Sergeant Has Privacy Interest In Dropbox Account Created With Employer’s Email

This is a follow-up to the article Qualified Immunity Shields Employer From Liability For Illegal Dropbox Search in the June 2022 issue of Public Safety Labor News. Steven Bowers was a detective sergeant for the Taylor County Sher­iff’s Department in Wisconsin. In February 2017, the Department was working with the television program Cold Justice on…

Qualified Immunity Shields Employer From Liability For Illegal Dropbox Search

Steven Bowers was a sergeant for the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department in Wisconsin. In 2017, the Department started working with a television show called Cold Justice, a true-crime series that investigated unsolved crimes. The Department gave the crew members access to one case file, but Bowers began sharing other case files with them, even though…

ADA Violated By Routine Physical, Psychological Examinations

Officer James LaCroix and Detec­tive Renee Payne-Callender are mem­bers of the Boston Police Department. On March 6, 2015, LaCroix sustained back and hip injuries while he was on duty. LaCroix was placed on leave due to his injuries and remained out of work until he was cleared to return by his doctors in December 2018,…

Seizure Of CO’s Personal Guns Does Not Violate Law

Andre Anderson is a Corrections Officer with the New York City Department of Corrections (DOC). On July 25, 2020, Anderson was driving home when he was rear-ended by another motorist who fled the accident scene when Anderson insisted that they exchange insurance information. Anderson pursued the occupants of the departing vehicle, first by car and then on foot, eventually drawing his…

Court Turns Down Vaccination Challenge From LAPD Officers

A group of 13 Los Angeles Police Department employees sued the City in federal court, contending the City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated their federal and state civil rights. The employees sought a preliminary injunction holding the mandate in abeyance pending completion of the litigation. The City responded by filing a motion to dismiss the entire lawsuit. A federal court trial judge agreed with…

Florida Statute Shields Officers’ Names From Disclosure After Officer Involved Shooting

In two separate encounters, crime suspects threatened Tallahassee police officers with violence. Faced with the imminent threat of harm, the officers responded with force, resulting in fa­talities. Following the encounters, the City of Tallahassee revealed its intent to disclose the identities of the police officers to the public. The officers and their union, the Florida…

Inadvertent Recording Of Calls On Police Line Does Not Violate Wiretap Laws

In November 2016, the Grand Rapids Police Department dispatched an officer to a car accident site. The driver of the car, a Kent County assistant prosecutor, drove down a one-way street and struck a parked car. The on-scene officer called Lieutenant Matthew Janiskee on a recorded, public line – Line 3604 – and explained the…

Arbitration Panel Rules In Favor Of Pre-Statement Review Of Video

The City of Newton, Massachusetts and the Newton Police Superior Officers Association Coalition of Police, Local 401 are parties to a collective bargaining agreement effective July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2014. In May 2014, the Parties began bargaining for a successor agreement but were unable to reach a settlement. Eventually the matter ended up…

Court Grants Inmate’s Request For In Camera Inspection Of Officer’s Personnel File

Jeremy Goodman is an inmate at California State Prison-Solano. He was involved in an incident with Correctional Officer J. Johnson. During a search, Goodman resisted Johnson. As a result of the incident, Goodman was criminally charged with battery on a non-prisoner, possession of heroin in jail, and resisting an executive officer. In his criminal case,…

Court Rejects FOIA Requests For Race, Gender Of Supervisors With IA Complaints

In November 2008, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) submitted 20 separate Freedom Of Information Act requests to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for documents generated in connection with internal disciplinary proceedings against officers of specified upper ranks for particular offenses in particular years. For example, one request sought all documents regarding any…

Union Entitled To Copy Of Complaint Against Member

Though the case does not involve public safety officers, a recent decision from an administrative law judge (ALJ) of the California Public Relations Board (PERB) could have significant ramifications in the public safety workplace. In the case, the ALJ ruled that employees filing a complaint against a fellow employee do not have a reasonable expectation…