Police secretly watching hip-hop celebs

[funketeer]

Associated Press

MIAMI — Police say they are secretly monitoring hip-hop stars P. Diddy, DMX and others in South Florida to protect them, but celebrities and critics see the surveillance as unnecessary and racist.

Officers in Miami and Miami Beach have photographed rappers and their entourages at Miami International Airport and staked out hotels, video shoots and nightclubs while consulting 6-inch-thick dossiers of rappers and associates with arrest records in New York state, The Miami Herald reported.

"We have to keep an eye on these rivalries," said Assistant Miami Beach Police Chief Charles Press. "The last thing we need in this city is violence."

Some experts believe the sweeping surveillance of a genre of musicians is unprecedented.

"There's been no shortage of rock stars and other musicians" scrutinized by police, said Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine. "But there has never been anything like this."

Miami Beach and Miami police did not immediately respond to calls Wednesday for additional comment.

Police began gathering intelligence on rap artists after the Memorial Day 2001 weekend, when 250,000 hip-hop fans flocked to South Beach for four days of parties hosted by their favorite rappers. More than 210 people were arrested, double usual number, most for disorderly conduct and intoxication.

Although no major rap artists were arrested, police decided to learn the nuances of hip-hop culture, Press said.

"Nobody on the beach had a handle on who the players were," Press said. "We didn't know anything. We didn't know who were the big record labels, who were the kingpins. We didn't know why there were rivalries with Ja Rule and Eminem."

Officers were sent to New York for a three-day training session in May, along with police from Los Angeles, Atlanta and other cities. That's where they received the dossiers, said Miami police Sgt. Rafael Tapanes.

"This kind of conduct shows insensitivity to constitutional limitations," said Nova Southeastern University law professor and constitutional law expert Bruce Rogow. He represented 2 Live Crew when the rap group was prosecuted for obscenity in the early '90s. "It also implicates racial stereotyping."

Only one of 97 officers in supervisory positions at the Miami Beach police department is black. Miami has 226 ranking officers and 26 are black.

"The cities should take taxpayer dollars and put them toward something else," said Luther Campbell, the former 2 Live Crew rapper.

[pod]

Wait, this is a bad thing?

[southof5th]

"Police began gathering intelligence on rap artists after the Memorial Day 2001 weekend, when 250,000 hip-hop fans flocked to South Beach for four days of parties hosted by their favorite rappers. More than 210 people were arrested, double usual number, most for disorderly conduct and intoxication"

can we get some stats for WMC please?I would LOVE to see those numbers.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by pod

Wait, this is a bad thing?

I think it's not but G-Thang baby, deathrow is the label that pays me...sorry!

[Bling]

secretly? LOL

[sobeton]

Originally posted by pod

Wait, this is a bad thing?

Yes, particularly if those actions may violate someone’s constitutional right to privacy.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by sobeton

Yes, particularly if those actions may violate someone’s constitutional right to privacy.

there you go, that's one reason why it could be bad thing...

[funketeer]

[renzo2]

Originally posted by funketeer

The other day I dreamt of rain, I dreamt of gardens in the desert sand.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by chaflas

The other day I dreamt of rain, I dreamt of gardens in the desert sand.

are you threatening me?

[renzo2]

Originally posted by funketeer

are you threatening me?

Talk about threaten reading between threaten the threaten lines.

[Guest brwneydtrouble]

I honestly dont think its a bad thing. Its a shame that it has to be looked at as racism, but if you think about it, its not. I am sick and tired of the black community crying about racism, we wouldn't have this problem if there weren't people still having shoot outs, drive bys and stupid shit like that. Walking on the beach I had no problems until I would pass the hip hop clubs and I would get accosted by "Hey mami" and my arm being grabbed as I paid no attention. WTF?? And you tell me not to think that if I happen to walk by a hip hop club, I shouldn't expect that just because there are a bunch of black guys standing around?? No thank you, I do NOT want to subject myself to that lack of respect.

As far as the police keeping tabs on hip hop stars, I say good for them. Once they start arresting, detaining and otherwise actually infringing on their privacy, THEN there is a problem. What good is the police doing the public if they have no idea what is going on in the town they are hired to protect?

[renzo2]

Originally posted by brwneydtrouble

I honestly dont think its a bad thing. Its a shame that it has to be looked at as racism, but if you think about it, its not. I am sick and tired of the black community crying about racism, we wouldn't have this problem if there weren't people still having shoot outs, drive bys and stupid shit like that. Walking on the beach I had no problems until I would pass the hip hop clubs and I would get accosted by "Hey mami" and my arm being grabbed as I paid no attention. WTF?? And you tell me not to think that if I happen to walk by a hip hop club, I shouldn't expect that just because there are a bunch of black guys standing around?? No thank you, I do NOT want to subject myself to that lack of respect.

As far as the police keeping tabs on hip hop stars, I say good for them. Once they start arresting, detaining and otherwise actually infringing on their privacy, THEN there is a problem. What good is the police doing the public if they have no idea what is going on in the town they are hired to protect?

Mods, please move this to the "Carefully Thought Out Board".

We have no need for those kind of responses in the Miami board.

[Guest brwneydtrouble]

Originally posted by chaflas

Mods, please move this to the "Carefully Thought Out Board".

We have no need for those kind of responses in the Miami board.

Mamamela Chaflas.

[renzo2]

Originally posted by brwneydtrouble

Mamamela Chaflas.

I'll put that on my to-do list.

[Guest brwneydtrouble]

Originally posted by chaflas

I'll put that on my to-do list.

[funketeer]

you guys are funny :laugh:

[sobeton]

the right to privacy is a person's right to be left alone.it's a right that should be respected and extended to ALL. if ones right to privacy is being violated. that should be a cause of concern for us all, and not merely one segment of the population.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by sobeton

the right to privacy is a person's right to be left alone.it's a right that should be respected and extended to ALL. if ones right to privacy is being violated. that should be a cause of concern for us all, and not merely one segment of the population.

I think you are secretly watching what I post, just to move it to drama...how's that for privacy Mr Sobeton?

[sobeton]

Originally posted by funketeer

I think you are secretly watching what I post, just to move it to drama...how's that for privacy Mr Sobeton?

:laugh:The CPIA is always watching ...

[funketeer]

Originally posted by sobeton

the right to privacy is a person's right to be left alone.it's a right that should be respected and extended to ALL. if ones right to privacy is being violated. that should be a cause of concern for us all, and not merely one segment of the population.

jokes aside...I don't care what the reason for this is...it's wrong to single out people for their racial background and follow them around like criminals...fuck that! It makes me mad, it makes me want to smoke crack, fly out the window and never come back.

Some of these guys if not all of them have worked hard to get where they are...yet...they're still look down upon...that shit ain't cool, nu hu!

[funketeer]

Originally posted by sobeton

:laugh:The CPIA is always watching ...

brokers stick together

[Guest brwneydtrouble]

Originally posted by funketeer

jokes aside...I don't care what the reason for this is...it's wrong to single out people for their racial background and follow them around like criminals...fuck that! It makes me mad, it makes me want to smoke crack, fly out the window and never come back.

Some of these guys if not all of them have worked hard to get where they are...yet...they're still look down upon...that shit ain't cool, nu hu!

I dont think in this instance that they are being singled out for their racial background but for the fact that trouble follows these artists around and that's a known fact.

Why can't people understand that its just as much for the artists protection as the public's?

I know I for one dont want to be caught in the middle of a crossfire on south beach cause MBPD didn't know that Eminem and Ja Rule dont get along.

[funketeer]

Originally posted by brwneydtrouble

I dont think in this instance that they are being singled out for their racial background but for the fact that trouble follows these artists around and that's a known fact.

Why can't people understand that its just as much for the artists protection as the public's?

I know I for one dont want to be caught in the middle of a crossfire on south beach cause MBPD didn't know that Eminem and Ja Rule dont get along.

You are so right, but the right thing is to give them the benefit of the doubt...I mean, you don't see cops following Bill Cosby, right? Hum...my bad...I forgot Bill Cosby is actually white.

[funketeer]

I think cops are big fans of hip-hop and that's why they follow the hip-hip artists around...that's my story and I'm sticking with it...I mean, those are my principles and if you don't like them...well, I have others.