Which Way, L.A.?
Turning the Cameras Back on the Police
The LAPD is close to becoming the nation's largest police force with body cams on all officers, but the vast majority of videos won't be made public. So civil rights groups have launched a new smartphone app for users to simultaneously upload cell phone videos of police stops they observe. In a camera-everywhere culture, does this create a zero-sum game?
By Barbara Bogaev • • 24m ListenRodney King, Eric Gardner, Freddie Gray-- citizen videos have played a role in focusing attention on cases of alleged police brutality. That right to videotape police in public was affirmed by the US Justice Department back in 2013 -- but sometimes, law enforcement is not on board. Today, with the LAPD close to becoming the nation's largest police force with body cams on all officers, the American Civil Liberties Union launched a new app to ensure that Californians photos and videos of police actions are preserved. It's called Mobile Justice CA. Guest host Barbara Bogaev looks at how the app works and asks what law enforcement thinks of this new technology.
Photo: Satish Krishnamurthy
