Today Show Correspondent Jeff Rossen in Rochester, NY
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Thursday morning, millions of viewers watched NBC's Today Show correspondent Jeff Rossen's report live from my hometown of Rochester, NY, on citizens' rights when stopped by police.
The segment featured Rochester, NY Police Sgt. Henry Favor, who participated in a mock traffic stop of Jeff Rossen.
The nearly 4 minute segment focused on what a motorist should do when stopped by police.
And while most of it was your run of the mill, basic "Licence and registration please" dialogue on
behalf of Rochester Police Sgt. Henry Favor, it's what the report doesn't show that really passed me the fuck off.
You see, I'm from Rochester.
I was born in Rochester.
And except for moving to Miami, Florida as a baby, I've lived in Rochester for the past 35 years.
And at least the past 20 years I've exposed just how corrupt the Rochester, NY Police Department really is,
In Jeff Rossen's segment, he asks Rochester Police Sgt. Henry Favor, if a motorist has the right to video record the traffic stop.
And Sgt. Favor says "Yes."
And he's right.
Not only do citizens have the right to record, a right protected under the first amendment, but I always urge citizens to do so.
In fact, I recommend citizens record EVERY INTERACTION with law enforcement.
So what's my issue with Sgt. Favor and The Today Show segment?
Well, it's Rochester Police Sgt. Henry Favor's hypocrisy combined with the fact that millions of viewers who saw the segment don't have any idea of the Rochester, NY Police Department's long history of violating citizens' first amendment right to record.
Case in point.
May 12, 2011.
Rochester, NY Police officer Mario Masic falsely arrests Emily Good after she video records a racially profiled traffic stop of a black motorist.
Despite Emily Good excercising her first amendment right to record, RPD officer Mario Masic, known as "Cowboy" on Rochester streets, bullies Good, telling her her to go inside her house several times, before arresting her.
The arrest made international headlines, and charges against Emily Good were dismissed.
And just a few months ago, on April 15, 2015, a young African-American law student was walking to a Rochester library when she witnessed two Rochester, NY Police officers harassing a group of black youths.
"They were yelling at the youths and telling them that if they didn't leave, they were going to arrest them," the young woman, who didn't want me to publish her real name out of fear of retaliation by Rochester Police told me.
The young woman told me that's when one of the RPD officers handcuffed one of the youths and put him in the back of his cruiser.
"That's when I started recording," she said.
"I mean the youths didn't appear to be doing anything wrong, they were just walking."
What happens next is exactly why I was disgusted by Rochester, NY Police Sgt. Henry Favor's hypocrisy when it comes to his making it seem like the Rochester, NY Police Department respects the United States Constitution and citizens first amendment right to record.
THEY DON'T.
Rochester, NY Police Sgt. Henry Favor knows very well that his fellow officers have absolutely no respect for citizens constitutional rights.
He knows chances are very good that any citizen who chooses to excercise his or her first amendment right to record a Rochester, NY Police officer will more than likely face aggressive intimidation tactics and/or arrest.
As you can see in the video below, a Rochester Police officer, driving cruiser number 261, drives over to the library's parking lot, drives up on the young woman and blasts his high decibel siren/alarm, in an attempt to intimidate the young woman, and get her to stop recording.
"I couldn't believe what the officer was doing, I mean that's coercion," the young woman told me.
In the video the RPD officer can be seen just sitting in hs cruiser while he blares the loud siren, but the young woman holds her ground, exercising her first amendment right to record.
And that's the real Rochester, NY Police Department.
No respect for the first amendment.
But The Today Show would never show that.
Rochester, NY Police Sgt. Henry Favor
CLICK PLAY TO WATCH VIDEO OF ROCHESTER, NY POLICE OFFICER ATTEMPTING
TO VIOLATE WOMAN'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO RECORD
CLICK PLAY TO WATCH ROCHESTER, NY POLICE OFFICER MARIO MASIC
ARRESTING EMILY GOOD
CLICK PLAY TO WATCH TODAY SHOW SEGMENT
Rochester, NY Police officer stares young woman down as he blares loud siren at her.
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