Petition to Bring the Webcams Back to MAS
April 26, 2012
The city of Memphis removed the public webcams after images of what appeared to be abuse and neglect were revealed to the public. Interim director James Rogers has indicated that the public can still see what’s going on by filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for security camera footage. These very costly requests are sometimes ignored by the city or delivered with significant content missing. An expensive FOIA request that may or may not be fulfilled is not the equivalent to public access to the webcams. Further, the city says requests must be filed quickly as the data is overwritten within days. If the public had access to the webcams, viewers could notify the city of a FOIA request for a specific camera view and targeted time period before the footage is overwritten. Without the public webcams, filing a FOIA request for the security camera footage is a shot in the dark.
The animals at the Memphis pound deserve the protection afforded them by the public webcams. How many more employees have to be charged with animal cruelty before meaningful reform, including transparency, is instituted at the pound?
Please sign and share the petition. If you opt to leave a comment on the petition, please keep it respectful.
April 26, 2012 at 10:36 am
signed, shared
April 26, 2012 at 10:46 am
Mayor Wharton said that the videos would be saved for thirty days. Mayor Wharton said that the police would be monitoring the cameras. Mayor Wharton said that transparency was part of his plan.
Mayor Wharton lied.
Mayor Wharton seems to think that getting rid of the three worst animal abusers at MAS is enough. Mayor Wharton seems to think that hiring Mr. Rogers is enough. Mayor Wharton seems to think that “retraining” is enough.
Mayor Wharton is wrong.
April 26, 2012 at 11:16 am
Signed & will share too.
April 26, 2012 at 11:54 am
Signed and will share!
April 26, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Signed and commented, though I feel ashamed that, to remain respectful, the recipients will never realize how truly angry I am. I’d really like to have a talk with them at the end of a tightly-clenched choke pole while dragging them down a piss-slick hall to their horrifying and painful end game. And maybe kick them a time or two.
April 26, 2012 at 3:06 pm
+100
April 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Signed. And by the way, thanks for such a well-written and persuasive petition! I’m always being asked to sign petitions that are inarticulate, overly emotional, and full of words in all caps and multiple exclamation points. Even if I support the issues in those petitions, it’s hard to bring myself to sign them.
April 26, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Thank you Leslie. Petitions put signers in the position of sending e-mails to politicians (and others) that were written by the petition author. If you don’t want your name signed at the end of a bunch of SKINNED ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HORRIBLE DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and so on, your only option is not to sign the petition. Kind of sucks if you believe in the cause and want to support the effort but just can’t put your name to a bunch of drivel.
April 26, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Signed and shared.
April 26, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing. CLEARLY, this shelter wants to keep blatant cruelty hidden. If this shelter is funded by OUR TAX DOLLARS, then, BY GOD we have EVERY right to have FULL DISCLOSURE in monitoring AND reporting CRUELTY that seems to be the normal occurrence at THIS shelter.
April 26, 2012 at 7:33 pm
signed and shared.
April 27, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Just got a notice that our petition has crossed the 500 signatures mark. Please keep sharing with your animal loving friends. Thank you!
April 28, 2012 at 1:27 am
[...] http://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/petition-to-bring-the-webcams-back-to-mas/ [...]
April 28, 2012 at 11:16 am
THIS IS TOO DISGUSTING AND LEGISLATORS AREN’T DOING ANYTHING! WHAT MORE DO WE HAVE TO DO TO STOP THIS CRUELTY AND INDIFFERENCE? I’VE HAD ENOUGH!
April 29, 2012 at 10:59 am
Petition now at 800 signatures – thank you. Change.org says the average person must see something 7 times before it sinks in. So please keep sharing the petition (X7!).
May 6, 2012 at 12:54 am
Mayor Wharton’s “transparency” only comes through everyone being able to view camera shots on-line. It’s obvious Mayor Wharton wasn’t sincere when he said it & doesn’t seem to care what we think.
I for one will keep circulating the petition until he is tired of hearing about it.
May 31, 2012 at 2:28 am
Signed. Almost at the goal! (Almost).
May 31, 2012 at 6:37 am
sharing again on FB