Cameras in Police Cars
The Rockford police chief and some city officials want to install video cameras in all 100 police cars. They think this will reduce the number of lawsuits filed against the city. In the last five years, Rockford has paid out more than five million dollars to settle about 40 lawsuits.
The chief said, “If cameras had been in those cars, we wouldn’t have had to pay one dime. We’re always pulling over drunks or drug users who try to fight the cops or shoot them. Then they always claim that the police started beating them first or started shooting at them first. What hogwash!”
The cost of installing cameras will be about $500 per vehicle. The city council will vote on the proposal next Monday. Ten of the 13 council members, when asked about the proposal, said that they liked the idea. One member said that it makes good fiscal sense and common sense. If the cameras are approved, they can be installed in all the cars within six weeks.
The police officers enthusiastically support camera use. One officer said that too many people think the police are liars; cameras would show citizens that police tell the truth. “The money that we’ve been spending on lawsuits will be better spent on more cameras,” said one officer.
Citizen reaction to the idea of police car cameras is mixed. One person said that the police should have started doing this years ago when video cameras were invented. But an elderly man said that cameras were an invasion of privacy. “These police are trying to stick their nose into everything,” he said. He was going to attend the council meeting to condemn the proposal. He hoped that other citizens would join him.
Remember the Vocabulary
install | v. | устанавливать |
chief | n. | шеф |
lawsuit | n. | судебный иск |
camera | n. | камера |
drunk | adj. | пьяный |
cop | n. | полицейский (сленг) |
shoot | v. | стрелять |
hogwash | n. | вздор, чушь |
proposal | n. | предложение |
fiscal | adj. | законный |
liar | n. | лжец |
mixed | adj. | смешанный |
invasion | n. | вторжение |
privacy | n. | секретность |
stick | v. | прилипать |
nose | n. | нос |
council | n. | совет |
condemn | v. | осуждать |
make sense | n. | иметь смысл |
Answer the questions
Does the police chief think video cameras are a good idea?
Do all city officials agree with the police chief?
Does Rockford have 100 police cars?
Has Rockford paid out $40 million to settle lawsuits?
Are drunks and drug users cooperative with the Rockford police?
Do the Rockford police shoot drunks first and ask questions later?
Do most council members think the video cameras make sense?
Will each camera cost about $500 to install?
Will it take six months to install all the cameras?
Are all Rockford citizens in favor of the cameras?
Who want to install video cameras?
According to the chief, what do drunks and drug users try to do?
What will the cost of installing cameras be?
When will the city council vote on the proposal?
How many city council members are there?
What did ten council members think of the proposal?
How long will it take to install all the cameras?
According to one officer, what do too many people think?
What is citizen reaction to the idea of cameras?
According to an elderly man, what are the police trying to do?
Ask questions
Officials want to install cameras in the police cars. (Where)
Officials want to install cameras in the police cars. (What)
Officials think this will reduce the number of lawsuits. (What)
Rockford has settled about 40 lawsuits. (How many)
Cameras would have saved Rockford $5 million. (How much)
Drunks try to fight the cops. (Whom)
The cost will be about $500 per vehicle. (What)
The council will vote on the proposal next Monday. (When)
It will take six weeks to install the cameras. (How long)
The police are enthusiastic. (How)