The good news is the Denver Police Protective Association the union says.
The bad news is the police union believes body cams fall under the category of “personal safety and health equipment” that is mentioned in the city charter and their use must be negotiated through collective bargaining.
So the union is suing its own department.
But not even the PPA’s own press release makes a compelling case that the cameras are safety or health equipment. It points out that the cameras “can be a useful investigatory tool” that capture the “countless police interactions that occur daily where officers defuse incredibly dangerous and volatile situations with utmost care.” All of which is true.
But the union apparently believes some people will resent the idea of having their interactions with police filmed in “volatile situations” and perhaps lash out. Yet this is a thin reed to lean on, especially since the department has no plans at present to release all body cam video and will instead consider release on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, even assuming some people could be upset that they are being recorded, the act of recording should itself persuade more individuals to behave themselves.
The PPA says the city “issued its body camera policy on Sept. 1 without ever receiving input from the officers who are tasked with operating the tool.” If so, that may have been a mistake. But the claim the city was obliged to seek the PPA’s input is a stretch.
Denver’s body cam policy is a work in progress, and has already been altered since its rollout. The city needs the flexibility to make changes quickly as the need arises rather than trudge into lengthy negotiations with the union.
It may be the union’s concerns about privacy rights and “the impacts on crime victims, witnesses, [and] persons in crisis” are legitimate and the present policy will need further adjustment. But it should be management’s prerogative to make those calls on its own.
To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit or check out our for how to submit by e-mail or mail.
