Cranston Police Delay Releasing Body Camera Footage of Shooting - Reversal of Policy

Cranston Police Delay Releasing Body Camera Footage of Shooting - Reversal of Policy

Cranston Police are refusing to release the body camera footage of the shooting on Sunday involving a Cranston Police officer and a man and a woman during a traffic stop in Providence.

“The recording pertains to a matter that remains under investigation or for which criminal charges are pending. According to the guidelines, when a BWC recording is part of an ongoing investigation, any statements accompanying the video must be limited to a factual recitation describing its context (e.g., source, date, time, place). This restriction underscores the need to maintain the integrity of the investigative process,” said Lt Donald J Robertson Cranston Police Department in a response to a GoLocal public records request.

The denial on Monday by the Department is a reversal of policy to previous requests.

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In the past, body camera footage of members of the public and elected officials has been released within hours or a day.

Previous releases of body camera footage have included footage of the Cranston Police going to Democratic State Senator Josh Miller’s home after a report of an incident of vandalism.

 

Footage of Cranston Police finding former Cranston City Councilman Matthew Reilly passed out was immediately released to the media.

But, Robertson claims in the case, “The release of BWC footage from incidents involving the use of force is contingent upon the substantial completion of the investigation. Substantial completion is defined as the point at which evidence has been collected and witnesses have been interviewed, a process expected to take up to thirty days. Until this stage is reached, the footage cannot be made public.”

In contrast, Newport Police have had a more transparent policy, as in the case of last summer’s wedding melee at Bowen’s Wharf in which members of a wedding party were involved in a disturbance with Newport Police.

Other states immediately release body camera footage.

After GoLocal pointed out the inconsistencies, Cranston Colonel Michael Winquist wrote in an email, "The policy that we follow is a statewide policy developed by the RI Department of Public Safety and the AG's Office, which included a public comment period. The restriction is specifically for use-of-force incidents where a police officer employed lethal force. Many other states have similar policies."

"The reason these videos are not released until all witnesses and the Officer are interviewed is to protect the integrity of the investigative process. If the video was released first, witness statements could be tailored to or potentially influenced. This prevents any coverups, as you insinuate might occur. I will point out that your comparison to other videos the Cranston Police Department has released in the past is not comparable. Those videos pertained to adult arrests where investigations were not ongoing. These videos are clearly public records under APRA. Once the investigation is substantially complete, it will be released. I am not sure how releasing the video today or within 30 days would allow for a coverup," added Winquist.