House Bill 4074 introduces an amendment to the 1986 PA 109, which governs the powers and responsibilities of conservation officers in Michigan. The primary change mandated by this bill is the requirement that all conservation officers wear body-worn cameras while carrying out their official duties.
"Every other law enforcement agency in the state utilizes camera technology to shield their officers from false claims, it's only fair that the conservation officers receive those same protections," said Markkanen, R-Hancock in a press release from Feb. 4. "We are just asking the DNR adopt to the same standards as all other law enforcement agencies in the state of Michigan — no more, no less. The DNR has been operating in the past for far too long; it's finally time to raise their standards and protect our hard-working conservation officers."
Additionally, the bill specifies that any audio or video recordings captured by these body-worn cameras will be governed by the Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Privacy Act (2017 PA 85). This means that the use, storage, and disclosure of footage will follow established legal guidelines to protect both officer integrity and individual privacy.
House Bill 4074 has been introduced and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism for further consideration. The bill was introduced by Representative Greg Markkanen (R-110th District). It was sponsored by 27 Republican representatives.
This is part of a plan to modernize the Michigan DNR, introduced by State Reps. Greg Markkanen and Dave Prestin on Feb. 4.
Alongside the requirement of body cams, Rep. Prestin has also introduced a bill to update warrant requirements for the department in Michigan House Bill 4073, requiring conservation officers to obtain a search warrant before entering private property.
Prestin's bill would require the DNR to obtain a search warrant before accessing private property, ending a decades-old practice of the DNR entering first and asking questions later. There are exceptions to the new warrant requirement, as there are for every other law enforcement agency. For example, conservation officers will not need a warrant if they get permission to enter, when in hot pursuit of a suspect, to protect life, or preserve evidence.
"We need the DNR to update their outdated rules and policies, both for their best interest and the public," said Prestin, R-Cedar River in the press release. "While every law enforcement agency can theoretically use the open fields doctrine, most choose to respect private property and only enter with probable cause or a search warrant. There's no reason that the DNR needs to wander 3 miles into private property to check if a hunter is wearing orange. If you're on your own property and you haven't seen a stranger in days, and the first one you see is wearing green and trespassing, it would make sense to have some concerns."
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