Bad Cops, Bad Cops, Watcha Gonna Do?

With rapid advances in video technology, the citizenry has become well-armed with recording devices of all shapes, sizes, and capabilities.

A side benefit is that many folks have turned into civic videographers, capturing behaviors of all types in digital format that are then shared around the world at the speed of light. The YouTube generation is here, and it seems like someone is always watching.

No group is more perturbed by this shift in power than law enforcement. Previously, accusations of improper conduct, excessive force, and targeted enforcement were anecdotal at best, because police department management, government officials, and the courts were loathe to take the word of a witness (or twelve) over those sworn to uphold the law as they beat your brains out with a stick.

Video cameras have begun to swing the pendulum in the other direction. From Rodney King to "Don't tase me, bro!", to cops knocking dudes off of bikes then arresting them after lying on the paperwork, to uniformed thugs chortling while smashing heads during unsanctioned, highly-questionable raids at gay bars, undeniable evidence of abuses of power by a growing number of officers is piling up, and justice, while not always served, is frequently on display.

To that end, Radley Balko does a fine job of aggregating examples of the dearth of professionalism among law enforcement types in his blog, The Agitator. If you've any doubt that these abusive practices are both common and widespread, Radley will convince you beyond a reasonable doubt.

Image via Wikimedia Commons