I decided to make a phone call to the police station about the double standard police have when enforcing their laws against other ‘protectors of society.’ You can guess how that turned out for me, so, when we returned this year, I was stunned when I (thought I) saw the same officer park illegally right in front of me. Beau and I quickly ran off to ask the officer about his double standards toward parking laws.

As I approached I realized the officer was parked in a stall designated for police cruisers only. I knew for a fact that such a spot didn’t exist a year ago so I waited around to talk with Hood, who was busy with an elderly person. When he finished I asked Hood if the parking stalls where issued due to our video and he wouldn’t comment with the camera on, citing, “I’m going to tell you what I told you last year.”

I can’t be positive but I think CopBlock.org had a role in the decision to assign police officers parking stalls, so you can create change outside the system. See the first video from Portsmouth below.

Join the forum discussion on this post

Update: Portsmouth Police Aren’t Exempt from CopBlock.org is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Though this may be a 4 min video of the best clips we’ve got on camera, I’ve personally engaged in conversations with hundreds of officers who feel the same way as these guys. It’s just a job, they need to feed their families and ‘if the law is the law, then the law is the law’ – whatever that means? Kinda scary that you allow these people to protect you, isn’t it?

Join the forum discussion on this post

Cops Say the Darnedest Things is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Another thing that was as common as cheese steak sandwich stands in Philly, was how often the police violated parking ‘laws.’ It seemed every corner we turned there was a police cruiser parked illegally. On the sidewalks, in front of fire hydrants and in loading zones, the laws didn’t matter to them nor did they apply. See for yourself.

Now let me be the first to say that I really don’t care about parking laws either. There are bigger issues within police but the issue of parking is the easiest way to highlight the double standard police officers have. It’s a proven fact, whether you believe it or not, that police are allowed to do things others can’t. From parking anywhere, carrying weapons, using force and much more police clearly think they have more rights than you. They know it, they act like it and anyone who doesn’t believe that hasn’t encountered (luckily) an officer lately.

It doesn’t matter to me what the police are doing, I’m going to film them. Why? Because millions are forced to pay their salaries while police claim to the protectors of us. Let’s see how much protecting is going on…

Philly Police Think They Have More Rights Than You is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

HIALEAH, FL -Last week we joined FIJA super-activist James Cox in Ft. Lauderdale at not one, but two courthouses. Our intention was to inform more people about jury nullification. We did that, and we did well – a ton of people walked away with FIJA pamphlets and we had some really solid convos with folks.

But we also had some not-so-fun times and they all happened to involve people with badges. People who violate our very rights to line their pockets while claiming to “protect and serve”. Fortunately, there was a lessened learned. Many actually – how to keep safe by being aware of Statists.

For more: James did this little write-up about our adventure over at Florida.FIJA.org.

Careful! Examples of Statism Abound During Ft. Lauderdale FIJA Outreach! is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

While members of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) generally support legalization of marijuana, former Copblock writer Brad Jardis took this idea a step further.  Jardis encouraged police officers to cease enforcement of marijuana laws when he was a part of LEAP.  As a result, LEAP  removed him from the organization (more here).

In this video, LEAP Chairman Jack Cole, who e-mailed Jardis to inform him of his removal from the organization,  discusses his views on this matter.   Cole says, “One honorable thing we do is we raise our right hands and we swear that we are going to uphold the law.  We don’t swear we are going to uphold the laws that we agree with….So we never ask anybody to stop doing what they swore they do.  It’s an oath.”

Cole’s explanation encompasses two major fallacies – he assumes, without justification, that the act of keeping an oath is ethical.  He further seems to imply that if police officers selectively chose which laws to enforce, the results would be arbitrary or unjust, and thus assumes, again without justification, and that order in and of itself is a desirable goal.

Although “keeping an oath” may sound honorable, it isn’t inherently so.  It may be  ethically correct to honor an oath to be faithful to your spouse or to do some good deed, but very few would argue one should be encouraged to honor an oath to the KKK or an oath to Hitler. Similarly, no one should care much if one violates an oath to pick one’s nose every Wednesday at 2pm.  An oath is a promise that otherwise simply has no bearing on ethics; it is the underlying action involved in a promise that determines whether keeping that oath or promise is ethical or not.

To hold the mere idea of a promise, which is an ethically neutral concept, above the actual freedoms, rights and dignity of fellow human beings, is truly disingenuous, if not comical.  Marijuana may be a particularly controversial subject, but other analogies quickly demonstrate the logical fault in this kind of reasoning.  If it was illegal to drink water, no one would look too highly upon police who claimed to be against water prohibition, but nonetheless encouraged officers to continue to fine, jail and incarcerate individuals engaged in hydrating themselves.

Next, Cole states that police should not pick and choose which laws to enforce because they swore to uphold them all. Many defend this idea on the grounds that encouraging police to do so would cause arbitrary results, and would eventually lead to anarchy.

Arguably, the results are already completely arbitrary.  One can be arrested for doing absolutely nothing, and minorities are disproportionately arrested for marijuana crimes compared to white people (not that if arrest was proportional, drug laws would be acceptable). Police can throw you in jail overnight for parking violations, as Adam Mueller personally experienced.  Police can arrest you for feeding the homeless.  In the name of following process and abiding by laws, society has in fact fallen into chaos, in my opinion.

But let’s assume this isn’t arbitrary.  Let’s assume, as Mr. Cole and other police sympathizers do, that this is all perfectly orderly, and abides by due process because police are upholding oaths and correctly doing their jobs, rather than encouraging disobedience to the law, as Mr. Jardis did.

How is it a good thing that police are perpetuating racist and arbitrary arrests and depriving homeless people of food, in an orderly fashion?  Due process shouldn’t make you feel better about starving homeless people, racism and unjustified incarceration of non-violent people.  If it does make you feel better, you might be a sociopath.  This kind of reasoning justifies legalized slavery, genocide, and a slew of other atrocities.  People like Cole and his followers would be the ones berating officers who helped smuggle slaves across borders in the the pre-Civil War era, because until the law is changed, it must be obeyed.

Yet he he alleges he is honorable because he is upholding some vague oath. It is certainly understandable if a police officer is not personally willing to openly disobey laws because he could face serious personal and legal consequences.  However, it makes no sense to claim to be against the systematic incarceration of non-violent offenders, but criticize someone who is taking immediate action against those very injustices.

Society’s obsession with due process is mind boggling. The fact that a process was followed is largely irrelevant to policy discourse.  A process was followed to allow for legalized slavery, segregation, marriage discrimination (race and sexual orientation), and to pass all kinds of other laws violating civil liberties. Although existence of due process may facilitate a fair resolution of a particular situation, clearly, due process does not always give rise to protection of civil liberties, and in fact is often instrumental in violating those freedoms.

Obsession with law and order is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Hitting the Streets in the City of Brotherly Love

by Pete Eyre on 20. Aug, 2010 in Activism

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Last Saturday our bud Mandrik (of George’s Famous Baklava fame) joined us to do some outreach on Philly’s busy South Street. While he distributed flyers that had Liberty Radio Network on one side and FreeKeene.com on the other side Adam and I handed-out The World’s Smallest Political Quiz from the Advocates for Self-Government.

We had a lot of great conversations and overall people – with the exception of some of those wearing badges – were really receptive.

As Mandrik points-out near the end of the video, most folks have a natural affinity for the ideas liberty, so while engaging others on the street may not be part of your normal routine, it can have a very profound impact. And it gets easier the more often you do it. So grab a couple of friends and make it happen!

LOT outreach in Philadelphia is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Successful Outreach in Philadelphia

by Adam Mueller on 18. Aug, 2010 in Activism

ST. LOUIS, MO –  Last week while Liberty On Tour was in Philadelphia we covered more FIJA activism.  Which is becoming a popular form of outreach for those taking an active roll in educating folks about their rights.

While the outreach was a success the group was watched closely by up to 5 agents, presumably, from a few government agencies.  I thought engaging Kennedy and Russell would help protect those distributing fliers and possibly help them realize the harms they cause while ‘just doing their jobs.’

The video below is a perfect example of the double standard those with badges hold and a scary look at how agents of the state perceive their daily tasks.

More FIJA activism from Liberty On Tour is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Handicapped or Above the Law?

Coercive monopolies are bad. I doubt there is anyone on the planet left or right who would dare disagree with this abstract statement who doesn’t directly benefit from monopolistic government policies. Monopolies virtually always fail the consumer as they do not need to be flexible, innovative, efficient, provide good quality of service, or eliminate corruption from their ranks to stay in business. Without the cleansing forces of competition to be just and effective, firms of all kinds operate from within a disgustingly perverse incentive structure.

I ran headlong into the monopolists and their incentive structure this weekend, on the occasion of my speaking at the Drexel University Student Liberty Front’s summer retreat in Philadelphia. In the early afternoon, our friend Michael Gurrieri stepped outside to smoke a rolled tobacco cigarette. He didn’t smoke it all, so he extinguished the flame and pocketed the remains for later. As he did so, the Philadelphia police were crossing the street to accost him and determine if he was smoking the wrong variety of leafy growth.

They demanded that Mike reveal the cigarette, which he refused on privacy grounds. As a result he was assaulted, thrown against the wall, and told to put his hands behind his back or the officer would “break his fucking arms.” Handcuffed, Mike asked to speak to the officer’s superior before proceeding. Two other officers arrived. At this point I was summoned from out of Darian Worden’s presentation on Practical Anarchy to observe the situation. I came out of the building in the presence of Stacy Litz, the event organizer, with my camera at the ready to begin recording. I was immediately approached by an aggressive and plump law enforcement official who bellowed at me that I was interfering with a police investigation and needed to move and put my camera away. I stated that he was a public officer in public who had no reasonable expectation of privacy and inquired if he was making legal order. He asked me if I was willing to bet that what I was doing was legal and removed his handcuffs. He approached me from the side and alerted me that if I didn’t put the camera away he would take me down to the station. I backed up a little bit and pulled my camera up once more, at which point his temper broke and he erupted that he would “[expletive] me up and take me to [expletive] jail” if I didn’t comply with his order.

I later found out that he was bluffing. Pennsylvania does not have prohibitions against recording interactions with police officers. It didn’t matter though. I was then filled with adrenaline and more than a little intimidated. This well-armed man I didn’t know who was ostensibly there to keep the community safe was worried that I might create an accurate record of the actions of all parties. He was so opposed to my recording him and his cohorts that he threatened the brutalize me, abduct me, and then throw me in a cage.

If my friend had thereafter acted wrongly, then my video would have reflected his behavior and vindicated police retaliation, if not morally than at least in the eyes of the public. If the police had performed in an unprofessional or excessive way then the aggressors would be the subject of scrutiny. If they were going to continue in a just manner, wouldn’t they want their conduct a matter of public record to make sure that any subsequent use of force against the ‘perp’ was legitimate in case he later claimed otherwise? Their aversion to being recording clearly indicates their intentions to act maliciously against their victims and remain unaccountable for their transgressions.

Sadly, I didn’t know Philadelphia or Pennsylvania law well enough at that moment, so I wasn’t about to risk a bloodied body, obliterated or confiscated property, and a protracted legal endeavor for what very well might turn into another bogus and expensive wiretapping case for yet another liberty activist. Luckily, the ordeal ended soon, with Mike being released by his captors after a ‘good cop’ detailed him a twenty minute justification of the assault they had just committed.

Supposedly, when they saw Mike put the cigarette in his pocket they didn’t know if he had a gun (smokers are usually armed, apparently) so they needed to make sure that everyone in the community was safe. Well, except for Mike. Consciences of the cops salved, we returned to our conference and collectively decompressed from the absurdity we had just experienced.

This is a clear anecdotal example for minarchists of why having a monopoly on the most crucial services of justice and defense systems should be subject to market forces. The thugs we encountered that day in Philly could never behave so poorly in a world where the people who paid their bills could begin purchasing rights-protection services from other less abusive providers. Even with moral outrage removed from the mind of the consumer and only economic effects taken into account, firms that recklessly aggressed against innocent people would have to charge more due to their increased liability and legal exposure, and would thus continually lose market share until they ceased to exist.

Without coercive monopolistic control of this market sector, police officers may even actively seek to record their own behavior for public record, both to assure their own firm of their continued reliability and professionalism as well as to disprove any false accusations of illegitimate behavior from competitors.

We weren’t done with the monopolists that day just yet, however.

Later that night, when our reflections on the excitement of the day had nearly petered out, we went to the closing social to have a few drinks and bring the event to a conclusion. A group wanted to have a smoke, so some of us followed them outside to keep them company, spotting a few grazing cops on our way out. In front of the restaurant was a handicapped parking space occupied by, you guessed it, a squad car. Seeking some small token of justice from his assault at the hands of the blue shirt gang that morning, Mike took the initiative and told the proprietors of the restaurant that there was someone parked in the handicapped spot who did not have the appropriate credentials. They came and checked it out, then disappeared inside to presumably alert the kindly officers that they needed to follow the laws they were supposed to be enforcing.

The lawbreakers came outside and meandered up to us to inquire as to why we couldn’t have just asked them personally to move it. Mike calmly retorted that he was being righteous and following the law, to which the cop replied that he was actually “being retarded.” As he walked away, we asked him if he was handicapped or above the law. He grumbled, possibly affirming that he was both.

Police abuse of handicapped spot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Also see Stacy Litz’s recent C4SS article “Probable Cause is Improbable.”

Ross Kenyon: “Handicapped or Above the Law?” is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

While walking around Keene, NH the past few weeks I’ve noticed several state cars failing to pay or keep up on the meters. I asked a parking attendant if she’d ticket one and she said no.

So I’ve decided to start leaving them notes to let them know they don’t have extra rights because you have a badge or drive a special car.

The video was also mentioned by Ian Freeman of Free Talk Live here.

Police Shouldn’t be Exempt from Paying Parking Meters is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

There is justice for residents who have allegedly been terrorized by a Queens traffic agent.

CBS 2 HD first told you about Officer Daniel Chu, who is accused of badgering drivers and breaking traffic laws just to buy coffee.

Now, CBS 2 HD has learned he’s been docked pay and punished.

Chu has lost his ticket to ride.

“It’s clear that the department is doing what it should to make sure that someone who is an unsafe driver isn’t out there endangering pedestrians, endangering other drivers,” said Councilman Daniel Halloran, R-Whitestone.

Chu is now on foot patrol, barred from using a traffic department squad car, after Halloran caught him breaking enough traffic laws to get his license suspended – speeding, going through stop signs, using flashing emergency lights to get a cup of coffee, plus:

“He was on a cell phone without a hands-free device,” Halloran said.

That adds up to 18 points on your license. You lose it at 11. Chu apparently didn’t like being caught and so he whipped out a ticket book and gave the councilman a ticket on what Halloran said were trumped up charges.

After CBS 2 HD’s first report, people came out of the woodwork to complain about agent Chu and what they called his terror tactics in handing out tickets.

“Ranging from funeral processions to pregnant woman to people who have been boxed in even when their time hadn’t expired at meters,” Halloran said.

In addition to being put on foot patrol, Chu was given a command discipline, lost vacation time and was ordered to undergo sensitivity training.

But Tim Dillon, a former NYPD cop who was a pallbearer at Gleason’s Funeral Home when Chu ticketed cars in the funeral procession, said Chu got off with a slap on the wrist.

“That was just the epitome of lowlife, the way he did that. And the way he spoke to the people, cursing the people, flicking a cigarette at them at a time of sorrow for them,” Dillon said.

“It’s dumbfounding. You just can’t understand why someone would want to upset a family that’s going though a mourning process.”

The only thing the Police Department refused to do was dismiss the councilman’s ticket. He went to court Wednesday and got a judge to throw it out, proving you can fight City Hall.

Halloran said agent Chu is an example of a larger problem in the city, overly aggressive traffic agents giving out summonses to help boost revenue.

Personally, I think this guy should have lost his job. He flagrantly violated the laws that he is supposed to uphold and abused his power in order to punish someone who spoke out about it. He has zero business being a police officer. I really doubt that “sensitivity training” is going to change this guy’s attitude.

But at least he’ll have to walk to Dunkin’ Donuts from now on.

Queens cop has his license suspended is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Strangely, when it comes to police, a uniform and a shiny badge erase all other considerations. If it wears a uniform and a badge, it must be obeyed. It matters not that he or she may have used excessive force, was wrongfully harassing a citizen, or murdered someone.

Rules to do not apply to police. This is obvious from the countless instances documented here on Copblock.org in which police believe themselves exempt from laws that they regularly, and fervently punish and fine ordinary citizens for. A recent post in which Adam called the police department and asked that they enforce parking violations against law-breaking police officers exemplifies this well. The police department’s response was, “is this a joke?”

It shouldn’t be a joke, but attitudes of unwarranted deference for law enforcement have become such that people think you’re kidding when you actually have the gall to believe police should abide by the laws they swear to uphold.

This attitude is also apparent from several posts in response to a San Jose Mercury News article that has since been removed. The article documented horrendous use of violence by police in unjustified circumstances. The article described instances where people were harassed by police and were arrested, where their only charge was that of resisting arrest – meaning that there was no reason to arrest them, but when they resisted their wrongful arrest, they somehow became criminals.

One commenter sarcastically stated, “The police used force when offenders were resisting arrest? I guess they should have said pretty, pretty please to get compliance.” Certainly, asking pretty please won’t get an officer anywhere if he’s trying to arrest someone.  But how about the bold and radical proposition that police shouldn’t go around arresting people for no reason? This commenter essentially believes that it matters not why a person is being arrested; as long as a police officer is doing it, it’s acceptable and justified.

Another commenter said, “Those of you not from California, This story is just another in a long list published by all the police-haters out here. There is such an extreme lack of respect for law enforcement out here it is ridiculous. Can’t do anything without being scrutinized to death over it.”

Again, the demand for blind respect. After reading an entire page about people who were randomly attacked by police and charged only with the vague and nebulous charge of “resisting arrest,” this commentator’s main concern is that there was an extreme “lack of respect” for law enforcement.

As to the bit about not being able to do anything without being scrutinized to death, I’d say that this is precisely how it should be. Police have a monopoly. They have guaranteed access to funds through forced taxes. They have guns. They are permitted to routinely break laws that ordinary citizens are fined and jailed for. They are paid for by taxpayers and are there (allegedly) to protect taxpayers. They absolutely should be scrutinized to death over every detail.

These attitudes are not limited to the general public, but pervade throughout our justice system. Recently, a defense attorney was ordered by a judge to apologize to a police officer witness for implying the officer was untruthful. While the whole point of trial is to discredit the other side’s witnesses, apparently, cops are supreme beings, more deserving of respect and authority than the rest of us peons. This judge felt implying a cop is not a credible witness was an offense by which a lawyer should be humiliated.

Although humiliating a lawyer seems minor in the grand scheme of things, the methodology of this judge actually is a frightening manifestation of how citizens are in fact guilty until proven innocent, rather than the other way around. To this judge, an officer’s word is more credible and carries more weight than an ordinary person. As such, a defendant is in effect guilty until he can prove himself innocent.

It seems the system gives police so much automatic respect, that they are indeed treated as better human beings than everyone else. The system assumes they do not lie, do not make mistakes, have no ulterior motives, and are morally superior. This simply cannot be the case, just because they completed a course of training and got a fancy badge and uniform.

If one must believe government should be in charge of police organizations (and I would completely disagree), at the very least, police should be held accountable for their actions. Instead, there is this misguided, blind love for anyone in a uniform in badge regardless of their individual actions. This foolish and juvenile love for police has led to bloated and over-funded police departments, useless “internal investigations,” paid suspension as punishment (i.e. vacation), and systemic abuse of civil liberties.

And if the only retort to all this is some unfounded, generalized claim that every police officer out there is risking his or her life to protect me, this is easily rebutted by  the fact that police departments always emphasize that officer safety comes first, so it appears my safety isn’t the primary concern anyway.  Police work also is not as dangerous as people think.  It’s roughly the 12th most dangerous job in the country, behind logger, fishermen, farmers, construction workers, sanitation workers, pilots, roofers, millers, miners, merchant mariners and powerline installers.

They also make twice as much as many of the people doing the top 12 dangerous jobs because they have the luxury of coercing tax money from the public. And if you’re going to say that it’s because police do important work, I’d say that growing food, building houses, providing energy resources, and sanitation work are far more important than say, writing traffic tickets and busting people for drugs, which is the majority of police work.  Less than half of people who are in state prison are there for actually violent crimes.  About a quarter in federal prison are there for violent crimes.

Finally, a lot of the dangers inherent to police work are because society continues to impose stupid and unfair laws. Yes, there will be accidents and deaths when police dress in all black and kick down people’s doors in the middle of the night for asinine reasons.  Is that such a surprise?

Take the case of Cory Maye – the police wrongly kicked down his door in the middle of the night. All he saw were men with guns, dressed in black charging into his house. He lived in an unsafe neighborhood and feared for the safety of his young daughter. He defended himself, ended up killing the chief of police’s son, and earned himself the death penalty. The fact that Maye was royally screwed by the police is a side point to the obvious fact that yes, police work is going to be more dangerous if police are going to play G.I. Joe in the middle of the night for stupid reasons.

In addition, I did not ask them to protect me.  I was forced to subscribe to this system through taxes. If someone came to your house, did all your yard work and cleaned your house, and forced you to pay them $1,000, chances are, you would not find that acceptable, even though some arguably valuable services were rendered (and this is really a generous analogy, because I’d much rather pay someone $1,000 to do all my chores than pay cops to throw my neighbors in jail for having weed, or ticket them for speeding).

This is not to say that all cops are bad, or that I hate every cop. Simply put, cops are not supreme beings. A badge and a gun are just that -a badge and a gun. They are not better people than the rest of us. They are not infallible. America was founded on principles of meritocracy. Authority and respect must be earned by an individual; being a part of a system does not, or rather should not, automatically confer such status.

Police and the Culture of Respect is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This month we have four pics, one posted to FB and the others sent in via email, of police conducting their duties or breaking the law. Check them out below.

Cop in the center, waiting to bust that extremely violent speeder (above).

Just another day at the office for this guy.

Nothing like parking illegally right outside the police station.

And here are the pictures in slide show format:

Thanks to the folks who send in, take and post the pics you see here.  It helps to remind those with badges that we’re watching.

Friday’s Finest – June Edition is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

“The traffic agents spend a lot of time ticketing in my community and yet they feel they’re above the law,” Halloran said. “If he did this to a city councilman and lied about the facts … imagine what he does to average citizens.”

Halloron not only wants his ticket dropped, he wants every ticket ever written by the offending officer reviewed. Right on, Halloran. Assuming he’s telling the truth, I wish him luck. Maybe, with the help of his position on the city council, he’ll actually have some success.

Read the full story here.

Queens cop blows stop sign, tickets city councilman for taking pictures is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

This video was sent in by John who, along with help from friends, took $150 in our first Friday’s Finest Video contest.   It shows a police officer using his ‘emergency’ lights to force a car out of his way.  He then parks illegally and heads into a building.  Yet another officer who feels he has more rights than you or I?

Also, what a great example of how easy it is to hold officer accountable. Thanks again John for the video, you’ve got a nice Cop Blocking crew out there in Reno.  We appreciate your videos keep’em coming.

Cop Uses Emergency Vehicle To Get Parking Spot is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Better yet, where does this exemption stop?  Is it just for parking while on duty?  Or can this officer cruise by the store to do some shopping as well?  Are officers exempt from the drug, gun and alcohol laws?  Don’t get me wrong I wish all these things would disappear.  I ask officers to be ticketed or treated like they treat others because I feel that’s the only way for them to realize the cause of their actions.

Portsmouth Police Aren’t Exempt from Cop Block is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

The man with the badge claimed to be on official police business, though that looked alot like shopping to me, and stated that since he drives a different car than most he was allowed to park where ever.  Even if he was shopping for the department couldn’t the man, who presumably tickets (fancy word for stealing or ordering) others for parking infractions, just park in a stall?

This is another good example of what type of video Cop Block is looking for.  If you hurry you can still submit one for our contest, see details here.

A Keene, NH Officer Gets Cop Blocked is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

That brings me to this post, the May edition of Friday’s Finest (FF).  For those who are unfamiliar with FF, it’s a monthly post where we highlight photos, videos and other, content that is captured by Cop Block supporters.  The goal is to encourage others to record police actions (by taking pics, video or merely documenting via pen/paper) while learning from each other who do so in the process.

So lets take a look at some of the photos submitted this month.

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The first two pics (above) are of Las Vegas Metro cops who decided that parking restrictions don’t apply to them.   These photos were taken by Mark, a local, who sent these pics not only to us but also the local news station.  Mark stated to me that the officers “must have needed more than 15 mins” as there is an open stall right in front of the store (as seen in the pictures).

Next, we have the above picture taken by John Russell, a college student and Cop Block supporter. He commented that “This particular cop is part of the university police, who are arguably much more oppressive, and was parked next to the student union; probably grabbing food as they usually do.”  I wonder how many struggling college kids have been ticketed for this exact offense.  Thanks John, you should post this around campus or send in more pics and we’ll call the campus police.

The next pics (above) are good examples of simply monitoring the police.  Matt sent in these two pictures of Batesville, MS police performing their daily duties… Well, kinda.  One of the pictures is of an officer who left his keys in the trunk and was driving around. Hilarious.  The other is another officer presumably using radar to catch speeders coming over the hill.  Though there is no clear law being broken here it’s still encouraging to see people monitor the local police force.  Matt’s actions not only prepare him in case he needs to film something, but also keeps the officers on their toes.  They never know when he might pop up with his camera even just to catch the funny moments like those keys in the trunk.

Our last submission comes from a person who wants to remain anonymous. This contributor fears that the officer might retaliate or get other officers to harass them.  The picture was taken outside the person’s apartment building, a building the cop does not live in and, therefore, isn’t allowed to park outside of. After several complaints plus photos, the residents had the car towed.  Good job, folks.

Well, that’s all we have for this month,  though I’d like to remind those who send in pics or video to send along the Date, Time and location.  This way we can start making some phone calls to these departments.

People have been sending in pictures, but Cop Block wants to encourage people to take video as well.  That’s why I’m announcing a $100 reward for the best VIDEO footage submitted to Cop Block for Friday’s Finest.

A few of the rules/conditions are:

• You must shoot the video yourself; we’ll help you post and/or edit videos of finalist
• The video needs to be exclusively for Cop Block, so don’t show or post your videos on line before contacting us.
• The video has to consist of police officers performing their duties; They don’t have to be breaking the law but that won’t hurt either.
• The winner will be a video that covers a good story, is respectful, well mannered and of good quality.  Things like swearing or provoked encounters with law enforcement will be looked down upon.
• Deadline is June 7th, 2010 to submit videos;  Though we might post some sooner but the week of the 7th we’ll highlight the finalist (depending on number of submissions).
• If you have any questions feel free to email us

I’m interested to see where this leads, so tell your friends and spend the day out and about.  Have those cameras pointed at police. Just remember to be safe, keep your distance, be polite, and stay out of their way.

Phone: 206.279.1258
email: CopBlock[at]gmail.com

Connect with Cop Block here:

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Friday’s Finest: May Edition is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Friday’s Finest will consist of us (Cop Block) highlighting videos and pictures that supporters send in exclusively to Cop Block (via email or our Facebook Page).  We hope that it will grow, depending on submissions, allowing us to offer rewards for the best videos/pics.  Some of these rewards could be books, clothing or cold hard cash.    This is an idea focused on providing incentive to people to film police actions.

Until we’re overwhelmed with submissions we’ll highlight every one sent to us.  After Friday’s Finest takes off we’ll then set guidelines as to what qualifies for the rewards program.  We hope that others will feed off of this idea and form a support base for those who film police officers.  Whether that be by sharing Friday’s Finest with your friends or calling the stations highlighted on FF, whatever you can do.

That’s pretty much the idea: to encourage people to record police actions whenever they can.  From now on, Friday’s Finest will be a monthly post until I’m more settled in and we get more submissions.  This month, I’m choosing to write about those who’ve taken pictures of police doing nothing illegal (okay, maybe one is).  To me, it’s just as important to film (or photograph) police doing their daily functions even if they’re not engaged illegal activity.  Not only because you never know when something might happen, but also because it’s your right.  When we don’t use our rights, we lose them.  Plain and simple.

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This picture (left) was sent to Cop Block from a supporter in Nashville, TN of a Rutherford County Sheriff parking illegally.  The person stated that every day (or just about, they witness this officer parked this way while out for a walk.  A perfect example of how simple it can be to photograph police wrongdoings.  Maybe this person can take a few more pics and Cop Block can do a call flood for accountability.

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Then there is this picture which was posted on Cop Block’s Facebook page by Matt N with the following message:

This is an almost every day occurrence in Batesville. An officer told me they do this ‘to keep people safe because a lot of drivers run the red light at this intersection’, but I think its more likely to make it dangerous due to people slamming on their brakes in rush hour traffic as they spot the cop

Right on Matt. Keep taking pictures even if the officer isn’t breaking the law. It still shows them your commitment to holding them accountable.  People (police included) should be able understand and respect that.

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Last but not least is a picture (below) sent to Cop Block via Twitter just yesterday.  It’s of a SWAT team running on the street and was sent to Cop Block by SpacyT who said, “I was almost late to work cause of it.”  I wonder if anyone in the Hollywood Beach area (FL) knows if it’s illegal for a group of people to jog in the road.

Thanks to those who sent in pics the past few weeks.  I hope next month we can have double the submissions, so tell your friends.  Or better yet, have those cell phones and cameras ready and send in some videos and pictures yourself.  Together we can make filming the police the norm and start and encourage accountable policing practices.

Phone: 206.279.1258
email: CopBlock[at]gmail.com

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Friday’s Finest: April Edition is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

Until we’re overwhelmed with submissions we will highlight every one sent to us.  After Friday’s Finest takes off we’ll then set guidelines as to what qualifies for the rewards program.  We hope that others will feed off of this idea and form a support base for those who film police officers.  Whether that be by sharing Friday’s Finest (FF) on your social networks or calling the stations highlighted on FF, whatever you can do.

So lets get to the first ever Friday’s Finest brought to you by Cop Block:

In these two pics (above and below) you notice Chicago police officers parking state vehicles in no parking zones.  The person who took the pics stated to Cop Block that, “I see these everyday on the way to and from the gym.”  This person couldn’t wait around but it’s a great example of how great cell phone are and how easy it is to share.

Cop Block has attempted to contact the Chicago police department to get comment.  We were passed around and always lead to some answering machine.  Maybe some folks in the Chicago area can help us get more pictures/videos to take to them?

Then there was this concerned person in Texas who sent us this video and pic.  I asked them for a brief over view of what happened and they said:

“This photo and video were during spring break March 5th-March 21st 2010 on North Padre Island Corpus Christi Texas. They used our conference center as a command post in our quiet neighborhood. We had to hear them test their sirens and lights, they sped down the streets to get here and sped off going home! They were loud,obnoxious and rude! They constantly drove the wrong way in the one way, were very loud and vocal as to what their plans were for the day!  They even made bets with other police officers as to how many busts they could make and much beer they go to make people dump out!  It was awful! I took the pics and videos because of this because of ”the double standard and good ole boy system” here in Texas. People need to know they are not ABOVE THE LAW! Their own law!”

I know the audio in the video isn’t the best quality but I posted it because even if police aren’t doing something wrong, they should still be filmed.  Let them know we’re out there, every where, anywhere and at any time their actions can be caught on tape.  This video might not be of damning evidence now but it could show the characters of these officers if something were to come up down the road. Well done Concerned Texan.

In this picture from Memphis, TN you notice 6 police motorcycles parked in a no parking, as well as in front of a fire hydrant.  I believe there are about 12 laws being broken in this picture.  Some people would say whats the big deal?  They are cops and should be allowed this benefit for risking their lives.  I completely disagree because everyone knows the risks involved with being a police officer.  People voluntarily choose to become police, where the bosses (politicians) make rules that force their workers (agents of the state; police) into dangerous situations.  So due to their choice we should allow them extra rights that society has, arguably, deemed illegal?  Or are they allowed this benefit because they’re the enforcer for the larger bully known as government?

I want to thank those who sent in these photos and videos.  They wanted to stay anonymous but hopefully in the future that won’t be the case.  As there is nothing to hide from, you pay these people for a service and it’s your responsibility to make sure they provide that service to your liking.

If you want to submit a picture or video for Friday’s Finest send it to CopBlock@gmail.com.  If the file is too large, email us and we’ll work something out.  Looking forward to seeing what people send in.  Want to do more, check out the Join Us tab at the top of the page.

Phone: 206.279.1258
email: CopBlock@gmail.com

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Cop Block Announces Friday’s Finest is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights

A few weeks ago Cop Block confronted the Arlington Police department about  officers parking illegally.  The internal affairs investigation has been completed and here is part of what they said (you may view the entire document here).

Sergeant Rizik reviewed the internet video identified in your complaint.  He also interviewed the officers depicted in the video. Officer Bennett #1307 stated that he and other officers were in the 2400 block o S. Eads Street to provide a visible presence as a result of an armed robbery which occurred the previous day at the same location.  While parked at that location, the officers were approached by an individual who explained that he had been chased to his vehicle the night before by unknown persons.  Based on these circumstances, Officer Bennett parked his police vehicle at the location in question.

Based upon the video, the information provided by you and the involved officers, their actions were reasonable and within police department policy

Really? I have several issues with this and questions I want clarified by the Arlington Police department.  For starters why didn’t the officers explain this to the concerned person?  Why didn’t Internal Affairs send along proof of the robbery (the police report) with this letter?  Why weren’t the issues of police identifying themselves addressed?  Did these officers face any criticism from superiors for their actions?  Why weren’t they simply ticketed and allow to plea their case in court, like everyone else.  That way their story and this ‘investigation’ would be public.

He clearly states that the actions of the officers were “reasonable and within police department policy.”  So to the Arlington Police it’s okay for them to park where ever they like?  Sorry it’s not, because there are laws against it, even if all of what they state is true it was the day after the robbery, so there was no immediate danger to the public .  The officers were assigned to be on the street, to show presence, therefore they could have parked their cars a mile away.  As they were not needed.

Then there is the attitude of the officers when approached with reasonable questions.  Why didn’t the officers say they were there for the alleged robbery?  Why did they choose to mock him and refuse to state their names or to give their badge numbers?  Which is another illegal act by the way.

I hope to have another update later in the week as to the response to these questions.

Phone: 206.279.1258
email: CopBlock@gmail.com

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Arlington Police Respond to Complaint from Cop Block is a post from Cop Block - Badges Don't Grant Extra Rights