A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Above is a short video uploaded by the Minneapolis Police Department showing an officer reciting instructions/a warning to OccupyMN protestors. Amy Forliti for the AP:

After a dozen Occupy Minnesota protesters were arrested at a downtown demonstration, the group quickly took to the Internet, posting video that activists said showed police treating them roughly and never warning them to leave.

But Minneapolis police knew warnings had been given. And they had their own video to prove it. So they posted the footage on YouTube, an example of how law enforcement agencies nationwide are embracing online video to cast doubt on false claims and offer their own perspective to the public.

I don’t believe I’ve heard of a police department uploading videos like this before, although Forliti goes on to mention that several departments across the country have done it for years. I like this. Transparency is great and all that. Plus, it’s nice that Milwaukee uses it for reasons besides rebutting critics:

Just last month, the department posted video of an officer punching a woman in the face while she was handcuffed in his squad car. Spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said the department wanted to share what had happened, while reiterating that the officer was fired for his conduct.

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