AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: SEPTEMBER 2017 25 A nother day, an- other no confi- dence vote. The police officers who patrol the State Uni- versity of New York have taken a vote of no confi- dence in the chief because of policies that officers claim require them to spend more time on foot inside campus buildings and less time pa- trolling roads on campus. J. Frank Wiley, chief of the campus police, says the policies reflect a com- mitment to community policing and awareness of incidents like the mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007. But some officers com- plain that they are prohib- ited from stopping drivers for things like using cell phones. In addition, officers chafe at a requirement that they must seek supervisor au- thorization to apply for a search warrant or make an arrest. They also say that super- visors have the authority to “un-arrest” suspects and dismiss warrant requests. As is frequently the case at university police depart- ments, the officers that are complaining about policies suggest that they are part of an effort to minimize the school’s arrest numbers, ac- cording to an article in the Albany Times Union. One policy that the New York State PBA (they rep- resent officers at the uni- versity) has expressed tre- mendous resistance to is a 25-mile-per-day mileage cap on patrol vehicles. Oddly enough that policy went into effect after the union filed a grievance regarding the safety and condition of their police vehicles. Some see retaliation. Oth- ers see coincidence. One of- ficer speaking anonymously told the Times Union that these soft-on-crime policies have resulted in fewer DWI arrests. Other officers, also speaking on the condition they not be named, say they’re told to turn off-cam- pus cases over to Albany city police. “It’s a demoralized police force because of the flawed leadership, sometimes ab- sent leadership,” executive director of the PBA, Daniel De Federicis, told the Times Union. “It’s harming the overall safety of the cam- pus.” The PBA unanimously passed a no-confidence motion in Wiley, claiming that the department was jeopardizing public safety. But Wiley says he’s sticking to the program. “Good policing is more than just complying with the law,” Wiley told the Times Union. “Sometimes actions are permitted by policy, but that does not always mean an officer should take those actions.” Campus cops say boss’s rules are lame “It’s harming the overall safety of the campus,” said executive director of the PBA, Daniel De Federicis. ICOP® PRO HD DVR with Power Control Monitor In-car digital video recorder solution At zero cost, you can enroll in our 30-day pilot program. Trade in your existing systems for upgraded Safety Vision products. $1 per day per vehicle, you can outfit your entire fleet. EFFECTIVE TRAINING TOOL Replay footage to demonstrate the skills required for operating proper procedure INCREASE CONVICTION RATES Create indisputable and court-admissible evidence DIGITAL EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT Video protection with complete chain of custody, for secure data integrity and authenticity HIGH DEFINITION IMAGES Vehicle license plates, road signs, and subject’s faces all recorded in great detail Coming in October 2017: The launch of Safety Vision’s new fully integrated and fully loaded body worn camera! Copyright © 2017 Safety Vision, LLC All Rights Reserved. FIND OUT MORE TODAY! 800.849.9621 www.safetyvision.com