Rules are for other people: Police dashcam edition

Last year Dallas PD established a unit to review daschcam video, the Dallas News reported, but has suspended the program "because officers felt they were being nitpicked with disciplinary action for minor infractions" ("Dallas police to suspend squad car video reviews due to officers' complaints," April 23). Here's the list of nitpicky offenses the local union says shouldn't be monitored in that way:

These kinds of problems were found during the review process. Some could be considered serious violations warranting disciplinary action; others fall into a gray area where officers feel they should be allowed to exercise discretion. Officers:

Gave chase without activating lights and sirens.

Exceeded the speed limit in residential areas or active school zones during chases.

Topped the speed limit by more than 20 mph during pursuits and other emergency calls.

Failed to stop at stop signs or red lights during chases.

Violated the strict pursuit policy, for instance by chasing a motorist who fled while getting a traffic ticket.

Failed to activate wireless microphones, resulting in no audio recording of events during an investigation or arrest.

Failed to notify dispatchers that they were involved in pursuits.

Deactivated video recorders during police pursuits and assist-officer calls.

Failed to download video from their squad cars at the end of every shift. (If this isn’t done, the unit sometimes fills up and will no longer record.)

Moved GPS antennas from the car’s interior to the trunk, where reception is poor or nonexistent.

SOURCE: Dallas Police Department

Chief David Brown said, “The folklore among officers is, ‘I’m afraid to go five miles over the speed limit because I’ll be disciplined,’” but many of these seem like more serious infractions than that characterization implies.

On this blog I frequently see commenters insisting (e.g., here and here) that enforcing even the most petty criminal statute or bureaucratic regulation is vital because "it's the law" and otherwise we'd have anarchy if schoolteachers didn't lose their jobs over marijuana, if people who overstay their visas aren't deported over a traffic ticket, etc.. I wonder, will those same critics feel that every jot and tittle of the law and city policy should be enforced on Dallas police officers, or is strict enforcement only something that should apply to pot smokers and Mexicans?