MANTECA — The police department this week asked a Manteca Bulletin reporter to return a police radio the department gave him several months ago, after complaints that it was favoring one media outlet.

The police department switched to a digital dispatch system late last year that allowed it to scramble radio transmissions, rendering conventional police scanners in most newsrooms useless.

Shortly thereafter, reporter Glenn Kahl was given a two-way police radio, the “walkie-talkie” style worn by police officers, which allowed him to listen in on all police interactions.

Police Chief Charlie Halford said Kahl got the radio because he worked as a volunteer photographer for the department and needed it to photograph crime scenes and officers at work.

The police department was not trying to gain influence at the Bulletin, where Kahl covers crime, Halford said.

“We did not expect any favorable coverage,” Halford said. “There was no quid pro quo. It was never discussed and it was never an issue.”

Manteca Bulletin Publisher Paul Mahoney refused to comment.

Sun Post co-publisher Cecelia Drake confronted Halford about potentially favoring one news agency over all others, prompting him to take back the radio.

“Obviously, there was a perception at the Sun Post that we weren’t being fair,” Halford said.

Terry Francke, general counsel for government watchdog group Californians Aware, said there is no law governing journalistic ethics.

"But I can see a lot of people would view this as an ethical issue," Francke said. "I think one obvious questions is, can the reporter/photographer in question and/or his employer be counted on to provide coverage of Manteca police activities that is objective?"

Interim City Manager Karen McLaughlin said she had been unaware of the situation until this week. She said she also asked that the radio be returned to the city.