Baltimore police commissioner orders cops not to stage body cam footage Baltimore police commissioner orders cops never to stage physique cam footage | Ars Technica
EnlargeBaltimore Police Departmentreader comments82Share this story Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Kevin Davis ordered street officers to not "recreate" physique cam footage in a Tuesday memo which follows any turbulent a couple weeks for your agency in which at least a pair of body cam tapes have arrived at light showing officers staging crime scenes. "In the wedding your current physique worn camera isn't activated during the recovery associated with evidence, under zero circumstances shall a person make an effort to recreate the actual recovery associated with evidence after re-activating your current entire body worn camera," Davis' memo (PDF) said. "If you get to deactivate the body worn camera during an incident, merely explain your reasoning in camera (e.g., for you to protect the identity of the witness who wishes to remain anonymous, etc.)." Further ReadingSecond physique cam video involving Baltimore cops manufacturing evidence discovered The memorandum, initial revealed from the Baltimore Sun, comes as Baltimore prosecutors are dropping a minimum of 41 drug and also gun cases connected to 3 Baltimore Police Department officers demonstrated in a physique cam video where one of all of them sometimes appears planting
drug evidence. that officer, that apparently didn't recognize his body cam ended up being recording, continues in order to be suspended. One other 2 have been assigned to always be best search sites able to administrative duty. A second video showing what looks being the particular staging of the drug-find inside a vehicle ended up being disclosed Tuesday, a day following the authorities said these folks were examining it. Prosecutors said these people would drop fees using one or potentially 2 suspects linked to that incident. As Well As pending your outcome regarding an investigation, your authorities furthermore mentioned that they would postpone prosecutions associated with suspects whose arrests were connected towards the several officers because 2nd video. Further ReadingCop's entire body cam films him planting drugs--he obviously did not really search engines know it absolutely was recording Commissioner Davis' letter in order to police personnel will come as police departments across the nation are embracing entire body cams in the wake regarding high-profile police shootings. Your video cameras tend to be built to each protect police via misconduct fees also to supply public accountability.
We've heard about only 1 additional case, inside Colorado, in which a new officer staged a physique cam video. In your aftermath of these incidents, we are usually able to anticipate physique cam footage, which is routinely turned to defense attorneys as part of your discovery process, to become a lot more heavily scrutinized through the defense bar, prosecutors, police departments, and also juries.