Viral Video: UPD tells Eyewitness News about proper procedures for officers
By: Chelsea Rarrick
Updated: January 5, 2012
It's the 43rd most viewed video on YouTube today, The Utica Police
Department dash-cam video Eyewitness News showed viewers yesterday.
Eyewitness News Reporter, Chelsea Rarrick spoke with UPD about what proper police protocol is in situations where drugs are found either in cars or on drivers.
Sgt. Steve Hauck with The Utica Police Department says a search procedure can be different depending on the type of evidence.
But, he says there will be times that an officer has to search someone of the opposite sex.
Many question if the officer was planting evidence in a suspect's car.
But police say when watching the full video, the officer was simply gathering all the evidence to examine.
When a male officer checked the pockets of a female suspect, it sparked controversy.
On Wednesday afternoon, Eyewitness News got a lesson on the proper procedure for taking evidence, and searching a person for weapons or drugs.
"Once they locate those drugs, they are going to make sure they hold onto them. They're not going to be set down anywhere and they're not going to be tossed somewhere where they can't have an arms reach of it. So, they're going to keep those drugs or whatever evidence it is on their person," said Sgt. Steve Hauck with The Utica Police Department
When it comes to an exact procedure, Hauck tells Eyewitness News there isn't a simple step.
"It's one big incident as far as the officer goes. He's going about his job searching properly, checking the vehicle, and making sure he has recovered all the evidence that he can," said Hauck.
Hauck says the officer in the video performed an appropriate search even though it was of a woman.
He says there are different ways to go about finding types of evidence, despite if the suspect is a woman or man.
"There's a big difference between making sure you're doing things correctly, and being accused of committing crimes and planting evidence. It's a big difference and that's just not something any of the things we've seen so far point to that," said Hauck.
Eyewitness News Reporter, Chelsea Rarrick spoke with UPD about what proper police protocol is in situations where drugs are found either in cars or on drivers.
Sgt. Steve Hauck with The Utica Police Department says a search procedure can be different depending on the type of evidence.
But, he says there will be times that an officer has to search someone of the opposite sex.
Many question if the officer was planting evidence in a suspect's car.
But police say when watching the full video, the officer was simply gathering all the evidence to examine.
When a male officer checked the pockets of a female suspect, it sparked controversy.
On Wednesday afternoon, Eyewitness News got a lesson on the proper procedure for taking evidence, and searching a person for weapons or drugs.
"Once they locate those drugs, they are going to make sure they hold onto them. They're not going to be set down anywhere and they're not going to be tossed somewhere where they can't have an arms reach of it. So, they're going to keep those drugs or whatever evidence it is on their person," said Sgt. Steve Hauck with The Utica Police Department
When it comes to an exact procedure, Hauck tells Eyewitness News there isn't a simple step.
"It's one big incident as far as the officer goes. He's going about his job searching properly, checking the vehicle, and making sure he has recovered all the evidence that he can," said Hauck.
Hauck says the officer in the video performed an appropriate search even though it was of a woman.
He says there are different ways to go about finding types of evidence, despite if the suspect is a woman or man.
"There's a big difference between making sure you're doing things correctly, and being accused of committing crimes and planting evidence. It's a big difference and that's just not something any of the things we've seen so far point to that," said Hauck.
