Things I Wish I Had on BodyCam....

[Cow Poke]

When I was a police officer many years ago, video taping was in its infancy as far as police work was concerned. We had a big VHS console at the police station where we could video tape bookings if they looked like they could be problematic, but such bookings were not routinely recorded. ONE of our patrol cars was equipped with what I would laughingly call an attempt at "dash cam", but it rarely worked, and included no audio.

When all this talk about police officers being forced to wear bodycams started, I was initially opposed. The more I think about it, and given the current climate, I'm sold on bodycams.

Then, thinking back to my own days decades ago, I recall the executive from Ford Motor Company who thought that a $100 bill handed to me with his driver's license would get him out of his 84mph in a 25mph zone. I gave him a receipt for the $100 including the serial number, and turned it in as evidence of attempting to bribe a public official.

I'll never forget how red his face got as he thundered "do you have any idea at all who I am?" I told him, "yes, sir, I know exactly who you are, but, evidently, I'm not overly concerned".

I would have LOVED to have that on bodycam!

[Cow Poke]

Actually, I questioned my own recollection of it being VHS, and, sure enough, VHS wasn't introduced to the US until at least 4 years after the incident I recounted, so.... whatever the technology was back then... reel to reel video?

[Teallaura]

35mm? Beta?

[Sparko]

Actually, I questioned my own recollection of it being VHS, and, sure enough, VHS wasn't introduced to the US until at least 4 years after the incident I recounted, so.... whatever the technology was back then... reel to reel video?

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[QuantaFille]

When I was a school bus driver, I had two cameras on my bus. They were as much for my protection as they were for figuring out who started it when the kids acted up. When the district first got them, all buses had the camera housing installed up at the front of the bus, but they could only afford a few cameras so they rotated them among the buses. You couldn't tell if the camera was in that bus that day or not, since you couldn't see inside the housing. Anyway, there was a driver who was accused by a female student of touching her inappropriately. The driver had gotten after her for acting up, and this was her way of getting back at him. Before cameras, there was no proof that the driver did or did not say or do something so it was a matter of his word against hers. In cases like that, it was likely that the driver would be fired and never allowed to work in certain jobs ever again. The girl was aiming to ruin his career in retaliation but he happened to have a camera that day and she was the one who ended up in trouble. So when I found out that all the buses currently had cameras and microphones (and that some had two), I was glad. When I left they were starting to add exterior cameras as well in order to crack down on people who pass a stopped school bus (their license plate number will be sent to the police, who mail them the ticket). I'm all for that, too.