Cincinnati police union: Pay us more to wear body cameras

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On Wednesday, city leaders in Cincinnati announced that the first wave of police officers to wear body cameras would take effect.

But a lawyer for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69, Stephen Lazarus, has sent in a “cease and desist” letter to the city saying that the officers asked to wear body cameras should be paid more before they agree to wear them.

“Requiring employees to wear BWCs will change several aspects of their job and regularly assigned duties,” Lazarus wrote. “The adoption of of new BWC policies will also have a significant impact on the employees’ wages, hours, or other terms and conditions of employment. Accordingly such changes are mandatory subjects that must be bargained to impasse with the union before they are implemented.”

But City Manager Harry Black wrote in a memo that he can order cameras to be worn without a change in contract.

“Having a body camera program fosters transparency, allows the city to better protect the public and protects officers from frivolous and fraudulent claims,” Black wrote.

He added that the police union was given plenty of notice about the changes.

“The FOP had ample opportunity to bargain over its proposal at various bargaining sessions and during mediation,” Black wrote. “The FOP did not focus bargaining towards its BWC proposal. Considering that this is the FOP’s proposal – not management’s – the burden is on the FOP to raise this issue during bargaining.”