The unintended consequences of the surveillance society

Surveillance cameras are almost everywhere. And mobile telephones with video cameras are almost everywhere else.

I believe that we're in a transition period. There still exists within the law enforcement community a certain percentage of folks that really shouldn't be in that line of work. And they've not yet figured out that they're being recorded.

This week's incident involves a "thug" working for the Vancouver Police Department who was caught on video shoving a disabled woman to the sidewalk. Various explanations don't fit with the fact that the three officers then turned and walked away. [LINK]

Reading between the lines, I suspect that when three Vancouver Police officers are waddling three-abreast along a sidewalk in Vancouver's Eastside, the locals are expected to move to the side, avert their eyes, and display respect and fear. But perhaps I'm reading too much into what I'm seeing on the video.

At this point in the debate, someone always chimes in with how the police have a difficult and dangerous job, and only a minority are bad apples.

The problem with the "Bad Apple" theory is that most, and I mean the vast majority, other officers appear to be more than willing to turn a blind eye, cover-up, and even lie, to protect their brother officers.

It's time that any action or inaction by any police officer regarding the misconduct by any of his fellow officers should result in serious consequences. The only way that citizens will be protected from the "bad apples" is if we (society) apply serious sanctions on those that would fail to act against the bad apples.

Smile - you're being recorded.