It's always good to know about a person by knowing how they stand on the issues.
Jeff Roorda like many young people had a career of slight mistakes.
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/...
So viewed, the record reveals that in July 1997, Roorda attempted to try to “cover” for another police officer by filing a report that contained false statements as to what happened during a suspect's apprehension and arrest. As a result of this false report, all charges against the defendant involved were dropped, and Roorda received a written reprimand from B.J. Nelson (the City's Chief of Police at the time) for violating the City Police Department's General Order 74.4 (“False Reporting”).4 The written reprimand issued to Roorda stated, in relevant part: “If it is ever determined again that you have lied in a police report, you will receive a more severe punishment, up to and including termination.”
Time passed, and Roorda had time to reconsider many things, one of the most significant things he decided was that cameras and recording devices - not just body cameras, but dash camera - really are just not good for police officers.
http://www.stltoday.com/...
Some officials with police chiefs groups in Missouri and Illinois said they like the body cameras.
“We think it protects the citizens but also the officers as well,” said John Kennedy, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
Others are not enamored with the new technology.
Jeff Roorda, executive director of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, said the organization has had concerns about dashboard cameras in use on many city patrol cars and would have the same worries about on-body devices.
Roorda, who also is a Democratic state representative, said both types of cameras provide video of “one angle of an encounter” that sometimes doesn’t reflect exactly what happened.
“In general, cameras have been bad for law enforcement and the communities they protect,” he said. “It causes constant second-guessing by the courts and the media.”
Ok, so Jeff is opposed to Cameras. They only provide one side of the view. And we all know how confusing that can be..
http://www.kmov.com/...
(KMOV) – A former St. Louis police officer is under fire after surveillance video surfaced showing him assault a handcuffed suspect, according to authorities.
The victim chose not to testify. There was no jury. The judge was the sole decider and she did not allow the police surveillance video to be shown during Officer Bruce’s trial.
The video was taken from the back of a transport vehicle. It shows the handcuffed teenager stepping out to face two officers. Bruce is the one to the left.
Officer Bruce can be heard saying: “Stand out here with us...you lying piece of s***.”
Words are exchanged and then; “It’s one forearm blow as he’s trained to do,” said Jeff Roorda with the St. Louis Police Officer’s Association.
Roorda says he can see Bruce crouched down and the suspect moving forward. He says Bruce was only defending himself.
Sometimes just one angle can be confusing.
I mean, I see the video and I'm pretty confused.. a guy who is already in handcuffs who is being handled by another police officer takes a shot from one. Stuff happens.
Jeff Roorda, elected Democratic State Representative as well as SLPOA head, wasn't always opposed to recording devices. Sure, now he's opposed to both dash cams and body cams.. but at one point in his career...
http://business.highbeam.com/...
Roorda, 36 of Barnhart, was fired last month after he secretly tape-recorded a conversation with Fredeking, then filed a grievance against the chief in regard to that conversation.
The conversation had to do with Roorda's request to combine accrued sick leave with family medical leave after the recent birth of his daughter. Roorda claimed that Fredeking was threatening and abusive to him in the conversation.
Because, you know, secretly recording someone is proof of.. well, if you believe the Jeff Roorda of today, it's proof of nothing and should never occur. If you believe the Jeff Roorda who was trying to find out if his sick leave was being stolen from him, it was the most effective way to get to the truth. I guess time - and who is being recorded and doing the recording - changed his mind.
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