Fulton County Jail body cam policy at odd with Atlanta police's policy

Image 1 of 5

There is another instance where policy from Atlanta requiring police officers to wear body cams is being rejected by a different agency.

The Fulton County sheriff has ordered his staff to tell city cops they must remove their cameras before they enter the facility.

The commander of the uniform division doesn't like the policy but he says the officers do not have a choice.

Chief Jeff Glazier says we have to take suspects to the jail for processing.

The order by the sheriff puts Glazier's boss in a bind. Chief Erika Shields has adopted a "no excuses" stance in telling her officers they must use the body cam.

Ken Allen, a representative for the police union, doesn't like the jail policy either. He says dropping off a suspect, who does not want to be confined, can be dangerous and lead to a scuffle.

Allen says the camera needs to be on to prevent a potential claim from an individual that a particular officer was abusive.

A spokesperson for Sheriff Ted Jackson called the police complaints a non-issue. The jail command notes the areas where outside law enforcement come and go -- like the sally port and the intake room -- are well covered with recording equipment.

"There is an extensive camera system in the Fulton County Jail," The spokesperson said. "Our officers wear body-worn cameras & we prefer to be responsible for capturing images inside the facility."