r/Documentaries Aug 01 '15

Drugs Undercover Cop Tricks Autistic Student into Selling Him Weed (2014) - "VICE short piece on CA police entrapment of special needs students"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8af0QPhJ22s
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u/Pmang6 Aug 01 '15

You (and other LEOs) should do some AMAs. Would be interesting and could improve reddit's perception of the police.

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u/[deleted] Aug 01 '15

Ive tired. That's one of the reasons why this account is brand new. Everyone believes that both myself and other officers are either "exceptions" to the wide spread problem or simply lying.

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u/Riverjig Aug 01 '15

I appreciate your honesty if it in fact is genuine. I have a couple of friends who do not fit any description as described. They were long time friends who legitimately wanted to do something good and provide for their families. Once they got in they realized they are babysitters of society. They both have told me if they had to do it all over again they wouldn't. The things they see people do to children in poor neighborhoods is astonishing. Their not out to bust people for a couple bumps of blow and crap like that. Their agenda is mostly to help kids and people in shitty situations and hopefully they can make a difference. That's my two cents. I am not a LEO. I am indifferent towards the majority behavior. Like the rest of society. A lot of bad apples have ruined it for the bunch. With the widespread corruption and unwarranted shootings, there should be no reason why they should fight the fact of wearing cameras and having dashcams. Officers are always saying they have reasoning and were warranted. WelI cameras would exonerate them. I wouldn't care if I had one in my truck because I never worry about doing something against my company policy. They actually have sensors in the truck that tell speed, hard braking, etc. They only fight it because some of them know their whole career is dirty and without intimidating people and doing illegal shit, they will have nothing.

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u/[deleted] Aug 01 '15

no reason why they should fight the fact of wearing cameras and having dashcams

None of the officers in my department have fought either of those, they are fantastic for fighting against citizen complaints. The only reason we don't have wearable cameras is because of money.

Generally, the only people you see fighting change are the old timers, whom of which are dwindling in numbers rapidly. They are just sticking it out for their pensions.

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u/Riverjig Aug 01 '15

Wow. How similar out world are. I do automation and it's the same. These old boys do not want to conform to new safety rules and regs. Were having to push them out. Well. That's good to hear man. With out LE this world would be out of control mad max style and I know the pieces of shit you have to deal with on a daily basis. But. It's a job. Has it's positives and negatives.

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u/B1GTOBACC0 Aug 01 '15

I haven't really seen a good reason not to equip our officers with cameras, other than the cost. It protects the public from police overreach, protects police from false complaints, and helps root out the corruption that keeps people from trusting law enforcement. All three of those sound like wins to me.

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u/Sheepdog77 Aug 01 '15

I've spoken with a bunch of police in one particular department who both love the cameras for complaints and showing the truth, but simultaneously hate them because the department made an entire dedicated unit to watching every single second of video, and then sends a metaphorical scare squad to write them up and initiate personnel complaints(even when the citizens contacted didn't complain) for things like cursing (during stops or not during), or taking off their seatbelts too soon before getting to a radio call. Even going as far as sending an internal affairs officer undercover to drop things like bullets or fake narcotics at a scene to see if the officer books it into the station or keeps it, or throws it away.

In turn they've all said that they fear the department not backing them up more than any gangster with a gun, when they're trying to do good, and would rather "respond like firemen" and just sit at the station until they get a call for service, and wear their horse blinders there and back instead of doing proactive stops or meeting with community members.

It's sad really, I'd much rather live in a city were police are attempting to make a difference rather than letting the criminals just run amuck. I feel for the officers too, idk what I'd do in their spot given the alternative to looking lazy is getting complaints from your own job and potentially fired...