FBI director: 'Viral videos' may have chilling effect on cops

[IDemo]

WASHINGTON — FBI Director James Comey once again raised the prospect that sustained spikes in violent crime in many U.S. cities could be linked to a pull back by police who fear the scrutiny of a plethora of cellphone video trained on law enforcement actions across the country.

Citing rising murder numbers in some of America's largest cities, including Chicago and Las Vegas, Comey said the phenomenon of "viral videos'' may be prompting changes in the way officers are policing their cities.

"I was worried about it last fall,'' Comey told reporters at a Wednesday briefing, referring to continuing surges in violence. "And I am, in many ways, more worried now. ...The people dying are almost entirely black and Latino. I don't know what the answer is. But, holy cow, do we have a problem.''

And the director said that "changes in the way police may be acting ... could well be at the heart of this'' troubling trend.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/05/11/comey-fbi-director-viral-videos-crime/84245166/

[peace13]

1. Aaa....if the suspect is on the ground with multiple cops in the surround...

....put the cuffs on and let the courts sort it out. This is some type of anger management problem. Don't pin this on the observers of yet another crime. Police may be retaliating against the cameras by not doing their jobs. That is possible. If so they need new vocations!

[Orrex]

2. As we've been told many times: if you have nothing to fear, you have nothing to hide

Why should the cops fear scrutiny? By their own logic, what are they hiding?
(Rhetorical question)

[Iggo]

3. Good. They need to chill. (n/t)

[Nye Bevan]

4. Surely it's a good thing if cops know that there is a good chance they are being filmed?

It's kind of similar to having bodycams installed. Cops who follow the rules have nothing to fear.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Holy cow, indeed. And the problem has a name. It's called systemic racism.

[arely staircase]

6. Well stop fucking murdering people.

Problem solved.

[Initech]

7. +100000000000000000000000000

[catnhatnh]

8. From the story

"Why is crime going up in some cities and not in others? It is a question that police chiefs are asking,''

Now if the "problem" was video, violence would be on the rise across the board-right? I think Mr Comey is full of shit and will maintain that opinion until he describes how cameras in Las Vegas and Chicago are better at scaring cops than the cameras in the rest of America.

[bemildred]

9. Good. nt