Anyone with a smartphone can record interactions with the police–but recordings can get destroyed, sometimes by the officer involved. An ACLU app solves that problem by automatically preserving your recording in their database.
The ACLU of California released the free app, Mobile Justice CA, saying it will “help serve as a check on abuse – whether by police officers, sheriff’s deputies, border patrol, or other officials – allowing ordinary citizens to record and document any interaction with law enforcement.”
When you record within the app, the ACLU simultaneously receives a copy. It can also send alerts to other app-users about where an altercation is occurring, and has a “Know Your Rights” section.
If users report the incident and request a review, ACLU staff begin looking into the case. All reports sent through the app are considered confidential legal information, but the ACLU can share videos to increase awareness of police brutality.
Just last month, a U.S. Marshal was caught on tape smashing a bystander’s phone after he realized she had been recording him. (He failed to notice the farther-away witness, who uploaded video of the whole scene to Youtube.) And while increasing police body cameras has been proposed across the country, concerns remain that police could alter or suppress incriminating information in their own recordings.
“People who historically have had very little power in the face of law enforcement now have this tool to reclaim their power and dignity,” said Patrisse Cullors from the Ella Baker Center, which partnered with the ACLU on the app. “Our vision is that this app will ultimately help community members connect and organize to respond to incidents of law enforcement violence, and then share their experiences and knowledge with others.”
Several similar apps already exist for users in other states, including New Jersey and New York.
Watch this video to see Mobile Justice CA in action:
