“They’re saying that it’s all about transparency because in a day and age when everyone has one of these [a cell phone], they want to document all RNC events on behalf of the city” said the reporter to open the segment (see video above) on the “Police Video Unit” featured on WEWS Newschannel 5 out of Cleveland.
I believe the segment would like to lead you to believe that the police are being proactive in terms of using technology to provide transparency but this is nothing more than double speak and a public relations stunt.
Ed Tomba, Deputy Chief in Cleveland, stood in front of the media to talk up the unit stating,
“if an incident occurs they [the video unit] are to get to that location, they’re gonna be assigned to these different units, and they’re going to go and they’re gonna take a video record of that, so we have it.”
The reporter then goes on to state how “the unit is made up of supervisors and officers and they’ll film everything an officer would typically catch on a body cam.”
Sounds good right? Supervisors and senior officers making sure everything is going smooth and transparent, except that these are the same supervisors and officers whom the Federal Government found to commit regular acts of police corruption, as featured here by Anthony Fisher:
Officers were cited for frequent and unnecessary use of their guns, for firing when no life-threatening circumstances existed, and getting into unnecessary altercations with suspects during arrests. In addition, police supervisors were noted for covering up reports of physical force by failing to fill out the proper paperwork. City and federal officials signed a 105-page consent decree in May.
That investigation ended in April of this year and the Cleveland PD is required to do retraining and other changes to policy under the direction of the Federal Government. Which means you really must be corrupt if the biggest, most corrupt agency on the planet is monitoring your for corruption.
Getting back to the news story. Given the FACT that the Cleveland police are one of the most heavy handed police on the planet, one can’t help but wonder “if this Video Unit is going to catch what officers normally would on a body camera, then why not just have officers wear body cameras?”
Luckily Tomba, being a Deputy Chief and all, had the answer – but it’s just more doublespeak – stating,
if you have to put on your personal protection gear, there is NO PLACE FOR THAT CAMERA TO BE WORN, you WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO WEAR YOUR CITY ISSUED BODY WORN CAMERA.
Seriously? Did he say that?
[See here to read about the 2,000 sets of ‘protection gear’ bought by CPD for the RNC]
If this doesn’t prove that this press conference was nothing more than a PR stunt for the Cleveland Police department then nothing will convince you. Even still I’ll try.
Tomba, one of the highest ranking officers in the Cleveland Police department honestly believes that in 2016 there is no possible way to put a video camera on someone wearing “protective gear??” If this was true, then he should be demoted immediately, he’s too outdated to be a high ranking cop.
Furthermore, not only can NO ONE on the entire Cleveland Police force figure out how to use velcro or duct tape but also believe the BEST solution to this problem (that really isn’t a problem) is to make a unit whose job is supposed to do what body cameras have already do? What planet are we living on? These are the people deemed with the tasks of keeping people safe during the RNC???
Sadly, that’s what they want you to believe. That they are working to keep you safe but they aren’t and this is nothing more than doublespeak and public relations.
The Cleveland police are not concerned with transparency at all. If they were they would do whatever it takes to put body cameras on each of their officers. Yet, they aren’t and what they are doing is allowing the officers who are most likely to use force (because protective gear is also called riot gear) to go without the video transparency they so eagerly want you to believe they seek. All the while doing things to make that even more difficult.
Seems pretty convenient doesn’t it? Do you feel like you’re living in George Orwell’s “1984” yet? I know I do.
Source Article from http://www.copblock.org/162501/cleveland-police-unveil-police-video-unit/
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