Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
New ACLU App Helps You Report Police Behaving Badly
A new app from the ACLU of California will automatically transfer video straight to the user's local ACLU chapter, saving the footage just in case something happens to the phone. This can be especially useful for recording police activity.
Mobile Justice CA is available via iOS or Android, and will allow users to send footage directly to their local chapter of the ACLU, the L.A. Times reports. Users can also write a report of what they witnessed, and ACLU officials will review reports and look for incidents of police misconduct. The ACLU may release relevant video to the public, and users may choose to submit anonymously. Mobile Justice could be especially useful in instances where the users may be facing arrest, during which their phone may be confiscated, or if they feel their phone might be destroyed.
We downloaded the free app and checked it out. It's simple to use, and has a couple cool features. By tapping 'rights,' you can check and see what your rights are when dealing with the police. When you want to record, just press 'record.' Tap again when you'd like to stop recording, and your video will be on its way to the ACLU. You will next be prompted to fill out a description of what you saw, though you don't have to and you can select 'unsure' to any questions where you don't have a certain answer. Your report will also be sent to the ACLU. You can also elect to be a Witness, which will send you an alert whenever nearby users are reporting police activity. You can toggle this feature on or off.
Civilians have the right to record the police, and civilian footage can be helpful in figuring out what exactly happened in controversial interactions between the police and the public. Just recently, civilian footage revealed police officers captured police tasing a homeless man on Venice Beach. Civilian footage also exposed a CHP officer repeatedly punching a woman. Of course, for the footage to be useful, you will need to submit it. Recently, a woman in South Gate who was recording police had her phone smashed by a U.S. Marshal. In a video produced by the ACLU to promote the app, they show a similar interaction and how Mobile Justice might be useful in such a case.
Support for LAist comes from
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist