The scene: antagonistic.
The air: charged with electricity.
The teams: Blue vs. Bad.
The cell phones: ready and willing.
I'm not sure how many other police departments are dealing with this, and if so, on how regular a basis...but there is not a crime scene or an interaction with the NYPD that is not being filmed, via the cell phone of a PerpFriend, somewhere in the bowels of SoB...today. Or tomorrow.
Okay, let's get our definitions straight here: a PerpFriend is usually the friend of/hanger on/business associate/baby mama/jump off/perp-in-training of the person who is currently having an interaction with the NYPD. They are not only willing to fire up their cell phone and its video capabilities, but they are usually a vocal onlooker, one who likes to be caught up in the fray.
Everything is Drama.
Keep in mind that they selectively film; when the Perp starts with the cop, they wait...their fingers hovering above the record button...no, not yet...not until the cop perhaps shifts his tone, or worse yet...loses his cool. Then they wield the mighty contraption, narrating about dirty cops and police brutality in the language of the Street, eager to load it onto You Tube for the whole (perp) world to see.
Is that happening all over? In the suburbs? In other cities? I'm eager to find out, and eager to hear your take on this. Fire away!
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It's the new age of policing. And it's everywhere. Some smart agencies are doing it right back.
ReplyDeleteI know some Highway Patrol that tapes their interactions via Smartphone as well (plus dashcam) but in an urban environment like SoB, Roc says things usually pop off way too quickly to think to film/record them...plus it's tactically unsafe...which of course puts the Boys in Blue at a disadvantage.
ReplyDelete!! Stella
http://www.digitalallyinc.com/personal-camera.html
ReplyDeleteThis type of concept, I believe, is the future of law enforcement. Some guys will initially balk, but just like dash cam video, it will save way more headache than it will cause. Though it's probably still a generation out.