Why are firefighters PROUD when someone videotapes them at work, But cops are not?

Question

Just curious.

If you video tape a firefighter, a EMT, a soldier or marine, OBGYN, just about anyone doing their job, they are PROUD of their work.

But if you try to video tape a police officer doing his job, he will do EVERYTHING in his power to make you stop.

Why is that?

Ok Wuxxler -

If I pull up on you and get out of my car with a video camera, and you are doing a felony stop, what are you going to have another officer do to me? Let me stay? I don't buy it - because I have done it, and they don't want you there recording. They will threaten with charges, etc. See, dash cams only point forward...and don't pan to catch all the action - so it is limited. Do you expect me to believe that officers don't know the "periphial vision" of their dash cam?

I have seen cops. I was born and raised here in the states. Only left when I was in the corps. Cops is different thank I am talking about. I am seeing an officer working on the street and busting out the camcorder.

They WILL not have it.

I am not talking about being in their face either. Just across the street...20-30 yards away.

Answer 1

They are taped when they pull someone over. Beyond that, a majority of them have "John Wayne Syndrome." They don't want the public to see how stupid they act sometimes when they get excited. Screaming, yelling, pointing their gun at unarmed people for no reason sometimes, throwing people to the ground when simply giving them verbal orders in a civil tone would work 99% of the time. This is why a lot of people don't like cops. The power of the badge warps their little bitty brains.

Answer 2

As a police officer I could care less if you video taped me performing my duties so don't lump us all in that category.

What I would object to is someone using documented footage of my tactics to learn how to defeat it later thus increasing my level of risk during a situation.

How many times have you seen footage on you tube with a title like " Police abusing power " when in fact the officer was justified in doing what he did when all the facts are uncovered.


It only takes a couple of bad apples in law enforcement to make us all look bad. The fact of the matter is most officers are very good and you may be mistrusting for no reason. I'd rather have you shut that camera off and move on your way than be apart of the story by agitating my subject increasing my level of risk.

Addition:

Actually for the poster below cameras mounted in dash have been great and most officers love them. They have caught many people making up stories of Police brutality when it has never happended. Man of them are arrested and do time. It occured once at my PD where a woman alleged the officer called her the " N " word and pulled his weapon out and placed it against her temple. That of course never happend and was caught on 2 seperate dash cameras. Her claim made front page news on many papers. Of course she was caught lying and even after the video tapes were released the media never printed a retraction story or news of her arrest. Ya see that stuff doesnt sell papers.

Be very careful of news from the media. Many times its far from the truth

Answer 3

Police are proud of their work as well. Police work is dealing with situations where there are usually unhappy people. And for this reason, people are always quick to judge what the officer did.
Being a cop is not like the TV shows or movies and when you are faced with danger, it is real, not Hollywood.
Most people have no idea what being a policeman is and are always quick to criticize and judge and second guess. There are few few instances where everyone is happy with what the police officer does (from writing a parking ticket to handling a domestic case). And unhappy people will judge the officers actions and be quick to file complaints. Believe it or not, most civilian complaints are quickly explained away when the procedures/policies are explained to the complaining party.
Just look at some of the questions posted on these boards. People have NO idea about the law and because it doesn't sit well with them, they say the cop is wrong.

SEE, look at some of these stupid answers.

Answer 4

1. To the untrained observer, police tactics can seem brutal, and not necessairy. It's not good for PR.

2. It becomes an identity issue if you tape them. They don't want thier face spread all over the net.

3. They don't know who you are, what your story is, or why. Your presence actually makes a situation that much harder to deal with.

4. Police tactics are usually studied by criminals in order to gain the upper hand in police encounters. The fact that you're taping them is suspect.

5. Some places actually prohibit photography and videography.

Answer 5

Well when a firefighter is a doing his job you can maintain a safe distance, but a cops job is usually more private such as helping a victim of a domestic dispute. I am sure the victim would love to have a camera in their face for someone elses entertainment after they were just abused.

Cops are recorded on all traffic stops by the way.

Answer 6

A lot of what a cop does is videotaped anyway with dashboard cameras. When people tape firefighters,EMTs, or the others you named, it is usually done to show them in a positive light. Not so with police. I have absolutely no problem with you videotaping anything I do as long as you don't edit it to give false perceptions of negative behavior. This is commonly done with certain persons of the media.

Answer 7

When you video tape a cop they have to watch everything they do because it could be used against them later. Anything they say or might say could be recorded and it could be very dangerous. Another thing is that cop might one day be undercover and if his face is splashed everywhere it could also be dangerous for them.

Could also be because they have something to hide. You never know. They could be crooked cops and might be doing something they don't want put on national tv.

Answer 8

Police officers are not only entrusted with protecting citizens, the must also protect the identity of suspected criminals. If you video tape them arresting or questioning some one, the accused's identity could very easily be made public.

Answer 9

You expected reasonable answers in this forum???
C'mon, seriously now .......... sheesh.

Firefighters, EMT's, etc. are VERY rarely if ever accused of brutality or any other crime in the commission of their duties.

Cops are accused of everything under the sun all the time.
Video's can be manipulated to fit ones needs and turn an innocent police maneuver into an accusatory one.

Answer 10

Because Police deal with people at thier worst. They deal with people who are upset, on drugs, angry, or worse.

Police also dont need cameras in thier faces distracting them or the victim or perp making thier job harder. They deal with the lowest of the lows and they deal with people at rock bottom with nothing to lose and people who have just lost everything. They see the best and worst of humanity where generally all firefighters get to do is save lives without worrying about the how or why.

Firefighters, EMT's, and Doctors get to SAVE lives purely. They don't have to worry about walking the line between taking lives to save others. I'm not saying Firefighter and EMT's aren't doing dangerous jobs... but it's a different danger.

If you're trying to say cops have something to hide... they dont... but they do have people to protect... identities to protect and thier own families to protect at home.

If you're putting someone in prison who isn't quite in his or her right mind and they see you on a film... they might get enough to be able to track down your wife, husband or children.