HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 09-27 Community Weighs in on Maplewood Police Body Camera Policy WCCO
Community Weighs In On Maplewood Police Body
Camera Policy
September 26, 2016 10:50 PM By Jennifer Mayerle
Filed Under: Body Cameras, Jennifer Mayerle, Maplewood, Maplewood
Police Department
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MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (WCCO) — Maplewood Police is the latest department to roll out
a body camera program. Before they do they are deciding on a policy.
“Right now is a time that we need to double down on trust, it’s a tough time for law
enforcement in our country,” Police Chief Paul Schnell said.
And part of that, says Schnell, includes writing transparent policy that works. Officers
will activate their cameras while answering all calls, they don’t have to let people know
they are recording and they cannot edit or delete video.
What has sides divided is when officers can review video. They can watch the video to
write a report unless involved in a critical incident.
“The general feeling is that officers should not watch that video, give their statement —
what did you see, what did you feel, what did you sense, what was occurring as that
was unfolding prior to the use of that force — and later they watch that video with
investigators,” Schnell said.
Schnell invited representatives from the Minnesota Coalition on Government
Information, ACLU and NAACP to weigh in on the proposed policy. They are groups
with views sometimes contrary to the departments, and steadfast on their stance on
reviewing video.
“Police officers have done fine without it for the last 150 years and if they’re competent
and if they’re well-trained, we’d like to know what they thought, how they acted, what
they did from their own perspective rather than based on a review of what the video
demonstrates,” Yusef Mgeni, first vice president of NAACP St. Paul said.
The union that represents Maplewood officers wants them to be able to view video after
any incident.
“It contributes to and supports the accuracy of the statements that are going to be given,
the accuracy of reports that are written and the accuracy and the integrity and accuracy
of the overall investigation,” Isaac Kaufman, general counsel for Law Enforcement
Labor Service, Inc. said.
The department will determine its policy in the next month. Click here to view the
proposed policy.