Several residents (who attended) stated that at the last Maple Hts city council meeting, the police were videotaping the meeting.
What does this mean if true? Well, police videotapes, we would think, constitute public record and are kept in police departments for various people to access (especially the police). Would you feel comfortable talking about police abuse/misconduct/racism/cutting police salary/benefits at a council meeting knowing the police had your name, face, address, your statements, etc. forever stored?
We don't have a problem with members of council videotaping for educational purposes, or council for public record; or even the general public videotaping a council meeting. There does appear to be a big problem when it is done by the police.
We don't have a problem with members of council videotaping for educational purposes, or council for public record; or even the general public videotaping a council meeting. There does appear to be a big problem when it is done by the police.
African Americans should be engaged in any discussion of the videotaping of any public meetings (in their community) by the police, and if found unconstitutional/violation of their civil rights/civil liberties then the videotaping by them (law enforcement) should be challenged, stopped and if necessary legal remedies sought.
As stated in another post, any predominantly African American community (city) where the legal/judicial system (which includes l aw director, council, safety director, law enforcement) is predominantly white, probably (but not always) means institutional racism is entrenched in your community (city).
The law enforcement community has already been faced with outrage over privacy rights violations, racial profiling, stop and frisk, murder, excessive force, and now they could possibly face a charge of public or racial intimidation by videotaping at public meetings (?)
African American communities have allowed institutional racism to continue in their communities sometimes for fear of retribution and/or intimidation by law enforcement and the legal/judicial system. Well, it seems Maple Heights police may have driven that point home.
