LOCALmatters
Cop on the Tweet: Chief’s Social Media Posts Draw Criticism B Y KATI E JI CK LI N G
14 LOCAL MATTERS
SEVEN DAYS
Logan Huysman shown in the police body-cam video
Bruises on Logan Huysman’s arm
COURTESY OF LOGAN HUYSMAN
07.05.17-07.12.17
SEVENDAYSVT.COM
B
efore last month, there was nothing out of the ordinary about Logan Huysman’s Facebook page: The 18-yearold South Burlington High School grad posted the usual sultry selfies, plus a baby shot, a fishing snap and lots of photos with friends. But that changed on June 22, when she used the social media platform to publicly accuse the Burlington police of brutality during an altercation. Huysman claimed the cops touched her inappropriately as they shoved her into the back seat of a cruiser, and she included photos of her bruised arms for evidence. “I would consider that sexual assault, especially coming from ‘authority,’” she wrote on her Facebook page. She did not file a formal charge against any of the officers. Within a day, Chief Brandon del Pozo took her to task. He used his personal Facebook account to comment on hers — specifically, he posted a detailed police press release refuting her version of events. He also sent the communication to the news media. According to the official narrative, which contained more detail than a standard police report, the Burlington cops had found three women asleep in a running car at the Cumberland Farms on Pine Street at 2:37 a.m. It took them more than four minutes to rouse Huysman. They found a bong, marijuana and alcohol in the vehicle. The release went on to describe a scene in which Huysman threatened suicide, performed cartwheels in the parking lot, ripped up paperwork, threw a bottle, and kicked and screamed at officers. It went on, “She reached into her waistband and simulated producing a gun with her hand, pointing it at officers.” The police communiqué said a friend of Huysman’s asked officers to be careful, because she was anemic. That created an opportunity to explain her Facebook photos: “People suffering from anemia can bruise easily.” The conclusion: “Huysman’s allegations of sexual assault are unfounded and do not bear comment or investigation.” The missive also noted that her behavior had been captured on police body cams. Huysman was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and
simple assault on a law enforcement officer. The chief’s post started a lively discussion on the teen’s Facebook page. Many of the commenters were strangers to Huysman. “Some people need to be put into a psych ward… just sayin,” wrote one poster. “Look, another privelleged white person acting out towards police because she knows they won’t do shit,” chimed in another. When Huysman saw del Pozo’s response and the outrage it generated, she deleted the entire thread.
LAW ENFORCEMENT Del Pozo maintained that his post was necessary to quell the spread of false accusations. But it also triggered critiques from people who see his approach to social media as an abuse of power and a violation of individual privacy. “There’s a fine line between engaging the community, which is something we want our law enforcement officers to do, and doing what some might see as trying to shut down conversations,” said Jay Diaz, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont. “Affirmatively posting on a citizen’s Facebook page, especially in a sensitive situation, seems fairly inappropriate and would be understandably chilling.” But, he added, it’s not a cut-and-dry issue. “One thing I love about Vermont is how much we can engage with public officials,” Diaz said, noting that he has public online discussions with del Pozo. “I don’t know of a lot of other chiefs of police responding to tweets and Facebook posts.” Del Pozo speaks out frequently on social media, describing family outings, life on the job, and his take on local and national issues. His recent posts include one about the police department’s community barbecue, photos of a hike with his son and news articles about the opiate crisis. In May, he posted bodycam footage from an officer who drew
his gun but didn’t fire after a robbery suspect nearly ran him over. He praised the cop’s restraint. Del Pozo is also largely responsible for the tweets from the department’s @OneNorthAve Twitter feed. He uses social media to engage with the community — “to go where the conversation is,” he said. The police department has no existing social media policy, though the city is creating one for all city employees. It will be published soon, according to Mayor Miro Weinberger. For now, del Pozo said he responds as the situation demands. Police conducted a half-day investigation into Huysman’s claims, according to the chief, after a member of the public alerted him to her Facebook post. It called for a “detailed accounting,” he said. “In general, we receive overwhelmingly positive feedback about Chief del Pozo’s use of social media and general accessibility to the public,” Weinberger wrote in an email to Seven Days. “In the few cases where we have received complaints, we have addressed them with the chief.” Diaz also said he’d received complaints — two of them — about del Pozo’s social media activity since May 2016. Former Burlington Progressive Party chair Charles Winkleman said he’s communicated with del Pozo on behalf of four individuals from minority communities who were uncomfortable when the chief reached out to them via Facebook or Twitter. Last August, Haik Bedrosian, a 44-year-old New North End resident and former city councilor, took offense when the chief commented on one of his Facebook posts. Bedrosian had written about the design for the new police badge, saying that it “belongs on a robot soldier in a dystopian future police state.” Del Pozo, writing from the @OneNorthAve police Twitter account, messaged Bedrosian privately. “Writing it off … is your prerogative and your opinion, but you should also take seriously the months of careful work a lot of people put into it,” del Pozo wrote. “They were not robocops, but nearly all born Vermonters who have a deep affinity for the city and its police.” “Sorry, it’s Chief del Pozo,” he added below. Del Pozo’s message, Bedrosian said, “came as a shock.”