Film Crew Incident : Police Are Told Not to Masquerade as Press

Following the discovery of a police film crew donning press identification during a La Jolla demonstration, Assistant Police Chief Bob Burgreen on Wednesday ordered police in the future not to wear press passes “under most conditions.”

However, Burgreen refused to completely rule out the possibility that police video crews would again resort to wearing press identification--a practice that news organizations maintain is deceptive. Moreover, Burgreen said he would not accede to media requests that that police film crews always wear badges or other official identification.

News representatives generally prefer that police officers display badges distinguishing them from the working press.

Not Legitimate

“I don’t think it’s legitimate that we disguise ourselves as legitimate press,” Burgreen conceded. “The practice of police officers wearing press passes under most conditions is not going to happen again.”

An exception would be made, Burgreen said, if disguising police officers as newsmen was deemed the “only option” to conduct an investigation. Off hand, he could not name an example of such a case.

“As a general practice it’s not going to occur,” Burgreen said.

The issue arose when a two-man police video crew showed up at a demonstration Wednesday morning outside GA Technologies, a La Jolla firm that is seeking a permit to burn toxic waste. One of the police officers was wearing press identification, which is issued to news organizations by the San Diego Police Department and generally allows reporters to cross police lines.

“I think it was a ridiculous thing that they tried to do,” said Jim Holtzman, executive news director for KFMB (Channel 8) in San Diego, who added that he would have no objection if they filmed while wearing police identification. “I just don’t like the idea of them masquerading as news people.”

Media representatives have long maintained that such deception blurs the line between the police and the press, making it difficult for journalists to do their jobs and accurately report the news. For instance, journalists point out that it is less likely that some news sources--such as suspected criminals, tipsters or insiders with information on police corruption or abuse--would talk to reporters if they suspected that the journalists were actually police officers.

Video Specialists

The Police Department maintains a staff of “two or three” video specialists who make training films, but they also occasionally film demonstrations and other activities where police action is likely, Burgreen explained. Taping of such events occurs 6 to 12 times a year, Burgreen said.

If there are arrests, Burgreen explained, the tape is submitted to prosecutors for possible use as evidence; if there are no arrests, he added, the tape is reused. Burgreen said no permanent files are kept--such as the notorious files on anti-Vietnam War activists and others maintained by police “Red Squad” units during the 1960s and 1970s.

Burgreen said the use of press identification by the police video unit came to his attention Wednesday after media inquiries. The questions prompted police officials to debate the matter and ultimately issue the directive generally banning police use of press identification, he said. The assistant chief said police video crews had “probably” displayed press identification on previous occasions.