Every so often an idea so brilliant comes along, then you wonder, why didn’t I think of that.
A new website which gives ratings to cops from around the country. Called Rate My Cop (currently down, but hopefully not out) has been getting quite a bit of news.
The police evidently hate it…here is some coverage from CBS5…they thrive on anonymity. Do you think a cop would taser a kid if he knew the world would know?
The site is still new, so it still has a lot of filling out to do, but it is a brilliant concept. This is the key to maintaining freedom as we enter the surveillance society –we have to hold the powers that be to the same transparency that we are forced into. If our lives are to be captured on film and in databases, then we must also capture the watchers on film and in databases…much deserved kudos to the owners of the site.
Filed under: News and politics, Society, technology
There was an episode on Law And Order in which undercover cops were outed on a website and people started killing them. At least, I think that was L&O. My dad was a cop, and while I think he would have done really well in RateMyCop, I can see how it might have kinda dangerous. You’d have to post a profile to show you were a nice cop and try to make people like you. I dunno…
I think it’s a great idea. Cops should be accountable for their actions, just like everyone else. Some of them seem to feel like they’re above the law, and I certainly would have loved to post about a few real assholes that treated me horribly because they considered me just another punk kid (I had funny-colored hair and piercings) while I was making the Dean’s list, volunteering for animal rescue groups, and helping raise my niece & little sister.