Countless times we see police officers being caught on video doing and saying things that they were not taught to do in the police academy. Most police officers are good men and women who take their oath to serve and protect their communities very seriously. Unfortunately, there are some who do not.
Encounters between the police and the public happen every day on the side of the road in what the courts call “routine traffic stops.” However, if these traffic stops are routine, why is it that most people feel anxious when they get pulled over by the police?
Sadly, the interaction between some police officers and their community is not as professional as their training requires. Police agencies may or may not issue their officers body cameras. Sometimes the cameras malfunction.
There are things you can do to make sure your encounter with a police officer is recorded. If you have an iPhone, there’s an App to streamline the recording process: https://apple.news/Ay0ImJ05RSYSMsHjMtEqCBA
Now, a user of a mobile phone has a way to record their encounter with the police. Apple has made it easier to use Siri to record the event without you having to give it much thought. Simply saying “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” is enough to get your phone to start recording the event and to alert someone you have predesignated that you might need their help due to an encounter with the police.
Video recordings are impartial observers who are free of bias. After all, the recording device does not care what color your skin is or what your sexual identity may be. The machine will faithfully record the good, the bad and the ugly details of your encounter with a police officer.
We are taught from a young age to respect police officers. However, respect goes both ways. Recording your encounter with a police officer is your insurance that a judge or jury does not have to simply depend upon human recollections of events. The existence of a recording of your encounter may provide useful information that I can use to properly defend your case.
In the hands of an expert trial attorney, the recording can be put to use to produce a favorable outcome for you.
Call Adam Pollack at 407-834-5297 if you have any questions about this post or if you’d like a free consultation about your legal matter.