Calif. Attorney General Unveils Plan To Reduce Police Bias
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — California's attorney general announced a statewide training program aimed at getting police officers to avoid having built-in biases compromise their ability to enforce laws fairly and with appropriate force.
The announcement Friday came as Kamala Harris outlined the results of a 90-day review (PDF) by her agency that sought to find ways to strengthen the trust between police and the public following recent slayings of unarmed civilians by officers in cities across the country.
KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports Harris also said that under a pilot program Department of Justice special agents would be outfitted with on-body cameras similar to those worn by officers of some local forces in California.
"We are going to engage in procedure in a way that treats the community with respect," said Harris.
Harris, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, was joined at the press conference by Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and other law enforcement heads.
"I have long believed that law enforcement functions best when we work with and not simply in our community," said McDonnell. "We must continuously earn the trust of our community...these partnerships have become even more critical over the past year."
Police departments in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim and several other Southland cities have begun to test the use of on-body cameras by its officers to promote accountability and prevent lawsuits over incidents between officers and members of the public.
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