Slog - Comments on Police Department Pulls Personal Cameras After Guild Objections http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras The Seattle Police Department has apparently pulled a number of pager-sized wearable cameras, which officers had been testing, after the Seattle Police Officers Guild complained that the cameras violated the guild's current contract. "The city never negotiated it with us. We fired off a...cease and desist [letter] and told the city we’d file an unfair labor practice," says Guild president Rich O'Neil. "They’ve pulled them. Command staff has assured me they’re back in a box." I wrote about the personal cameras—dreamed up by a few former Seattle cops—back in February. According to O'Neil, officers used the cameras to monitor a... Copyright 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:37:15 -0800 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:39:35 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Greg "O’Neil said that 'a Segway couldn’t get you disciplined.' "

More hard work from Seattle's finest; CYA is what they do best.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143681 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143681 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:10:16 -0800 Comment by elenchos I don't like police misconduct any more than the next person, but the SPOG is a union. It's like whenever we talk about the cops all of a sudden Seattle forgets what a union is and what it does.

Imagine you were writing a story about SEIU or the Teamsters objecting to bosses monitoring employees with personal wearable cameras. Imagine you were reading that story. Then where would your sympathies lie?

(OK, I do like police misconduct a teeny, tiny bit more than the next person provided there is a good comedy angle. But still.)

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143710 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143710 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:53:17 -0800 Comment by elswinger Cops are against anything that makes them do their job, which if I am not mistaken, to protect and serve.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143732 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143732 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:24:47 -0800 Comment by Trevor Why give cameras to cops when they can just take them from bystanders?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004003761_photographer09m.html

Oh, whoops. New departmental policy. No more taking cameras.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/365706_police04.html

Just break them next time. Or just say that they are obstructing your police work. Then it's ok. And we can save taxpayer dollars while still respecting the guild contract.

]]> Trevor http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143737 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143737 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:28:57 -0800 Comment by six shooter Raise your hand if you want to wear a camera at work, regardless of what you do for a living.

]]> six shooter http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143751 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143751 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:49:28 -0800 Comment by infrequent @6. raise your hand if you are responsible for justice on a street level. i'll reply with a guild-worthy statement:

“a software developer couldn’t get you falsely arrested.”

]]> infrequent http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143760 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143760 News Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:10:20 -0800 Comment by Greg Tell you what: if my job ever involves meting out imprisonment and death, you can put a camera on me to monitor what I'm doing.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143933 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143933 News Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:08:18 -0800 Comment by COMTE So then, the issue is privacy? Don't most SPD already have dashboard cams in their patrol vehicles? If so, then one would think wearing personal cams (pointed away from the officer it should be noted) would be considered a logical extension of this, and therefore fall under the pretext of a previously-negotiated working condition.

Granted, car-cams aren't nearly as portable as a personal cam, so I suppose that might constitute enough of a difference to warrant the need to bargain. But again, it's not like there isn't already a precedent set in the existing contract for monitoring officers' activities.

]]> COMTE http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143969 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/police_department_pulls_personal_cameras#c1143969 News Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:39:35 -0800