MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee County judge has temporarily blocked a new policy on guidelines for the release of Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) body camera video.
The Milwaukee Police Association (MPA) requested the temporary injunction on Friday, calling the FPC's policy unlawful. MPA said the commission didn't properly negotiate the new policy per collecting bargaining rights.
"They still have to do things the right way," said Brendan Matthews, a lawyer representing the MPA. "And they haven't done so here. Their actions were intentional and deliberate."
The City argued that the FPC's release policy only impacts time lines for video release, not work conditions or other issues that fall under bargaining.
"I think it is a major flaw in the argument that the MPA says that the FPC did this in secret. Because this did not happen in secret. There were nine [public] sessions," said James Lewis, assistant city attorney.
The commission's new standard operating procedure (SOP) for body camera video, which took effect on May 1, allows families of those injured or killed by police to view the video within 48 hours of the incident. It also requires body camera video from other critical incidents to be released to the public within 15 days.
Judge Frederick Rosa granted the temporary injunction, saying the court needs more time to consider the arguments of this "fairly significant" dispute.
The court was supposed to take up the union's lawsuit in late June, but the MPA asked for a hearing this week and the temporary injunction after two non-fatal officer involved shootings on May 5.
The new SOP will remain suspended under the temporary injunction until at least June 28, when the City and MPA meet again in court.
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