(no subject)

[theweaselking]

News crew with a hidden camera discovers that, in South Florida, if you want to file a complaint about a cop, 35/38 police stations will lie to you, give you the runaround, or outright threaten you. For example,

tester: Yeah, I wanted to find out how to file a complaint against an officer. I just want to find out how you do it. Do you guys have a form or something that I could take with me.
officer: Well, you got to tell me first, and then I got to hear what's going on. You've got to tell me what the complaint is.
tester: Do you have a complaint form that I can, like, fill out or something like that?
officer: Might not be a legitimate complaint.
tester: Who decides that?
officer: I'm trying to help you.
tester: Like, if there's a form, why can't I just take it and leave, right?
officer: No, you don't leave with forms. You tell me what happened, and then I help you from there. Do you have I-D on?
tester: Why?
officer: You know what? You need to leave.
tester: Why?
officer: I'm going to tell you one more time, because I can't do this anymore with you, okay. You're refusing to tell me what you want to do, okay. You're refusing to tell me who's involved, where it happened, what transpired. You'e not cooperating with me one bit.
tester: I was just asking if you guys have a complaint form, like if there's some way for me --
officer: Out of my way.
tester: To contact Internal Affairs.
officer: You can do whatever the hell you want. It's a free country.
man" You're cursing at me.
officer: Where do you live? Where do you live? You have to tell me where you live, what your name is, or anything like that.
tester: For a complaint? I mean, like, if I have --
officer: Are you on medications?
tester: Why would you ask me something like that?
officer: Because you're not answering any of my questions.
tester: Am I on medications?
officer: I asked you. It's a free country. I can ask you that.
tester: Okay, you're right.
officer: So you're not going to tell me who you are, you're not going to tell me what the problem is.You're not going to identify yourself.
tester: All I asked you was, like, how do I contact --
officer: You said you have a complaint. You say my officers are acting in an inappropriate manner.
officer: So leave now. Leave now. Leave now.
tester: I'm not doing anything wrong.
officer: Neither am I. It's a free country.
officer: I'm not in your face. I'm standing on the sidewalk. It's a free country. One more step forward, and you'll see what happens. Take one more step forward.

On the video, the officer in this case has his hand pointedly on his gun just the last sentence.
That officer, Sergeant Peter Schumanich of the Lauderhill Police Department, is suing the TV station for airing the story, after trying (and failing) to get an injunction against airing it in the first place.

For the record? The policy, in every last one of those stations, is to give the pre-printed complaint form to the requester, without question or comment, and allow them to do whatever they want with it. When they return, policy is to accept it back again, without question or comment beyond ensuring that all the required fields are filled out.

There's video of both stories. For those more familiar with *watching* American TV than I am, is that kind of way overdramatic swooping "news exclusive" with the voiceover guy doing buildup like it's live commentary on open heart surgery common? Is that standard for networks other than Faux?

Comments

[speck.livejournal.com]

as a current resident I can assure you, it's all friggin 'faux' 'breaking' news shit style reporting around here.

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

For those more familiar with *watching* American TV than I am, is that kind of way overdramatic swooping "news exclusive" with the voiceover guy doing buildup like it's live commentary on open heart surgery common? Is that standard for networks other than Faux?

Yes, it's common, and probably not exclusive to Fox, though I can't recall where else I've seen it off hand. I mostly get my news from newspapers, radio, and the blogosphere, and when I did watch Fox News, it was mostly for the amusement value. (The local Seattle Fox affiliate is so vapid that you can FEEL your brain cells giving up in despair as you watch. It's an added feature!)

[gothpanda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was kind of an extreme intro. They tend to be pretty flashy, but all that was over-the-top, even for American tv. I guess when they know they have a big story they really want to play it up. Reminds me of the video of Microsoft redesigning the iPod packaging.

And that video was scary. I usually think of the police as being good guys, because I'm a generally law-abiding white girl, but I obviously need to be a bit more skeptical.

[caerlas.livejournal.com]

It's all sensationalism, modern american TV journalism is. Notwithstanding that, I find this all very disturbing anyway. USA Today included a link to this today on one of their blogs. It must be all over the net today. Funny, pparently it aired in earliy Feb.

[gothpanda.livejournal.com]

*waves*

[caerlas.livejournal.com]

*waves back*

Hello lady

[scixual.livejournal.com]

That intro was the bump ad, and they are ALWAYS like that: "Why your drinking water may kill you: news at 11!" "Are your kids having sex with bi-curious bison of the late bronze age? Find out on tonight's News!" "It's 10 o'clock. Do you know where your liver is?"

Drives me nuts.