How to Surveil the Police (with William Gude)

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This week, we talk to William Gude, who runs Film the Police LA. Film the Police LA is a YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Twitter account where William does exactly what it says in the name: He films police in Los Angeles to hold them accountable. William has been doing this for years, and has captured a series of police abuses during what are supposed to be routine traffic stops or other encounters that don’t need to be so tense.

What I like about William’s work is that it’s a mix of very serious accountability journalism mixed with some humor—William is a funny guy whose rapport with cops in the videos he makes often palpably brings the tension down between the police and the people they have pulled over. William also documents surveillance in Los Angeles, and has taken to filming and talking to the Serve delivery robots in and around Hollywood as they often screw up, get stuck, or are messed with. We talk about the utility of filming the police, how people can get into police watching, what he’s learned over the years, the state of the LAPD, the spread of surveillance, and what it means to surveil the police right back.

This week, we talk to William Gude, who runs Film the Police LA. Film the Police LA is a YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Twitter account where William does exactly what it says in the name: He films police in Los Angeles to hold them accountable. William has been doing this for years, and has captured a series of police abuses during what are supposed to be routine traffic stops or other encounters that don’t need to be so tense.

What I like about William’s work is that it’s a mix of very serious accountability journalism mixed with some humor—William is a funny guy whose rapport with cops in the videos he makes often palpably brings the tension down between the police and the people they have pulled over. William also documents surveillance in Los Angeles, and has taken to filming and talking to the Serve delivery robots in and around Hollywood as they often screw up, get stuck, or are messed with. We talk about the utility of filming the police, how people can get into police watching, what he’s learned over the years, the state of the LAPD, the spread of surveillance, and what it means to surveil the police right back.

00:00 Intro: William Gude
03:06 How George Floyd Protests Changed His Life
04:31 Documenting Traffic Stops & Police Accountability
07:56 Why Civilian Filming Matters
09:22 How Police React to Being Filmed Today
12:03 The Copyright Music Tactic
13:41 Filming Protests & Police Stops
20:50 Delivery Robots, Waymo & Everyday Surveillance
24:23 Flock License Plate Readers & False Stops
30:30 The Biggest Problem with LAPD
35:33 Pokémon GO Cops & Public Records Delays
42:30 ICE Raids & Facial Recognition
45:27 Memorable Police Encounters
47:42 Has Police Accountability Improved?
48:58 Advice for New Cop Watchers

YouTube version: youtu.be/aIfe9XQzpYY

Find William on YouTube:youtube.com/@FilmThePoliceLA

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