Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Monday 12 June 2017
AP Exclusive: Moonlighting police leave body cameras behind

JOHN SEEWER ger’s seat.
Associated Press Minneapolis and Atlanta
When police officers in are among the cities re-
America’s cities put on quiring the cameras for off-
their uniforms and grab duty work, and some oth-
their weapons before ers are moving that way,
moonlighting in security including Cincinnati, which
jobs at nightclubs, hospi- is spending about $1.2 mil-
tals, and ballparks, there’s lion on 350 cameras and
one piece of equipment equipment so all officers
they often leave behind — will have one and be able
their body camera. to use them on secondary
That’s because most po- jobs — it’s now optional.
lice agencies that make Moonlighting officers with-
the cameras mandatory out the cameras to back
for patrol shifts don’t re- them up can be more
quire or won’t allow body vulnerable to false allega-
cameras for off-duty offi- tions, said Cincinnati police
cers even if they’re work- Capt. Doug Wiesman. And
ing in uniform, leaving a it might be tough to ex-
hole in policies designed plain why an off-duty offi-
to increase oversight and In this Wednesday, May 24, 2017, photo, a Cobb County police officer wears a body camera as cer who used deadly force
restore confidence in law he works an off-duty security detail at at an Atlanta Braves baseball game in Atlanta. didn’t have a camera, he
enforcement. Associated Press said.
Police departments con- “It’s a mistake not to have
tend that they have only burn, who oversees San and off-duty officer. ing of a 6-year-old boy fol- them,” Wiesman said.
a limited number of body Jose’s body camera pro- Within the past three years, lowing a car chase. “Your officers are wearing
cameras or that there are gram. “You’re still in uni- there have been shoot- A key piece of evidence that uniform. Who cares
too many logistical hurdles form, still have powers of ings — some fatal — involv- came from an on-duty who’s paying them?”
and costs involved. But arrest.” ing moonlighting officers officer’s body camera But most places turn off the
that argument doesn’t sit Just about every police in Missouri, North Carolina, showing the boy’s father cameras when it comes to
well with those who say it agency makes it clear that Texas, Arkansas, Ohio and had his hands raised and the millions of hours officers
shouldn’t matter whether officers working in uniform Indiana, but the overall sticking out his window as put in work for private em-
an officer is on patrol or still represent the depart- number isn’t known be- the moonlighting officer ployers — a widespread
moonlighting at a shop- ment and are subject to cause departments don’t and a former officer both practice but not one
ping mall. police rules even when keep those statistics. working as deputy city tracked in detail.
“As long as they have real they’re off duty and paid In Louisiana, a moonlight- marshals collectively fired New York City’s new guide-
bullets, they need to have lines covering body cam-
the body cameras,” said eras specifically say they
John Barnett, a civil rights can’t be used in any off-
leader in Charlotte, North duty activities, including
Carolina, where shootings paid details run by the de-
involving police have put partment.Among the 170
use of the cameras under departments that have
scrutiny. received U.S. Justice De-
An Associated Press survey partment grants for body
of the 20 biggest U.S. cities cameras, it’s rare to find in
found that nearly all have their policies any mention
officers wearing or testing of equipping moonlight-
body cameras, but that ing officers, said Michael
only five — Houston; San White, who works with
Antonio; San Francisco; those cities on training and
Fort Worth, Texas; and San technical assistance.
Jose, California — have “It’s an evolving issue, but I
rules requiring them for think it’s something depart-
uniformed officers working ments will need to start ad-
outside their regular hours. dressing,” said White, also
The departments that a criminology professor at
have body cameras or Arizona State University.
are testing them, but do “It should be a part of the
not require moonlighting uniform just like anything
officers to wear them, are else.”
New York City; Los Ange- In this May 13, 2017 photo, San Francisco Police officer Joe Juarez wears a body camera while White, who developed a
les, Chicago; Philadelphia; patrolling outside of AT&T Park before a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and checklist to evaluate body
Phoenix; San Diego; Dal- the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco. camera policies, said re-
las; Columbus, Ohio; and Associated Press quiring them for off-duty
Charlotte. Denver also has details wasn’t really on his
them and is planning to by someone else. Trouble ing officer who wasn’t 18 shots. Once the shoot- radar until an independent
add cameras for off-duty can happen anywhere wearing a body camera ing stopped, the footage monitor overseeing chang-
work. and anytime, and when was sentenced in March to showed blood on the door es in Cleveland’s depart-
“There shouldn’t be a dis- it does, there’s little differ- 40 years in prison for man- and an officer’s realization ment proposed the idea in
tinction,” said Lt. Elle Wash- ence between an on-duty slaughter in the fatal shoot- the boy was in the passen- March.q