Pubdate: Sun, 09 Aug 2015 Source: Orange County Register, The (CA) Copyright: 2015 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321 DON'T SUPPRESS POLICE POT SHOP VIDEO The Santa Ana Police Department arrested a suspect last weekend in the theft of a package from a home's doorstep after video from the homeowner's surveillance camera linked her to the crime. Another crime solved thanks to the proliferation of private video surveillance, and the police, whose jobs are made easier by it, are undoubtedly happy to have it. But when their own are caught on video behaving badly, the Santa Ana Police Officers Association would prefer you never saw it. Or, at least that is what is suggested by a lawsuit seeking to prevent video taken during a raid at Sky High Collective in May from being used as evidence in potential disciplinary action. The police union contends that the video should not be used against officers shown playing darts, making derogatory remarks about an amputee inside the business and, purportedly, helping themselves to some of the medical marijuana shop's edible products. The lawsuit argues that the video may have been doctored and that the officers didn't know they were on camera. California privacy laws are notoriously strict. Both parties must consent to being recorded, that is, unless a police officer or confidential informants are doing the recording. These officers, on the other hand, say they didn't know they were being recorded because they thought they had already dismantled all the cameras in the building. "All police personnel present had a reasonable expectation that their conversations were no longer being recorded and the undercover officers, feeling that they were safe to do so, removed their masks," reads the suit, obtained by the Register. "Without the illegal recordings, there would have been no internal investigation of any officer." Thankfully, a video does exist, and an investigation is underway. Ripping down every piece of visible video surveillance equipment should not automatically result in a pass for officers behaving badly, and more importantly, engaging in potentially illegal activity. Despite other newsworthy attempts by officers to prevent citizens from recording them out on the beat, let alone inside Sky High Collective, an on-duty police officer should never have an expectation of privacy. While in uniform, they are accountable to those they serve and those who have vested in them the most paramount of responsibilities, to take a life, on our behalf. At a hearing last week, Corey Glave, an attorney for the union, argued the officers involved would suffer "irreparable harm" if the "illegal" video was used in disciplinary action against them. Hopefully, Superior Court Judge William Claster, who delayed a decision, will see through that smokescreen because the harm is already done; the officers did that to themselves. Police officers undoubtedly have a tough job, but that fact should not excuse unprofessional conduct, recorded or not. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom