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See the original image at reuters.com —

NYPD Calls On Citizens For Amateur Video Evidence

reuters.com — By Deborah Jian Lee NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers can soon take a bite out of city crime by uploading video or photo evidence directly to the New York Police Department, in a move welcomed on Thursday by civil rights groups.

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  • alapoet, on 08/01/2008, -1/+76I just hope this is used more along the lines of catching misbehaving police and perpetrators of hate crimes than for, say, turning in footage of your neighbor smoking a joint.
    • halogenik, on 08/02/2008, -1/+23hah. we all know where the misbehaving police videos end up. In the "evidence locker" awaiting "further investigation".
      • Epistaxis, on 08/02/2008, -1/+7Yeah, seems like you can accomplish a lot more by giving them to the media.
      • Bahamut240, on 08/02/2008, -2/+3Yeah, pretty soon there will be community quotas for how many of your neighbors get turned in to the authorities.
    • Shaman760, on 08/02/2008, -1/+4At this point smoking a joint is pretty far down the list of offenses, what with the likes of bus passengers cutting off random people's heads with a bowie knife.
      Potsmokers- just be a bit more discreet...
    • Charun, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3You are not allowed to record police because of terrorism.
    • kelmaster1, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Of course, NYPD would immediately take one video as evidence against the crime. If it's a NYPD cop, then it is not enough evidence and you need a minimum of a hundred white witnesses with zero criminal record (since smoking week 25 years ago makes you an unreliable witness in court, cops pull this ***** all the time).
    • WiseWeasel, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3That's what Youtube is for...
  • Surferess, on 08/01/2008, -0/+48The funniest thing is that people these days are more likely to upload it to youtube than the PD.
    • krnldmp, on 08/02/2008, -0/+9That's not funny. That's justice.
    • tpawloski, on 08/02/2008, -0/+6If someone records police brutality they are better off waiting a day before uploading. The chances are pretty high the police will get caught filing a false police report.
    • kelmaster1, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Good, they should always upload them online. If they were to send some of those police brutality videos to the NYPD you think we'd ever hear about it?
    • troye, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1I too support uploading videos to YouTube. If you send a video of a cop or criminal doing criminal acts then they might do that thing where they can lawfully keeps the case from the media AND us.

      I say ***** they NYPD, upload that ***** to YouTube and send them a link letting them know that the person who captured that photo has he IP rights to it, and they can buy it for 1 billion dollars.
  • MarkusGarvey, on 08/01/2008, -0/+17no matter where you live, don't leave home without your camera!...
  • jodimcmullen, on 08/01/2008, -0/+41hmmmm... could be a good thing. I'd send it to youtube ALSO so the police can't say it didn't exist.
    • Mononuclear, on 08/02/2008, -0/+5Or they change their filing to coincide with the video before the video becomes popular on the internet. The cop in NY that tackled the biker wouldn't have written that he was run over if he saw the video first. He could have changed his story to something still false but at least matches the video
      • jp12380, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3You're right, probably better to keep the video until they make their report. :)
  • lucy22, on 08/01/2008, -4/+20We are becoming such a watchful world. Do I really want the bother of running around to catch criminals with a video camera. I don't think so. That is the police job and why they get paid.
    • Chicken, on 08/02/2008, -2/+10No one is telling you to run around and capture criminals on camera. Besides, this is a good idea to get footage of corrupt cops anyway.
      • slvrbullet87, on 08/02/2008, -2/+4I love how people on digg think every single cop in the nation is a horrible criminal. Blind generalizations such as that just amaze me
      • jp12380, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1We know they aren't all criminals but it seems there is a fair amount that are corrupted.

        I have heard that the diff between a cop and a criminal is very small in the way they think, the good cops actually believe there is a right and wrong and the criminals aren't so sure.
    • Sliver85, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3But if you're recording something and happen to catch a crime in progress, why not have an easy way to share it with the police?
      • RandomGorilla, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Odds are they're the subjects of said video.

        Also, trusting the NYPD to do their job is like trusting the creepy carny with the squiggy eye to watch your kid at the state fair for a day. You might get lucky and have a law-abiding creepy carny but it's more likely you'll be putting up missing child posters before sundown.
    • fety, on 08/02/2008, -1/+3yet they don't always try to catch the real criminals and problem makers, just the innocent pot smokers.
    • skinny01, on 08/02/2008, -0/+6But it's purpose is to catch misbehaving police who have a nice habit of getting away with anything they want unless they're caught live on video. And even then they still get off a high percentage of the time.
      If those criminals people are catching are the guys that are supposed to protect us but they're actually the ones making life dangerous for us, then I'd have no problem having a camera to catch them.
  • pitchblack16, on 08/01/2008, -3/+16wow, way to keep an eye out on everyone, i wonder when itll be safe to piss and ***** in the privacy of my own home
    • Anpheus, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2We've been keeping an eye on your toilet for a while, Pitchblack16, and we don't appreciate your defiling of it.

      So no, it still isn't safe for YOU to piss and ***** in the privacy of your home.

      You're welcome to let your guests use it however. And no shenanigans, remember what happened last time?
  • ro2ert, on 08/01/2008, -2/+28Yeah, it's really gonna fly when the police are beating the hell out of some black kid, or shooting some groom on his wedding day, and you're standing there with a cel-phone camera. I can't wait for fresh "obstruction charges" which is what you get for filming, even after they destroy the evidence of their abuses.
    • skinny01, on 08/02/2008, -1/+7They should have cameras that let you wirelessly upload realtime to a webserver as you're filming, that way there's no ability for the police to destroy the evidence.
  • VKMO, on 08/01/2008, -1/+24I think it'd be a really good idea to make a back-up copy of any footage you have of cops breaking the law, before you upload it to the NYPD site.
    • czeman, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Uhhh, your copy isn't gonna disappear when you upload it.
  • bonlebon, on 08/02/2008, -0/+27How long before they get Rick Rolled?
  • MidnightRIder77, on 08/02/2008, -7/+2You know that they're video submission are going to be mostly ***** that isn't important. Like some guy from the midwest recording j-walkers in NYC.
    • bullox, on 08/02/2008, -0/+6Their. And way to stereotype midwesterners.
    • Bahamut240, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2guys from the midwest recording j-walkers? Obviously you have never been to Chicago.
  • swazo, on 08/02/2008, -1/+9haha, until they beat your ass for filming them. I can see this going horribly wrong. I sure hope they inform the police that people are infact allowed to film them.
  • tnoy, on 08/02/2008, -2/+26This is going to backfire when most of the videos are of the NYPD doing something illegal, like shoving a cyclist off a bike for no reason.
  • astrobela, on 08/02/2008, -1/+11That's what people used to do in Romania during the communist era because of Securitatea, turn in any suspect neighbor.What is US becoming?
    • RandomGorilla, on 08/02/2008, -1/+3What do you mean, "becoming?"
    • neozeed, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2That's why we brought in a Chertoff to help us!
      Thank GOD Marcus Wolf died before he could see his Stasi/USA dream come to fruition!
  • OneRottenTomato, on 08/02/2008, -1/+9Maybe somebody should finally brief the police on this little place called Youtube. Seems like a lot of them are still unaware that Big Brother is a two way street.
  • shithitinthefan, on 08/02/2008, -1/+1...you dirty rat
    http://www.artline.ro/admin/_files/newsannounce/ca ...
  • DeFex, on 08/02/2008, -1/+9but what about amateur video of beatings, tazeringss and other thuggish behavior by their members. yes turn it in and "dissapear"
    • diggystardust, on 08/02/2008, -1/+2as stated above, this is the reason for sending it both to them AND youtube
  • Lambboy, on 08/02/2008, -2/+7An EXCELLENT tool for the police to get a jump start on the press release to cover their ass instead of getting blindsided like they normally do by the press. Or at least what passes for press these days.
  • ChromaVita, on 08/02/2008, -1/+4Esnitch.com
  • joeanon, on 08/02/2008, -3/+2YEAH... cooperate with us... OR WE'LL BEAT IT OUT OF YA.

    Police in most major cities need to beg on their knees if they will have any chance of gaining the public's trust after happily embracing the Bush beat first and ask questions later policies.

    It's abuse of power run wild and the people can clearly see it. That's the vital flaw with abusing your citizens.

    When you finally realize the people are the best eyes on the street you have... it's far too late. All you can do now is arrest and try to flip them.
  • alz0rz, on 08/02/2008, -7/+4***** you.. two of my friends died trying to capture amateur police video.
    • abajaj2280, on 08/02/2008, -5/+1You're killing this classic Digg quote.
      • pintomp3, on 08/02/2008, -2/+5***** you.. two classic digg memes died from overuse.
  • TinternAbbot, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Great, next step: deputize the population and shake hands with one another about creating a "safer" place. 30 years later, reminisce about civil rights.
  • CamperBob, on 08/02/2008, -1/+6This is a great idea! Why, just the other day I was walking down the street with my camera and I managed to film a bunch of black-clad thugs with guns, blocking traffic in the middle of the street. One of the gang members ran up to a guy on a bicycle and body-slammed him as he rode by. I wonder if the NYPD could use my video to help track down these miscreants?
  • pintomp3, on 08/02/2008, -0/+8You too can become a Junior Spy!
  • HonestAbe, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3Amateur video evidence of crimes by civilians AND crimes by cops, hopefully.
  • WoollyMittens, on 08/02/2008, -1/+3I'm pretty sure they would frown on the uploading of police-brutality. Maybe such files would mysteriously disappear.
  • gcnaddict, on 08/02/2008, -0/+4Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini told the citizens of Iran to keep an eye out on their neighbors for suspicion. This fearmongering ***** led to the current police state that is Iran (ignoring the religious aspect here). You can't trust anyone there anymore, even your neighbors.

    Same thing is happening here, and it's not looking good.
    • JohnCub, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Incidentally, your sentiment is covered in depth in the most recent issue of National Geographic magazine. Interesting read for those of us that know little or no substantial truths of the middle east.
  • Princeamor, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2Best thing that has ever happened!! Every State/City should have this so we can keep police accountable!!!
  • swordphish, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1I can welcome that idea. Maybe people will start taking responsibility for their own actions.
  • dildoolielly, on 08/02/2008, -0/+6Meanwhile the NYPD are trying to outlaw video taping police officers? ....hmmmm

    Also, WTF would anyone send video tapes to the fake news networks or the cops? We don't need our videos filtered by the "media" or the cops,

    Put that ***** on YouTube, the rest will take care of itself.
    • Naieve, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2They can outlaw it if they want.

      When a million people are viewing the police brutality on YouTube, we will all be laughing at them as they lose their badges and the law is revoked.

      Personally, with the way things are nowadays, how hard would it be to outfit all cops with personal cameras that have to be on during any calls and altercations....
  • Lynx55, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Hmmm...great idea until someone gets killed taping something they shouldn't be......then who's fault will it be?
  • hochylora, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2so when can we start erecting the gulags and torturing our own?
  • crackberri, on 08/02/2008, -3/+0The only problem is that it will be harder for the ACLU protect the criminals……
  • notalemming, on 08/02/2008, -0/+2where they not able to receive youtube links before this? Is this to encourage us monitoring ourselves? we do that already
  • normlsparky, on 08/02/2008, -0/+3now if only the police wouldn't arrest/beat you for filming them and destroy the evidence.
  • czeman, on 08/02/2008, -2/+2Do you see what's happening here? The people that feel the police pre-judge people are pre-judging what the NYPD brass is going to do with the videos and say to automatically upload to YouTube at the same time. Why don't you try and ***** PROVE what you believe will happen? Upload your videos directly to NYPD and keep your trap shut for a while. Document when you uploaded the video. If nothing happens after six months (give some time for an investigation), THEN upload to YouTube. You'll play the game properly if you really want to prove there are problems all the way to the top.

    I'm sick of you people judging all police officers based on the actions of the few bad apples. You want more done about the bad cops, but sit there and bitch when they make an honest effort to do so.
  • toetagger, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1Well, I tell you what - we'll just keep pointing our cameras at the police instead.
  • HippyJM, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I was under the impression it is now illegal to videotape in New York City.
  • irspariah, on 08/15/2008, -0/+0The police have a vested interest in preserving crime, not eliminating it. Where would they find work if all the criminals were eliminated? They cherry pick for the best news bites, and let most of the important ones run rampant. That's right morons--support your local police!
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