They want you to be living in fear, the bullies always do, it’s where they draw their strength from. Please do consider having some hidden video camera to document misconduct, perhaps nestled in a plant pot on top of a cupboard with a good view of the room where they will be focused on and do most of the ‘talking’ in. Hidden by the foliage yet not obscured… It is by standing up to the thugs and bringing them down that we, collectively, can live in a better world.

Last night I was sitting at my computer in my ground floor apartment which faces a pool in the apartment complex. I noticed two cops walking by my window which is the first time I have seen cops around here in the year I have lived here and of course was instantly compelled to jump up, grab my video and dslr cameras and pop out to the patio to see what I could see. I was compelled to do this because of Carlos’s site and the desire to fight for our rights as citizens with cameras. I made it a point to say “Hello” to the officers with a large dslr hanging clearly from my neck and the video camera rolling from before I stepped outside. The video camera has a bright red led showing on the front when recording so again made a point to make that obvious to them too. They said nothing about either camera. I can’t say if Mesa’s finest were so well behaved because I was filming them, or in fairness, if they even noticed I was filming them as they were focused on talking to the very drunk and vocal gentleman who was gracing the pool’s seating area. Eventually an additional four police officers showed-up, I greeted these too. The man was hand cuffed, brought away to the car park to be questioned, I do not think this was due to my presence as I followed them, keeping a respectful distance (based off of how close I could stand while zooming in on the scene, lol) and they eventually let him go to continue his shenanigans. No harm, no foul however having said that, I know I was just lucky this time. That won’t deter me from the next time, and the time after that.

No matter what, I am determined to record any police I see doing their job (or not), wherever I am. I never leave home without both cameras on my person.

Viva la resistance!

But before a few months ago they were just more of a nuisance to me because of their overwhelming thirst for speeders, with multiple officers showing up for routine traffic tickets to get in on the action and their snobbish above-the-law attitude.

My husband used to ride his bike to work (he’s a creative director in advertising by the way) when we lived in Beaverton and we lived a few blocks down from the police dept. They used to drive up to him as he rode his bike to the max and pace him just staring him down as he rode… he never did anything wrong and didnt look suspicious. But that was about it, I had never had an issue before.

Most recently we had a visit, though, from DHS on a single eronious complaint claiming we had feces all over our home (which was never found) that seemed to validate bringing not only 2 DHS workers but ALSO a Beaverton Police officer with. He proceeded to interrogate me in my kitchen, making me sit down as he stood above me, claiming the spaghetti my daughter mixed with her milk and chinese noodles was not only a bio hazard, but so was having an enclosed hermit crab tank on my kitchen counter. He drove this investigation completely over a cliff ordering these two young DHS workers to document a pile of dirty laundry on the floor in my laundry room and jelly that was smeared on the inside of my fridge claiming that it was unacceptable. When I argued that I had never seen anything stating it was illegal to have an enclosed hermit crab tank in a kitchen, he stood over me and pointed his finger at me and said I was argumentative and ‘unwilling to work with them’ and asked if there was another adult he could talk to in the home. I was completely calm but reacted as dumbfounded as the accusations were.
Mind you- I am a married mother of five kiddos and I was 5 months pregnant with my 6th.
I’m also a photographer, by the way… but I’m scared to death now to video document anything here because my kids are at stake.
We live in a 5 bedroom house in an upscale neighborhood and pay more in rent than most people do. We have nice furniture and great kids.
I would love nothing more than to set up an indoor video surveilance system for the next time they come over, which should be any day now. They threatened me that they are coming back and to be watching. Im due in 5 weeks- Im figuring they will show up right about when I give birth so they catch me at my weakest moments.

Thanks for linking to that. I will include that in a future post.

Free Speech and the power to monitor the public servants is still intact (at least in this small realm)

MAYBE CHASTMAN 36610 WILL BLOW THE WHISTLE; HE SEEMED TO BE HONEST.

TELL ME YOUR STORY! DO YOU KNOW NAMES OF OTHERS-CHANCES ARE THEY HAVE WORKED WITH SGT. BACIGALUPI