| If in the past year's camera phones were just | | | | already capable of taking good photos in |
| use for capturing funny and charming events. | | | | daylight and then there's also an Internet |
| Today, it became a powerful community tool in | | | | that could get your photos out there anytime, |
| the debate about police conduct and crime | | | | anywhere. |
| resolution. | | | | |
| | | | L.A. Police Chief William Bratton added that |
| Some Los Angeles political groups are | | | | he is investigating officer conduct from the |
| starting to train citizens to use cameras, | | | | three cell phone videos that is just recently |
| video cell phones and Internet sites like | | | | captured, but warned against quick |
| YouTube, Metacafe, Myspace and the like to | | | | conclusions that he cannot just make |
| get their voices and pictures heard like | | | | judgments based solely on videos or portions |
| never before. | | | | of videos. |
| | | | |
| According to Sherman Austin, founder of Cop | | | | Moreover, Bratton also stressed that there is |
| Watch L.A, they encourage everyone to have a | | | | no U.S. government agency that has more |
| camera on them at all times so if anything | | | | policies, procedures, guidelines and |
| happens it can be documented. The concept of | | | | independent oversight when it comes to use of |
| patrolling the police is something that they | | | | force than the LAPD. However, Executive |
| are trying to press on as a form of direct | | | | director of the Southern California chapter |
| action. | | | | of the ACLU Ramona Ripston stated that these |
| | | | latest incidents underline the case for more |
| Moreover, three videos shot on cell phones | | | | citizen oversight. |
| captured Los Angeles police officers using | | | | |
| excessive force to hold down black motorist | | | | On the other hand, CNN launch a report |
| Rodney King. The video images were captured | | | | regarding 15-year-old boy that used his |
| by an Argentine plumber which brings up | | | | Sprint cell phone camera to take pictures of |
| evidence that Rodney King was indeed beaten | | | | a man who allegedly tried to lure him into |
| by four police officers. All said three | | | | his car. Such pictures lead to the man's |
| videos came out within the same week. | | | | arrest. |
| | | | |
| For about 15 years later there are video | | | | The said boy, who escaped from his alleged |
| cameras in tens of millions of cellular | | | | captor after a struggle, gave the pictures of |
| phones that people are carrying all day makes | | | | the man and his car license plate to police |
| the documentation of almost any public event | | | | in Clifton, New Jersey, after the incident. |
| easy to perform. As a result, Black and | | | | Thus, armed with that evidence, police |
| Latino activists in tough Los Angeles | | | | officers arrested the suspect William |
| neighborhoods are leaving nothing to risk. | | | | MacDonald. |
| | | | |
| Furthermore, Austin added "We have tried | | | | Moreover after the incident, a spokeswoman |
| civilian review boards, we have tried going | | | | from Sprint, the manufacturer of the phone, |
| to City Hall and going to the police and all | | | | says the incident is the first time as far as |
| we have seen is more brutality, technology | | | | the company knows. "Someone has used the |
| makes it all the easier now". There are lots | | | | year-old technology to foil a criminal" she |
| of digital cameras available nowadays that is | | | | added. |