Police Visit Response

Emily Bedenkop

March 12, 2013

An expectation of privacy is key in determining what is acceptable, said Amherst Police Department Detective Jamie Reardon during his talk Monday with Mary Carey’s Journalism 300 class. Reardon, who spoke with students at the Amherst Police Department, explained his police interactions with the press and how it is to work in area with a high concentration of college students.

In public places there can be no expectation or enforcement of privacy, Reardon said when asked him about cell phone cameras. Videotaping arrests is a frequent occurrence, and is completely legal as long as the person with the camera is a safe distance away from the scene and not interfering. “I expect to get videotaped,” said Reardon.

Videotapes can also be used as either direct evidence or background information for an investigation; “It’s one of the best sources of information that we have. There’s no expectation of privacy, and it’s free,” said Reardon of the APD’s reliance on social media, particularly videos posted to YouTube and photos on Facebook.

When asked about “Blarney Blowout,” the St. Patrick’s Day-themed party that took place Saturday at the Amherst Townhouses, Reardon spoke about the ways the APD attempts to prepare for similar events that are sure to require police presence. Extra staffing, coordination with colleges and landlords in the area, and working with state and university police forces are all tactics employed by the APD. Additionally, officers often speak with house owners before large parties occur to warn them of potential consequences.

Preparation efforts and even the calls that bring police to a scene can never be complete, however. Even with his 13 years of experience at the APD, Reardon said: “We never know what we’re getting into, it’s never perfect.”

An expectation of privacy extends to the information released by the APD to members of the press. Once a suspect is arraigned in court, their arrest is public information and can be released and published as such.

Victim information is a different story, though, said Reardon, citing concerns about victim safety, the possibility of retaliation, and prejudicing a jury. Releasing information about warrants is also unusual, as it could affect an investigation or potentially lead to the harming of informants.

“I’ll give you what I can, but I can’t give you everything,” Reardon said with regard to what information is released by the APD. 

Press meetings every weekday allow for a controlled release of information by the APD that is accurate, not in violation of privacy laws, and released for legitimate reasons like asking the community to aid in an identification, said Reardon.

Ultimately, said Reardon, much of his decisions come down to a mixture of common sense the over 80 APD policies. Questioning the students about how they would react in certain situations, as well as by answering their questions, helped students to get a better grasp of Reardon’s role and responsibilities in the APD.