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Sunday, October 05, 2014

Police Departments Retaliate Against Organized "Cop Watch" Groups Across the US

When communities attempt to police the police, they often get, well... policed.

In several states, organized groups that use police scanners and knowledge of checkpoints to collectively monitor police activities by legally and peacefully filming cops on duty have said they've experienced retaliation, including unjustified detainment and arrests as well as police intimidation.

The groups operate under many decentralized organizations, most notably CopWatch and Cop Block, and have proliferated across the United States in the last decade - and especially in the aftermath of the events that continue to unfold in Ferguson, Missouri, after officer Darren Wilson fatally shot unarmed, black teenager Michael Brown.

Many such groups have begun proactively patrolling their communities with cameras at various times during the week, rather than reactively turning on their cameras when police enter into their neighborhoods or when they happen to be around police activity.

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tough Poo Poo! It's our rights! Please read the Bill of rights one more time.

Anonymous said...

Isn't that called stalking.

Anonymous said...

Too bad, sorry to hurt your feelings! Gee, you never hurt our feelings, do you?

What a batch of idiots!

Anonymous said...

Good, copwatch is full of instigating morons.

Anonymous said...

Guess they're afraid that they won't be able to continue to operate outside the color of law and get away with it. I'm glad this article was shared. I just founded a cop watch group right here on DelMarVa.

poed local wicomico resident said...

I have been pulled over and made to exit my vehicle and told to not use my phone to record and also told to hang up my Bluetooth while I was detained so they could search my car. Their dog alerted to my car ( dog sat) after officer pulled his leash with her back to me said something inaudible and they searched my car.... Nothing found..... Was told the dog only alerts to 4 things weed, coke, methods and heroin.... All which have never and will never be in my car... All this over my tags being expired wicomico county is the only police agency around here that doesn't have cameras in their units and for good reason. With the exception of a few most are bullies with a badge that were beat up in school and now have a god complex because they have a badge and there is nothing they say that will be challenged by a judge.... The court takes the officers word every single time. Oh and have a complaint about the sheriff.. too bad nothing you can do... No punishment can come to him from a higher person all you can do is vote him out...that is if someone there runs against him... There is no more checks and balances in the court system any more what they say and want to do is what's going to be done.

Anonymous said...

Another way for the hood to do and get what they want. "NO LAW"

Anonymous said...

9:39 AKA you don't have a life. Officers don't do enough around here. The judges let the criminals go, when they need to have their heads bashed. Post when you cop hater group meets...

Anonymous said...

I think recording an incident is fair but to record officers otherwise is stalking and should be illegal.

Anonymous said...

They plant drugs in your car too, just like they do here in Wack-o county.

lmclain said...

One would think that the police would welcome such activities. You know, the "if you're not doing anything wrong, why worry?" cheerleaders? Remember that one??? One of the great mantra's of the "let the police and government listen to, watch, detain, and question anyone they like, for any reason they can make up" crowd. Ya can't have it both ways, can you?
No one can be sincerely be accused of the various "crimes" they normally harass citizens with, i.e., "interfering with a police officer", "obstruction", and "hindering a police officer", when you are FILMING them from 25-75 yards away.
They do it anyway.....even though courts across the country have ruled that, the police, like citizens, have no right to "privacy" while in public.
But then again, when have the Gestapo respected the law or acted like it applied to THEM?
Start posting their name, picture, and address, too.

Anonymous said...

9:39 here. I have a life bud. It's more about me not being a sheep. Our rights are ours to protect. I don't hate police. I believe that they should honor their oath.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I think recording an incident is fair but to record officers otherwise is stalking and should be illegal.

October 4, 2014 at 8:56 AM

Well I'm glad our Supreme Court disagrees with you. And if you really believe that crap, isn't our governmentS stalking US with all the surveillance cameras, speed cameras, red light cameras and now drones?

Whatever is legal for cops should also be legal for the general public, and in this case, it is.

alex homestead said...

I think the funny part is 2:15 I think I saw this a month ago.... The one on Emerson. That officer was training a boot straight out of academy great training. NOT

Anonymous said...

Never understand why cops don't want to be filmed. If you are doing nothing wrong what's the problem officer? Isn't that what the cops say? I could make my duck retriever "alert" on your car if I wanted to.

LastMohican said...

I used to follow CopBlock and others on Facebook. I finally had to stop following them. Not because I disagreed with them, but because of all the bad things they caught kops doing, on film, and in a lot of different states. And even different cities in the SAME state.

Agree with them or not, they do provide a valuable service to us, that like freedoms and holding accountable those who have power over us.

About the only ones I see that have a problem with them are other bad kops.

But it does not bother them enough to STOP being bad kops.

Anonymous said...

Kops are bad for our society.

They need to stop enforcing the elite's statutory laws.

Enforce only Common Law which is Constitutional.