There are arguments for and against citizens videotaping police. What is your opinion? What reasons might support your claim?
After making your claim, assume the role of ‘devil’s advocate’ and write a comment disagreeing OR agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously with two of your classmates.
Remember to be polite in your comments and look for ways to use appeals to logos, pathos, or ethos.
Have fun debating!
i like how these people make these thing because it is true that the police is getting out of control and the police are hurting people because that they are viding random police.
I think citizens should be able to video tape the police. If they catch some police beating someone they get charges bt if they catch somebody beating up a cop then they get rewarded. They dont mind if you video tapes them doing good but when you catch them doing wrong it a diferent story.
I think people who record these things have to get everything so i think people should have the right to record but just record everything or dont at all.
i think we should videotape poice because we should know what are they actually doing
I think that i agree with these people because that the police have mess up the poor people. and smackdown is giong out of control due to that Raw is taking over and the police is going to stop us smackdown to go beat down the raw people so i agree that the police need to stop with arrest random people for just viding them.
I think that yes we citizens should be allowed to videotape police officers becuase like in the artical it has several details to prove that the cops are hiding what they really do when there at work!!! Like when Brad Williama got arrested when the cop was the one that was holding him and draged down the street from inside a moveing squad car,also “Anthony Graber got a well-deserved speeding ticket,but his mistake was posting footage from his motorcycle helmet-cam on You Tube.It showed an irate off-duty,out-of-uniform officer pulling him over with his gun drawn”the cop ended up arresting him for posting it on You Tube they gave him 16years just for that! now that is some crazy proof that shows that we should be allowed to videotape!
i believe that people should have the right to record police men and should be thrown in jail for it
Felipe,
Are you contradicting yourself? How can we be free to video if we are thrown in jail?
Mr. Coey
I believe that people should be able to videotape police while on duty but only when they think that the polices are wrongdoing. Videotaping can be used as evidence of police abuse.
I believe citizens should have the right to videotape the police there are some reasons why. A few of them are that every citezin in the united states have rights. another reason is that if one of the cops ever kill someone there would be evidence to prove that the cop did it instead of them blaming other people.
I agree police should have their own privacy. But I personally agree that police should be videotaped. You never know they can be lying about what they say or do.
I agree that cops should be videotaped for evidence for show how they take advantage of their job.
I agree that citizens have the right to video tape the police because some cops are wicked and rude. twenty years ago Mr. King was beaten by the la police.
i think police should get video tape for abusing there right as a police officer because they be doing too damn much . like police be making hella mistakes and when we make one then its all bad u feel me tho
People have the right to videotape anything they want regardless of whose in the video especially if it’s a crime in progress. Police are always looking for good evidence but when that evidence points to them, it becomes unwanted. It’s funny how the police would be grateful for any video images of a crime with the suspects identity shown but when it’s of them, they become agitated and don’t want it. They are given the power to enforce the laws that protect us but sometimes that power is misused for personal gain. It’s like they always say “Power corrupts people”. I’m not saying that all cops are bad but there are those that don’t always do the right thing. They are enforcers of the written law but sometimes unwritten laws are enforced not for the greater good of the public.
ii agree because its a free country and people can do whatever they want
According to the videos and recording there’s a reason they don’t want to be video tape! There is much more accounts of beating and abuse by the police that doesn’t get brought up in trial just cause the police have a higher authority so they won’t get put in jail. I also believe that the police go against this cause they don’t want to get put in jail with the people they put in there. Imagine how tarred up they would get if they ever get stuck in there.
i think that the people DO have the right to videotape the po-po. if not, then the police can do whatever the heck they want! I think that would lead to corruption.
My opinion on this issue is that citizens don’t have the right to videotape poilice becuase it lacks respect towards poilice and it shows that people don’t trust how they do their job.
I think the people are freely to videotape the police is doing, but the police are doing are wrong because people have the right to speak out the police are doning wrong.
i believe that there are some officers who abuse their power because of their identity of being a police officer and want citizens to give them full respect. No matter who you are you should be able to videotape what you want. if police officers aren’t doing anything wrong why say no to videotaping police officers? a videotape can be evidence to reveal the truth.
Despite the argument that it should be illegal for citizens to videotape police, I believe that if the police are not violating rights as they claim and have nohting to hide, then they should not fear being recorded. If the police are able to videotape and watch over the citizens and make sure that we are following laws than we shall also have the right to make sure they are handling their job and not violating our human rights.
I believe that we shouldn’t even be getting involve with the police at because it’s not even are business to be getting into at all.
But protecting our lives and rights isn’t our business??? I don’t understand what the police do ”is” our business, it should be because it affects us. Police are suppose to keep the peace and make us follow the laws, but what if they are the ones “not” following the laws then what? Is it not our business to ensure that they follow what they enforce upon us? Its only fair to do upon them as they do upon us, for the good of the world.
i agree wid chu all the ways See
thats true we shouldnt be getting involved but sometimes people do and i beleive that they shouldnt get introuble if they do
I say that police officers should only be recorded when they are doing their job wrong. That is why the police officers do not like to be recorded if they are doing their job the correct way. I personally agree with the officers that they should not be recorded only if they are not doing anything wrong.
Yet, Javier, couldn’t a police officer do their job wrong in just an instant? Does the introduction of a video camera help or hinder police? I think if anything, it will help them to do their jobs better because they are being scrutinized.
Mr. Coey
I agree with Jasmine because not only do officers feel unsafe when being video taped but they also need some privacy to themselves.
paola i agree with you all the way (: police officers should see for themselves that they are being cruel and unfair to people ! -amie (:
aaron i see what your saying here but i have to say that maybe people shouldn’t videotape the police officers because we shouldn’t tell the police officers how to do their jobs , and whatever they decide to do is their own choice …
-amie(:
Although officers highly mind being video-taped, I completely oppose that fact that they need any privacy in order to do their job. In fact if you do want privacy that means that something fishy is going on within your job that you don’t want anyone else to know about. And since that the government backs that statement up means that most of the politicians get their dirty work done by officer that’s why they don’t allow video-taping(my assumption)? In my opinion I want officers to tape everything that they do whether off-duty or on-duty as a law enforcer. This will separate the hard-working moral officers with the lazy, immoral, and corrupt officers.
Despite the argument that police officers shouldn’t be videotaped,
I believe that they SHOULD be videotaped because its not right for the police officers to beat people and get away with it , and also the police officers shouldn’t take advantage of the power they have … !
I agree with you when you say that “officers are taking advantage of the power they have” its almost as if they are becoming dictators upon the citizens because they don’t want us to tell them that they are doing anthing wrong since they are the ones who “know” the law. They almost come off offended when they see that people are watching over them as did one police officer in New York when a woman was videotaping him, he turned to her and said “you seem very anti-police” and arrested her.
I agree police should be recorded because they over abuse there authority to much, thats why they refuse to be recorded….
i agree that police should be video taped by police because they over abuse their authority most of the time mostly because they know they can get away with it and not pay a consequince
Heyyy class
i agree beacause for example city officials around the country move to disband Occupy Wall Street encampments amid growing concerns over health and public safety and protesters have begun to erect more tents on college campuses including university students according to the new york times
Despite the argument that officers should not be videotaped, I believe that people should have the right to videotape officers in case of emergency because the police officers sometimes abuse their authority.
i agree that they abuse their authority but they try not to do it as much as they do behind the walls of the jail houses .
Despite le argument that police should not be videotaped, I believe that we as Americans have all rights to record whatever we want when we want because if something is happening like a cop is abusing our rights, then it shall be shown to le courts and le cop should be prosecuted!
I agree with Cherron because everyone should just really mind their own business and for them to just do their own things that doesn’t concern them. Also it’s like what Cherron said “at the end they all would just end up with a court case too.”
i think people should be able to video police becuase there have been bad things that happen to people caught on tape n the past and it gave justice to the people.
yes girl i do agree with you,you just took the words right out my mind!!!
i think that cops should get video taped because they video tape the public, so why shouldnt the public do the same to cops?
I agree with Adolfo too because the police do videotape the public too.
However, I agree with videotaping the police too because some officers aren’t doing there jobs right and whatever they feel like doing than they do it so we should be able to videotape they officers too.
But, then, I wouldn’t want to videotape the officers too because they should have the rights to do their work peacefully without anyone videotaping them too, also unless the public’s are really looking for a court case then they could go ahead and videotape the officers than.
Me, I wouldn’t even want to videotape the police because it’s none of my business to be getting into and it’s the person that is getting in troubles business to be taking care of it not me.
Why would you want to take care of a court case for?
Would you really want to take the chance to videotape the officer and get a court case for something that doesn’t have anything concerning about you?
Despite the fact police officers feel unsafe when video taped, I believe we have the rights to record them while they are committing crimes such as them abusing their power to hurt others.
despite the argument that the police think they should not be recorded because they feel unsafe, i believe that they should be recorded because they could be abusive and there would be no proof and the cop can get away with it.
Though i concede that they should be recorded because they mighte be abusive, i still insist that they dont be reorded because one of those recorder might just be an person that wanna kill a cop.
I think that people have the rights to videotape police officers because there are times when police officers do not do their jobs correctly.
Although I agree with police being videotaped, I personally agree that police should be able to keep their business to themselves. Not everyone likes their privacy being violated so why would the police have their privacy violated also?
Despite the argument that officers should not be video, I believe that they should be videotape because the police are abusive and do stuff that doesn’t relate to the law.
Yup,thats right Su Her i agree they do do stuff that in not relate to the law!
I disagree with this statement because it assumes that all police does that and not all do.
I disagree because some criminals deserve the beating.
Although some people deserve a good beating (and not necessarily by our police), isn’t this debate about whether or not we should videotape police?
i agree because some people do deserve the beating but sometimes the video recorder doesn’t get the part of why the police officer is beating them. it only shows the officer beating them
The video only show the cops beating citizens. Why did you use the word “only” ?
I think that Leon insists that when the videotape is shown, the person may not have been able to record the part of how the situation or problem started and the only things that the watchers could see are the physical contact between the suspect and the policeman.
yes Jamila that is what I’m saying and its true, but sometimes also the cameras are recording from far away and it might look like something but then up close it’s an entire different thing
i disagree no one deserves a beating thats taking it to far they just need to be arrested and let the judge handle it
i agree with javier, that sometimes the video is lying or isnt telling the whole true but the point of view the viewer wants to take. because the story is not being told.
i meant my comment to be reply to harkishin’s statement.
I agree that police should be recorded because they should not be abusing people. What do they have differently that people can’t abuse others then. If it is not good to hit others and bully them around than why can police do that. They can be video tape to prove it.
Though i concede that Police officers should not abuse people, i still insist that there are times that police officers may have to be more physical if the suspect is not obeying or refusing to listen and continues to break the law.
Kao insists that citizens have the rights to create such evidence and I agree to that because police officers should not use their position as an advantage to abuse them.
I believe that People of the United States should have the right to VIdeo Tape Cops for there own Safety Reasons…Some Cops think there the the “Law” and have the right to be beating up on Innocent people because of their, Race, Gender, and Age… this is called being Racist and Prejudiced…if any cop has ever Harassed you in ANY way…you my take it to Court and have them SUED for there “Cruel…Inhumane…Unlawful Actions…
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!
i agree with aaron because sometimes people do get beaten jst because of their race! THEY HAV NO RIGHT to get beaten this is america and the officers should pay the consequences!
I think citizens should be allowed to videotape police. The recordings can be a great piece of evidence in the case conflicting between the officers and citizens. Without any evidence to show they will only be claiming abuse.
I agree with you because without any evidence they would just be claiming it as a abuse .
I think they should video tape the police, Sometimes police officers are abusive with criminals even they are criminals they still have emotions and they get hurt to.
i think that to but its a criminal has no rights (no land of the free for him)
Despite the argument that citizens be guaranteed rights to video tape officers being abusive, I believe that every one should just mind their own because in the iend they all would just end up wth a court case.
dispite the fact that Cherron Purdis believes that people should mind their own business, i beleive that people shouldn’t just ignore the things around you because if you could’ve done something to help that person and you didnt, your should be as guilty as the person who did the beating.
I disagree why should you feel guilty when you didn’t do anything and you could ignore it or not but why should you make it your business and get involved. If they are getting a beating than they probably deserve it because what if he did something bad and deserve it but the people who arent involved watch and see police officer being abusive. Maybe some are but maybe there not used to having power because would you be able to control that power if you are in that position.
I agree with you when you say that people shouldn’t ignore that unjustices are happening in their communities but I aslo believe that if people always focused on other’s lives then the true injustices of law will not be measured and instead of fixing the problem everybody will just end up feeling bad for that person that got beat or harrased by the police officer.
i disagree with u ms. Because you say that people should mind there own business, but You know that if it was someone you knew or a family member you would want someone there to be video taping everything they are doing to them. It doesn’t matter what crime they have done, no one should be beaten. ( unless they have murdered, that’s a whole nother story)
I agree that citizens have the right to videotape police arrests, even though they get disturbed when being filmed. I believe that they shouldn’t mind it and just ignore it, because they should be doing their job right, fair and not abuse the power they have.
thats true vidy you tell them
I agree with vidy that citizens does have the right to videotape as, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe that most of the time cops are abusing the law just to arrest others, it’s also not against the law just to videotape cops doing their job rightfully.
i think that the people have the right to video tape police officers (its America land of the free)
In my opinion i think that police officers should be video taped because then they can see for themselves that thay are being cruel and unfair by beating citizens.
I agree with your opinion police officer should see themselves being cruel and abusive to citizens.
I agree because they can see how their actions makes citizens think negatively of them.
I agree that cictizens have the rght to video whatever,whoever,whereever,and what they wish to video.Especially when crimes are made by police officers.Of course police officers would not like it because it will prove theyre dirty work behind scenes.Police officers arent always the police men or womens you think they are,and citizens prove that today by their video tapes.Its very helpful to make this a better place.
I disagree I think we should just let the cops do their jobs their way.
I disagree I think we should videotape cops when their doing something bad.
Though I concede that police officers should have some privacy for their jobs, I still insist that it should be valid and open to the public eye because anything can happen and eyewitnesses are important during these times.
Police officers should be monitored because as Sonia has said anything can happen and it means that people who are not officers can easily dress up as one and take advantage of someone to commit a crime. A person who is dressed as a police officer will not be checked but a month ago in Sac State two men dressed as officers tried to take advantage of a woman. Now does that not say enough that they should be monitored because you just don’t know who is the person in the uniform.
Mele,
I agree that citizens have the right to videotape freely; however, I don’t agree that all police officers are committing ‘dirty work’ in our communities. Don’t police also have the right to work in a safe work environment?
Sincerely,
Mr. Coey
i agree because we are in the land of the free and not all the cops are bad
i agree that not all cops are bad, there are some good cops out there who take their job seriously and want to help out society into a better and safer place.
I some what agree with your claim Mr. Coey. I agree with this: “that citizens should indeed freely be able to video-tape police officers”, but the question you stated I found wrong because how would you know for a fact that the officer is not lying and is actually corrupt? And plus I’ve had experience with this situation and I know how it feels to get arrested for doing absolutely nothing wrong(second hand experience). Also I’ve noticed something fishy about officers lately that they do a major wrong thing especially with my dad since I’ve been with him most times when he is[was] pulled over. That is racial profiling, I can say that my dad has been pulled over at least 9 times for nothing cause all they did was check for ID, insurance, and ownership of the vehicle for all those times and said, “oh it’s just a random pick that it was you for a routinely check…”. My dad has been harassed so many times while driving. So police officers shouldn’t have the right to work in a safe environment if they have power over you.
i agree because some police abuse citizens without knowing
I fully agree with you. I believe citizens should have the right to videotape the cops because police often abuse their authority. For example, just last week a man in North Sac was wrongfully killed by police officers. Since we are not able to put our hands on cops wwithout geting charged with a crime the only way to defend ourselves is the use on video recordings.