Albany County Residents Call for Body Cam Footage, Investigation Transparency
A recently formed group of concerned citizens in Albany County known as Albany County for Proper Policing, or ACoPP, is petitioning to have body camera footage from Albany County Sheriff's Corporal Derek Colling released in regards to his shooting of Robbie Ramirez. Ramirez was fatally shot by the officer in a November 4th altercation.
The petition is in response to law enforcement showing the footage to a select group of journalists on Tuesday, but refusing to release the footage to the public.
In a press release on Wednesday, the group said that they question the motives of local law enforcement showing the footage to such a limited group. The petition is aimed at gaining more transparency and accountability from local law enforcement.
ACoPP member Karlee Provenza is quoted in the release saying, “There’s no reason why law enforcement officials should walk a handpicked group of journalists step-by-step through the videos, providing their interpretation, without going ahead and letting the public see it and make up their own minds.”
A Wyoming law passed in 2017 states that body camera footage from an officer can be made public in cases that are of broad public interest.
ACoPP is also calling for the release of official records of disciplinary actions previously taken against Colling, as well as previous citizen complaints against him, rather than relying on reports from various news outlets.
ACoPP is not alone in their pursuit of the footage and disciplinary records. The American Civil Liberties Union has put in a similar request.
ACoPP’s petition is available online at acopp.org.
ACoPP is looking to submit its petition by noon on Friday, November 16th.