ACLU launches phone app to help motorists secretly record police stops [w/video]

Shortly after the New York branch of the American Civil Liberties Union created an app called Stop and Frisk Watch, in response to the law enforcement tactic of the same name, the ACLU branch in New Jersey has created a Police Tape app.

It does exactly what it says on the box: records audio and, if you choose, video, of an encounter. The app interface disappears when in action so that it can't be switched off by anyone who happens to glance at the phone and the recordings are stored on the phone in a place where it would take a "tech-savvy" officer to find them and delete them. Furthermore, the recordings can be automatically uploaded to secure ACLU-NJ servers so that police can't delete them later. The app also apprises users of their rights when in their cars, on the street, when at home, and when being arrested.

Whether or not you agree with the app, it's kind of crazy that we've gotten to a point where everybody feels they have to make recordings of everybody else and store them in Iron Mountain just to make sure that justice prevails. But at least this way you won't have to wear a helmet-cam. The app is available now for Android phones, with an iPhone version coming shortly. Scroll down to watch a rather strange ACLU-NJ video on how it works.