What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD

Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by malandrew on Sunday March 02, 2014 @09:11PM (#7331666)

We really need to redesign officer uniforms so that the badge number is inconspicuous the same way numbers of football and soccer jerseys are inconspicuous. It should be possible to identify a police office by their badge number from any angle once you're within 10-20 feet (i.e. it should be on the front, back and both sleeves of their uniform). Cameras should be able to track officers the same way that officers can track the license plate numbers of cars.

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by pak on Sunday March 02, 2014 @09:56PM (#7331790)

Assuming you meant "conspicuous", the problem with this idea is that when such officers want to participate in less than stellar behavior, they will obscure the numbers (by putting on a jacket, etc.). This could be justified to their superiors for any number of "tactical" reasons. After all, many cops regularly go on duty in unmarked cars or in plainclothes.

Cops are supposed to cite drivers for license plate covers and I see them out in NY the time--how can we expect them to enforce the display of their own numbers?

The only part of the uniform that police can't easily modify is the badge, which is also the part that unambiguously proves that they are police when necessary. (Not that most citizens would know how to authenticate the badge of their local police, much less those of all the federal LEAs [1]).

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Federal_law_enforcemen...

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by rdl on Sunday March 02, 2014 @10:02PM (#7331807)

IMO, raid jackets should have the police ID number written in the same font as POLICE (or other agency) on the back, and on the front in 2-3" high numbers.

The headband of a uniform cap would also work well in addition to a name tape.

There should also be a requirement that police identify themselves by name/number verbally in interactions when it is practicable to do so; e.g. "You are under arrest, I'm Officer Johnson badge #3898390 of the NYPD, ..." Coupled with audio and video recording devices, it helps create a record.

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by lostlogin on Sunday March 02, 2014 @11:43PM (#7332083)

I'll add to that. Public access to the recorded video and audio via an established process managed by a third party (to prevent access to inappropriate content which would otherwise occur with unlimited public access).

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by stoolpigeon on Sunday March 02, 2014 @09:35PM (#7331733)

you mean conspicuous - inconspicuous means "not clearly visible or attracting attention".

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by rdl on Sunday March 02, 2014 @09:56PM (#7331789)

I thought he was being ironic.

"I want x to be subtle in the way that a shotgun to the face is subtle" i.e. not subtle at all.

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by thaumasiotes on Monday March 03, 2014 @12:12AM (#7332149)

I had exactly the same thought as rdl. "Inconspicuous" means "easily overlooked", but obviously "inconspicuous in the same way that football jersey numbers are inconspicuous" means "as easily overlooked as the number on a football jersey". There's no usage error there, just laudably vivid imagery.

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Re:What I learned from an unfortunate incident with the NYPD by dredmorbius on Sunday March 02, 2014 @10:18PM (#7331844)

I suspect this was ironic understatement. E.g., "As subtle as a roundhouse kick to the head."

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