Borrowed Cameras

The local chapter of a national civil rights group has announced plans to train some City residents how to use donated video cameras to record interactions with police officers. (This is the same national group, by the way, that opposes most anti-terrorism camera surveillance and, even, video cameras at dangerous intersections.)

Both the police chief and a police officers rep say that the camera project is fine with them - because they believe that most police do their jobs professionally and that most residents are happy with police service. I agree with that.

My only reservation with the program is that it would probably have a greater effect on the quality of life in some City neighborhoods if residents were trained to videotape criminals doing their jobs, rather than police officers doing theirs.