Posted on 05/29/2016 5:23:31 AM PDT by Rebelbase
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Many Cleveland police officers will not be wearing body cameras if protests turn violent during the Republican National Convention, officials said.
Police officials have told officers that a host of logistical issues, including an inability to attach the cameras to police riot gear, means officers will not be able to wear the devices.
The department says officers will use other methods to record police interactions with protesters and the public during the convention. But the head of a police union and the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed concern that the officers who will be thrust in the most volatile situations will not be wearing a device that is a deterrent for both violence against police and officer misconduct.
“To have those body cameras and not allow us to wear them is absolutely irresponsible,” Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association President Steve Loomis said Friday.
Christine Link, executive director at the ACLU of Ohio, called the news a “serious concern.”
“There's no way that [police] have enough people doing video to cover what body cameras would cover,” Link said.
The four-day convention, from July 18-21, is expected to draw 65,000 delegates, dignitaries, and reporters from around the world, as well as thousands of protesters.
Cleveland police Chief Calvin Williams said in a September to officers the convention would bring “challenges of historic proportions” and stretch the department “to its current limits.”
The city plans to bring in thousands of officers from police departments to help provide security. Whether those officers wear body cameras will be up to their department, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.
Cleveland's police force will wear “softer” uniforms at the beginning of the RNC, rather than adopting a military-style approach that might inflame tensions. Tampa police took a similar approach during the 2012 RNC.
The officers in softer uniforms will wear their body cameras, which cost the city $2.4 million in 2015, and be required to follow the department's recording policy, Ciaccia said in an emailed statement to cleveland.com.
Should protesters clash with police, officers will dress in riot gear and administer crowd control tactics.
Those officers, who will face the most volatile and potentially explosive situations during the convention, will not wear cameras, Ciaccia said.
Ciaccia stressed that police officers will use other methods of recording. During past protests, detectives on the ground have used hand-held cameras, and police have filmed confrontations from helicopters.
“We are confident with the operational plan we have in place that we will capture any interaction/encounter with a citizen during the RNC,” Ciaccia said.
Loomis, who initially spoke out against body cameras, blasted the decision.
“Just when we get used to them and we want them to be around, [the department] tells us, when we probably need them the most, that we're not going to be wearing them,” Loomis said.
Loomis pointed to recent clashes between protesters and police outside rallies held by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in New Mexico and Chicago. He said body cameras would deter “paid, professional protesters” from throwing rocks or bricks at police officers to spur a confrontation.
He also said footage would help clear officers from false allegations of misconduct by protesters.
“We want those cameras on so we're not falsely accused of acting anything but professional,” Loomis said.
Link noted that the city entered into court-enforced police reform last year, after a 20-month Department of Justice investigation found the police department too often used excessive force.
By not having body cameras recording potential clashes between officers and protesters, the city risks further complicating an already stressed public perception of the department, Link said.
The hand-held cameras leave open the chance for officers to stop recording, turn away or miss key parts of an altercation, whether purposely or not, Link said.
The body cameras capture the entire interaction, and will help not only ward against police misconduct, but also help police supervisors analyze tactics and investigate complaints, Link said.
“If hand-held video cameras and helicopters could cover everything, why did we invest millions of dollars in body cameras in the first place?” Link asked.
“”But the head of a police union and the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio expressed concern that the officers who will be thrust in the most volatile situations will not be wearing a device that is a deterrent for both violence against police and officer misconduct.””
Seems the ACLU is not a culprit - THIS TIME!
Time out - gotta go change my uniform?
“”Should protesters clash with police, officers will dress in riot gear and administer crowd control tactics.””
The fix is in, and the propaganda will be rolling in all the news sources. I hope the cops use their cameras.
In 1968, Daley was in charge of “his city”.
In Baltimore as well as Ferguson, I believe the obammy administration ran the show.
Will Clevelands mayor, Governor or obammy run the city’s police response????
I have known cops who got their own, and inconspicuously put it in their shirt pocket.
Body count instead of body cameras will work for me.
If the police don’t have cameras, it means the main sources of video will be the rioters and their supporters, and the video will be edited to show the Left’s narrative.
“Plus - cops can lay a serious ass kicking”
Like they did to the “protesters” in Ferguson and Baltimore?
No cameras, no film equals no evidence against the arrested rioters. More evidence that the actions of the rioters are sanctioned at the highest political level.
The politicians do not even try to hide that they are behind and supporting the rioters any longer.
good point
Every swingin dick or tit on the planet has a cam
yup
Exactly - it only serves to embolden the bad guys.
Same as muslims.
They working the cause it would show the leftist agitators and racists for who they are. And the left can’t have that.
I highly recommend that officers buy a personal G-Pro camera for self protection.
Now just need some locally acting EMP devices to take out all the other camera...
It would be a shame to miss all the pictures of those thousands of Mexican and Anarchist flags waving in the breeze with the tear gas.
“Should protesters clash with police, officers will dress in riot gear and administer crowd control tactics”..........
Might as well start from day one and in full riot gear. The protesters are being encouraged by numerous media articles in “hopes” for riots so they can write their trash against the police, they want to see some busted heads to emphasize how terrible our police are.
IMO, civil protesting is fine but police should be given “open season” on any protesters who choose to become violent. The BS that has taken over this country needs to be stopped and the upcoming Rep convention is a good place to squelch it.
So there will be no record of any police shootings of conservatives interfering with sor0s’ “protesters”
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