or by mixing up something an interviewee says.

[Unregistered]

Here’s another plague inside Pandora’s box that will come into play with the cameras. Are the deputies who do the interviews during the investigations going to get a chance to review the videos they recorded? When it comes to report writing and the videos being viewed afterwards, what if a deputy misses something, or mixes up something, a victim/suspect said?

What if a deputy writes the victim said he was hit 4 times, and a later review of the video by a supervisor or by the public reveals the victim said he was hit 5 times? Is the deputy going to be accused of falsifying a report?

And, if deputies are able to review the video footage to assist with writing the reports, are the deputies going to be given the adequate amount of time to review all the recoded footage? From all the investigations? As it is now, deputies are not given adequate time to search through, and thoroughly review, all the shoplifting videos that captures the entire incident. Especially when there are multiple cameras capturing a shoplifting incident. If a group of 4 individuals splits up inside a store, and they are there for 30 minutes, with 8 cameras… that’s a minimum of 4 hours viewing video, AFTER the footage is located, cued up, and if the surveillance system is working properly.

Any deputy could get burned, on any case, by leaving something out or by mixing up something an interviewee says.

What if a deputy mixes up something a victim/suspect said? What do you think should happen? They get a promotion?! Here we go with the typical millennial needing approval and validation even when they’re dead wrong. If someone is so incompetent that they mix up important statements in a criminal investigation, they clearly need corrective and progressive discipline. You say it like it’s no big deal to mix up important statements in a criminal case. Come on, man. You know that’s just wrong. How can the public trust an agency that covers up that sort of incompetence? You make it seem like your opposition to wearing body cameras is because you’re afraid to get caught doing something corrupt. I really hope that is not true.

[Unregistered]

What if a deputy mixes up something a victim/suspect said? What do you think should happen? They get a promotion?!

Apparently you've never heard off the "mess up, move up" principle. In all seriousness there's a big difference between mixing up "Sandy shot me" vs "Samantha shot me" and "he hit me four times" vs "he hit me five times." If they are looking to burn someone, they can use any minor discrepancy to pull the BS "falsifying" gimmick.

[Unregistered]

Nice scary post but you have zero knowledge about what’s public record or not. Many of the recording situations you mentioned would be redacted. Other departments don’t have the privacy issues you’re describing. If we’re the “elite” as some would say, we can figure it out too. Just do you job and let people who know what they’re doing worry about public records. There’s not going to be dead bodies all over social media. Lol

Yeah cause like everything else that is fool proof and never fails.

[Unregistered]

For those that actually work here, you may remember that the previous chief deputy said repeatedly during at least two of his "all hands" annual meetings that the former sheriff and he were completely against cameras for some of the very reasons stated above. Without going into massive details...Up front hardware costs, long term data storage (and bandwidth costs if stored remotely), clerical costs for employees to administer the system and redact anything required by Florida law (remember, you still have to release the record even if most of it is redacted), privacy issues for citizens (raise your hand if you want your non-violent argument with your spouse or your half naked daughter who tried to cut her wrists in the bathtub as a public record), the loss of discretion (Robocop), and perhaps most importantly the erosion of trust between the community and the Sheriff's Office. We honest to God have no idea how good we still have it in Hillsborough in terms of community relations. Things get better and worse as a cycle over the years, but overall the citizens really like us and the SAO and courts take us at our word. Good God, can you imagine working in Baltimore? As soon as we add cameras our word is mud because if it didn't record, it didn't happen. Having been one of the few deputies with a camera, I can tell you through no fault of my own that sometimes hardware is just a piece of shit and often at the most inconvenient times. It happens. When your Windows machine crashes with a blue screen of death, well, that sucks, but when a cop's camera doesn't record it's a vast conspiracy to oppress people everywhere. I've been here a very long time and I've never once been the target of a false allegation that couldn't immediately be proven false by my supervisor. But then, I'm the kind of person that just does my job like I'm supposed to.

I have no fear of being recorded. I'll do what I've always done because like the vast majority of cops I'm honest and I don't break the rules. But just like the GPS system, I know that what is said and what is actually done won't be the case and I know it'll end up giving me some heartburn somewhere down the road. I'm more worried about how it'll negatively affect my job, my ability to interact with the people in my zone, and the agency's money that could certainly be used for something better.

The current Sheriff is acquiescing to the demands of a vocal minority. It is no doubt informed by his politics and those of our SAO. The problem is that you can never appease these people. They always want more. Just like Czechoslovakia. They do not want police accountability. They want the complete disbanding of law enforcement. So they do it by baby steps. The public eventually gets accustomed to what used to be absurd.

You hit some good points. I don't work with this agency so some may criticize why I am posting on it. Doesn't matter.

Once the agency I work with added cameras, our word means very little. I know because my lithium battery pack expanded and I had to turn my body cam in. Thankfully it did not blow up and catch fire. Probably would be a fairly decent check $$$. So I had to wait a while to get the replacement.

Other times, my bluetooth device to activate the body cam would not work properly and failed to turn the camera on.

So the defendant's attorney is all about questioning why is there no video. It seems the new mentality is "not on camera it didn't happen? The Public views it as a conspiracy.

As far as another post about facial recognition software in body cams... The Jim Jefferies Show had that exact topic on his show last night. You nailed that.

[Unregistered]

For those that actually work here, you may remember that the previous chief deputy said repeatedly during at least two of his "all hands" annual meetings that the former sheriff and he were completely against cameras for some of the very reasons stated above. Without going into massive details...Up front hardware costs, long term data storage (and bandwidth costs if stored remotely), clerical costs for employees to administer the system and redact anything required by Florida law (remember, you still have to release the record even if most of it is redacted), privacy issues for citizens (raise your hand if you want your non-violent argument with your spouse or your half naked daughter who tried to cut her wrists in the bathtub as a public record), the loss of discretion (Robocop), and perhaps most importantly the erosion of trust between the community and the Sheriff's Office. We honest to God have no idea how good we still have it in Hillsborough in terms of community relations. Things get better and worse as a cycle over the years, but overall the citizens really like us and the SAO and courts take us at our word. Good God, can you imagine working in Baltimore? As soon as we add cameras our word is mud because if it didn't record, it didn't happen. Having been one of the few deputies with a camera, I can tell you through no fault of my own that sometimes hardware is just a piece of shit and often at the most inconvenient times. It happens. When your Windows machine crashes with a blue screen of death, well, that sucks, but when a cop's camera doesn't record it's a vast conspiracy to oppress people everywhere. I've been here a very long time and I've never once been the target of a false allegation that couldn't immediately be proven false by my supervisor. But then, I'm the kind of person that just does my job like I'm supposed to.

I have no fear of being recorded. I'll do what I've always done because like the vast majority of cops I'm honest and I don't break the rules. But just like the GPS system, I know that what is said and what is actually done won't be the case and I know it'll end up giving me some heartburn somewhere down the road. I'm more worried about how it'll negatively affect my job, my ability to interact with the people in my zone, and the agency's money that could certainly be used for something better.

The current Sheriff is acquiescing to the demands of a vocal minority. It is no doubt informed by his politics and those of our SAO. The problem is that you can never appease these people. They always want more. Just like Czechoslovakia. They do not want police accountability. They want the complete disbanding of law enforcement. So they do it by baby steps. The public eventually gets accustomed to what used to be absurd.

Damn good post! Damn good post! This job CAN NOT be done 100% by the book. Contrary to popular belief, when we do break rules, its to go easy on someone and give them a chance. Or to be able to handle the insane call volume. Not the other way around. Anything we do can be misconstrued. Because this job is not understood unless you do it all the time. Even if you had done it, but retired, were promoted, or transferred out of the critical on the spot decision making arena that is patrol, you forget. The reviewers and judgers of this job DO NOT GET IT. Plus, as I have said before, this agency is not ready. We are set up for failure and the cameras will capture that.

Some of these big investigative cases need to be initiated directly a detective sections like many other agencies do. Patrol needs to stop being the gate keepers, initial documenters, and intake of EVERY damn investigation. 350’s need to be direct detective deployment. Same with these long complex and drawn out fraudulent cases. We do way too much detective work. We are too short handed. Too much is dumped on patrol. We are burned out and frustrated.

Dispatch needs to get their heads out of their ass. Sift through these damn calls. They dispatch as if we are fully staffed. When a uint works a god damn zone alone and is on a paper call, why the helll are calls in that zone being stacked to him or her while other zone units are x8? Just because they are not assigned to that zone, they can't go? Why don't they send late cars to late calls? Does it make sense to send a 6 to 6 car to a call at 550 hours when a 7 to 7 car is x8 but assigned to another zone? Does going home even fukking matter? There is no zone integrity here. The agency refuses to staff us. Zone integrity is not maintained by the agency itself. We can not compensate for that.

All this frustrations and the reason deputies resign are what will be captured.

This agency is riddled with toxic energy. Last thing we need is cameras.