Thanks for joining us for our very last article in this three part series, where we’ve been looking at the issue of body cameras on police officers, and the effect this could have on falsely accused parents. If you’re only joining us now, we recommend that you spend a moment catching up. If, however, you’ve been with us from the start, let’s dive right in…

The questions we raised in previous articles had to do with falsely accused parents, and what the fallout may be for them if their arrests or police interviews were made public via body camera footage. Every police department that chooses to take up the baton with regard to officer accountability has also had to decide exactly where they stand on protecting civilian privacy as well. Which is why Michigan legislators jumped on the bandwagon in a hurry earlier this year.

House Bill 4427 was introduced just a few months ago, and has since been pushed through the House and Senate and just a few weeks ago was signed into law by the Governor, becoming Public Act 85 of 2017. This law deals specifically with police body camera footage, and how much of it may be accessible to the public.

House Representative Jim Runestad, who originally sponsored the bill, said that it aimed to address two sets of interests, “Those of privacy and transparency, by stating that the video taken on a body-worn camera is not for public information if it is taken in a place with a reasonable expectation of privacy.”

We have to choose – people’s privacy, or their right to information…

Although the Michigan Press Association vehemently opposed the bill, the issue of civilian privacy was deemed more important that the public’s right to information. As such, all recordings made by an officer’s body-worn camera is subject to the protections provided for crime victims. Also, recordings made in private places like people’s homes, are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act.

The new law also requires that every department who chooses to use body cameras for their officers, write up a policy that will govern an officer’s use of that camera and the footage it captures. Another issue addressed by the law is how recordings will be handled during ongoing investigations. This is specifically the area that we questioned, with regard to the issue of protecting the identity of people who may be victims of false accusations.

Under the new law, all recordings will be kept private during ongoing criminal or internal investigations. However this only applies to listed reasons such as public disclosure interfering with law enforcement proceedings, or the invasion of personal privacy. So as it stands, Michigan has put in place a series of laws that will protect the recordings of police interactions with parents and caregivers during investigations, which is likely comforting to many people.

We hope this series has been thought-provoking and informative for you, and that it leaves you questioning technological advances in the future. Every new development we come up with has numerous potential side effects that need to be considered. Not least of which is protecting people’s privacy and shielding them from social backlash in the event of false accusations.

If you or a loved one are ever accused of abusing or neglecting a child, call The Kronzek Firm immediately at 866 766 5245. Our highly skilled CPS defense attorneys have decades of experience defending the people of Michigan against allegations of abuse. We can help you too!