NEWS: ACLU Gives Cameras to Citizens to Monitor Cops

CULTURE: ACLU Gives Cameras to Citizens to Monitor Cops

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is implementing its plan to distribute video cameras to residents of a St. Louis neighborhood where police abuse towards black citizens is a problem. “Project Vigilant”, in the planning stages for the past year and a half, is officially underway.

This innovative program will take place in the Fairground Park area of St. Louis, a neighborhood the ACLU says has a high rate of police activity. Local institutions like the Fifth Baptist Church and the Herbert Hoover Boys Choir are set to participate in training sessions for safe, legal methods of taping the police.

The ACLU said it has given 10 residents cameras but declined to identify them. They set a goal of giving 25 percent of local residents “Know Your Rights” training over the next year. Despite the fact the program is clearly designed to protect people from bad cops, it shouldn’t be misperceived.

While the trend of video camera saturation has made the world feel like big brother is always watching, Project Vigilant provides an example of how to turn the tables and use technology to protect people’s rights.

anti-american freedom haters.

Where was the ACLU when my brother got the shit beaten out of him by the cops...
Oh wait. He isn't black enough for them to care.


...Though I'm pretty sure the only reason they attacked him is because he looks like a mexican.

The radical group which once worked on behalf of Neo-Nazi's who wanted to demonstrate in a Jewish neighborhood...

Racially motivated police brutality is just one subsection of the ACLU's focus on police misconduct; the fact of the matter is, there are far more cases of brutality and profiling reported and investigated in minority and low-income areas because there are far more cases of brutality and profiling ocurring in minority and low-income areas.

Did your brother attempt to contact the ACLU about his case?

I was joking...well, not about my brother getting the crap beaten out of him, but about the other stuff.
There was no proof that he was beaten because the camera in the cop car was turned off, so my brother couldn't press charges.

The aclu is the american civil liberties union, thier job is to protect the constitutional rights of EVERY citizen. Whether you agree or not even small dicked, gas huffing single digit iq having assholes like neo-nazi skinheads, and rush limbaugh are to be afforded the same rights as the intelligent hip and cool people that populate this wonderful site. If the aclu isnt pissing off half of the country then they are not doing the job they're supposed to.

Well then maybe they should start fucking doing it. They're a bunch of fucking knee-jerk bleeding hearts who do nothing but cause more problems and bring small problems into the national spotlight by playing the race card at every opportunity they have. It's goddamn ridiculous and I have no use for them whatsoever.

Maybe he should actually BE mexican next time. Or maybe actually do something wrong so that way the cops actually don't have any reason to beat him.

We'll have him steal your car and crash it.
You wanted a new car anyway.

Sounds good.
Wait, who are you and how did you know I want a new car?

woooooosh

I appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule as chair of Mensa to post your thoughtful and compelling arguments on these boards.

Copwatch, Los Angeles

And Intertel.

Great plan until the police turn on you and your camera, especially if they can charge you with violating wiretapping laws.

-TTm

+1

Freedom of expression/protest applies to everyone. Not just people you agree with.

things which are apparently only issues for people of color:
(also known as issues the ACLU has tackled in the Supreme Court in 2007)

reproductive rights (Gonzales v. Carhartt)
free speech (Morse v. Frederick)
religious freedom (Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation)
death penalty (Uttecht v. Brown)
search and seizure (Brendlin v. California and Scott v. Harris)
worker's rights (Long Island Care at Home v. Coke)

you can also thanks the ACLU for evolution being taught in schools, people being allowed to marry interracially, and some of the cases going on now related to government surveillance of citizens.

I do what I can...my schedule as chair of Mensa is rather crowded. You're lucky I can take time away from that to enlighten you here on occasion.

Now wouldn't THAT be ironic...

Must be. Pardon my ignorance of the organization, there isn't much occasion for the ACLU to be involved around here, and I was always under the impression that it was because of my state's lack of minorities - you weren't being helped by the ACLU on the news. Once again, our excellent media outlets serve us well.