Old Saybrook police union representatives are raising privacy concerns about the department's body camera program.
Officers claim they were unaware that their body cameras were recording “passively,” meaning they are constantly capturing video without audio. When activated during an encounter, they record both.
According to the union, officers thought the department could only access footage when the device was activated by the wearer.
Officers said they realized this was not true when an officer’s passive body camera footage was used against him to support a criminal charge.
Now, union reps are concerned with what else has been recorded, including footage from court, hospitals and the bathroom.
Old Saybrook Police Chief Michael Spera said he had been aware of the camera capabilities and had believed his staff were as well.
