Cincinnati's police union told city officials last week if they want officers to wear body cameras they'll have to pay them extra.
City leaders announced at a press conference last Wednesday that the first group of police would start wearing the body cameras, a move that itself came just days after the city's latest police-involved shooting.
A lawyer for Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69, Stephen Lazarus, sent the city a "cease and desist" letter, saying until pay for wearing the equipment has been decided, officers shouldn't wear them. He asked that the city cease the program by Wednesday at the latest, pending the bargaining process.
"Requiring employees to wear BWCs will change several aspects of their job and regularly assigned duties," Lazarus wrote in a letter dated Aug. 11. "The adoption 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."
City Manager Harry Black fired back Monday, writing in a memo to council that as the manager of the police department he can order cameras be worn without a contract change, though he added he's hopeful the FOP will wear the cameras, Cincinnati.com reports.
