- When Words are Weapons (An Interview with Sherman Austin)
- Update from the John Graham Defense Committee--by John’s Daughters Naneek and Chusia
- "Believe Me, It's Torture": Pro-War Journalist Tries Waterboarding
- Congress Tries to Strip Power from Anti-Wiretap Judge
- Organizing for Freedom: Inside Angola Prison, Louisiana's Last Slave Plantation
[CENSORED] Rate-My-Cop: New Website Has Police Furious
Syndicated from Infoshop News
Promoted by ron collins on Wed, 2008-03-12 15:00.
In sections:
[UPDATE (April 18): It appears that RateMyCop.com is back on line with a different provider.]
Mar 9, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) ― Police agencies from coast to coast are furious with a new website on the internet. RateMyCop.com has the names of thousands of officers, and many believe it is putting them in danger.
Officer Hector Basurto, the vice president of the Latino Police Officers Association, recently learned about the site. "I'd like to see it gone," he said.
"Having a website like this out there puts a lot of law enforcement in danger," he said. "It exposes us out there."
Kevin Martin, the vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, agrees. "Will they be able to access our home addresses, home phone numbers, marital status, whether or not we have children? That's always a big concern for us," he said.
Creators of the site say no personal information will be on the site. They gathered officers' names, which are public information, from more than 450 police agencies nationwide. Some listings also have badge numbers along with the officer's names.
Rebecca Costell says, in a statement, that the site helps people rate more than 130,000 officers by rating them on authority, fairness and satisfaction.
She adds, "Our website's purpose is to break the stereotype that people have that cops are all bad by having officers become responsible for their actions."
The site is so new that many Bay Area police agencies are not aware of it. San Francisco police say they have no connection with the site and would not take any of its comments seriously.
Police associations that represent more than 100,000 police and sheriffs in California are now seeking legislation to see if they can eliminate the site altogether. They say that officers who are rated face unfair maligning without any opportunity to defend themselves.
The CPCA will work with other law enforcement associations to pursue legislation to stop the website. Constitutional attorney and former San Francisco Police Commissioner Peter Keane said eliminating the site is difficult.
"Any kind of publication is protected as long as it's not publishing privileged information," he said.
The First Amendment would be the site's protection.
- Login or register to post comments
- 5083 reads
- Original article
- Email this page
- Printer-friendly version
"RateMyCop" Website is Back Online (For Now)
It looks like the creators of this site have found another server 'cause they're back on line (for now). I was able to access the site as of Wednesday, March 12 at around 11:00 AM PDT.
still looks down from here
do you still see it?
more ratemycop info
this story from infoshop says the site is down but has found a new home.
http://mostlywater.org/godaddy_silences_policewatchdog_site_...
i'm not sure what blackandred is seeing.
I'm all for the first amendment
But here's a real problem with Rate-A-Cop.
-Sometimes, people lie.
-People are more likely to lie when they feel anonymous.
-The Internet gives the impression of vast anonymity.
Example: Remember that time you personally pulled me over in your squad car for doing absolutely nothing? Remember when you beat me over the head with your night stick? It hurt very much. I really didn't care for the way you talked to me, or the way you handled the arrest. Your use of the taser was out-of line. You are incredibly mean!
It didn't happen but I *said* it happened, and my accounts and descriptions appeared on the Internet! The Internet!!--it must be true, right?
You should give the Cops a chance to post the actual police report of the incident right along with the complaint. Unless, of course, you don't believe in *their* free speech, which is saying something else altogether.....