It’s time for answers
Good news! An internal Albany Police Department investigation of an episode in which officers covered their badges when they cleared a protesters’ encampment outside South Station is at last finished.
The investigation should finally answer questions that have lingered since April, such as: Why did officers believe covering their badges was warranted and allowed? And who may have given them permission to do so?
So, let’s get to it. What did the investigation find?
There’s the rub: The police department says the report is not yet ready for public consumption. According to department spokesman Steve Smith, it is now being reviewed for “corrective actions.”
That’s a bit vague, and perhaps intentionally so, but we assume Officer Smith is referring to the next steps the department may take — changes to policy, perhaps, or guidelines for the future. If so, we welcome the effort.
But it isn’t one that should be happening only within the department. It’s a conversation in which the Albany Common Council and residents of the
city must be allowed to participate. The department should release the findings from its investigation immediately.
Soon after police cleared the encampment on April 22, Police Chief Eric Hawkins acknowledged that officers who had covered their badges acted improperly. But he also seemed to defend the decision by suggesting it was made in response to threats made by activists. “They felt like they could minimize the risk to their families by concealing their badge numbers,” the chief said.
Leaving aside the dubious assertion that a ragtag bunch of protesters presented a threat, a problem with Chief Hawkins’ statement is that it could apply to almost any police interaction. After all, officers deal with dangerous and potentially retributive people every day, so maybe they shouldn’t wear identification at all.
But badges are worn for a reason: Members of the public have a right to know with whom they’re dealing, and these forms of professional identification aid in public accountability for officers trusted with extraordinary powers.
The need for accountability doesn’t disappear when officers are forcibly clearing protesters from a public street. Quite the opposite. Given the controversial nature of the action, we’d argue accountability was even more vital during a clash that sent one demonstrator to the hospital.
When officers hide their badges, it’s easy to assume that they’re attempting to hide more than their names. That’s why Mayor Kathy Sheehan was right when she said the officers’ move “erodes public trust.” The mayor also called it “appalling ” and ordered an investigation.
Eight months have passed. And yet the department has given no timeline for when the report will be ready for public consumption, and it still hasn’t clarified the department’s policy on officers covering their badges.
Given the charitable nature of the holiday season, we won’t accuse Albany police of dragging their feet. But we will note that it’s well past time for the public to have answers to these questions. This mystery needs to end.