NEW ORLEANS — The two-year disciplinary record of New Orleans patrol officer Maurice Bailey, includes three complaints that he failed to properly use his body-worn camera while on duty.
But just last month, that scenario was reversed when Bailey's apparent routine use of his body cam showed him allegedly smoking illegal drugs from a pipe while inside his police car. The footage was apparently caught by one of Bailey’s supervisors during a routine review of his camera.
“This is another example of technology being able to help identify a problem within the police department,” said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the non-profit Metropolitan Crime Commission. “The fact that he has been written up for other violations is an indication to me, I'd want to take a look back and see if there were other indicators that were overlooked or ignored.”
Civil service records show that Bailey joined the force in December 2021 after graduating from Archbishop Rummel High School, where he was a star running back on the football team. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southeastern Louisiana University.
Bailey’s disciplinary jacket includes the three body cam complaints generated by his superiors, as well as a recent one-day suspension for failing to meet a deadline for filing a police report of an auto accident.
The NOPD acknowledged the current PIB investigation and Bailey's re-assignment, but declined to comment further other than to state that the probe concerns alleged “improper activity.”
Records from the Public Integrity Bureau went a bit further, describing the investigation as an inquiry into possible “use of alcohol or drugs on duty.”
While Bailey faces potentially serious disciplinary consequences, Goyeneche said there are positives in the fact that the body camera technology was effective and Bailey's supervisors caught the suspicious activity.
“As embarrassing as it is for the police department in particular and law enforcement in general,” Goyeneche said, “you have to be able to identify problem officers and this is an example of technology being used to help identify a potential problem with an officer.”
Bailey could not be reached for comment. While it is unclear how his body cam was activated during his alleged drug use, experts familiar with the technology say the cameras retain footage for a segment of time before they are activated and after they are shut off.
No information has been revealed about what was in Bailey’s pipe.
But Stella Cziment, the city’s independent police monitor, said if the drugs are any type illegal substance, Bailey could be facing serious disciplinary action, including termination.
Cziment said the most relevant fact to consider in the investigation is whether the substance turns out to be illegal. If so, Bailey could be compromised when it comes to making arrests or testifying on the witness stand.
“When it comes to illegal drugs, there can't be gray areas in the policing profession,” Cziment said. “It’s highly problematic. That behavior opens up an officer to being targeted for favors, bribery or simply have their credibility so damaged that they can’t appear in court. There’s too much risk, too much responsibility.”
Cziment said that Bailey’s case and others like it gives the NOPD an opportunity to ensure that the department is providing support for officers who may be struggling with stress, on and off the job.
“I feel that NOPD has a robust officer assistance program,” she said. “I think the department can use opportunities like this to ask if there is enough outreach and accessibility, if there's a way to spot and act on warning signs. Overall, I think the department is doing a good job doing that.”
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