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[ The Video Agenda ]
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Be smart about what you shoot
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by Mark J. Pescatore
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Warning labels on products used to be meaningful, but recently they've morphed into something screwy. Why the change? Because in a disturbing lapse of common sense, someone figure out that self-defense pepper spray may irritate eyes.
Apparently, video cameras used in law enforcement need to have warning labels of their own to protect officers from embarrassing themselves and their departments. I've got the first one ready to go: If you Taser a cow for no good reason, don't videotape it. And if you must videotape your bovine-stunning antics, don't show it to your friends and co-workers.
In February, a letter from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals prompted an investigation by the Rogers Police Department in Rogers, AR, of animal cruelty by one of its officers. Back in 2006, Lt. David Mitchell used his department-issued Taser on a cow while he was off duty. (PETA learned of the incident through an anonymous source.) The incident was videotaped, and Mitchell decided to share the clip.
I guess he thought it was funny -- he wound up shocking himself as well as the cow in the process -- but the fallout from the incident is no laughing matter. The statute of limitations has expired, so Mitchell won't have to face misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, but he was suspended for 10 days without pay.
The disciplinary action didn't stop there. Chief Steve Helms received a letter of reprimand from Mayor Steve Womack. Helms had seen the video months before the incident gained national attention and didn't take action on what Womack said was a breach of department policy.
So, we've got a suspended cop, a disciplined chief, and an embarrassed police department. And remember, all of this happened without the video being posted on YouTube. Not very funny.
The lesson here doesn't apply strictly to police. Do you have "blooper" reels that could be embarrassing or harmful to your department? Did you use agency equipment to record or edit personal projects that might be deemed inappropriate?
Remember, PETA isn’t the only activist group out there. There are plenty of other people and organizations that serve as watchdogs against the abuse of government power. As video professionals in the public service, your actions reflect your agency and community, as well as the allocation of tax dollars. Don’t let your department be the cause of unnecessary bad press ... or worse. Consider yourself warned.
Mark J. Pescatore is the editor. Contact him at mpescatore@nbmedia.com.
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