LAPD Chief Beck, Others Discuss Future Use Of Body Cameras
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The first of two meetings was held Wednesday to consider what kinds of policies will be in place to govern the use of body cameras on officers.
Officials said the cameras will not be used until the rules are in place, such as when and where the devices will be used and what will be done with the recordings.
"We don't want to come to the public and say, 'Here's our policy. What's your input?' We want to come to the public and say, 'We want your input' and then we craft the policy," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told KCAL9's Andrea Fujii.
The meeting got underway at 6:30 p.m. at the Green Meadows Recreation Center with both opponents and supporters voicing their opinions.
Thus far, the policies haven't been written and will need to be approved by the L.A. Police Commission, which supports the use of the cameras, and says they protect both officers and the public.
"These cameras have been shown to deescalate situations so they don't happen in the first place," Steve Soboroff of the L.A. Police Commission said.
But opponents said their concerns include whether the camera, which is placed on the officer's chest, can show an entire situation. They hope the policies surrounding their use will be transparent.
"Whether they're reaching for their holster. Whether they're reaching for their gun. How they're acting is, again, remains a mystery," Hamid Khan, a camera opponent, said.
Meanwhile, supporters like Dr. Perry Crouch with the Watts Gang Task Force say the cameras are a form of accountability.
"The brutality and the shootings and all will really decrease because now everyone is on notice," Crouch said.
By the end of next year, Mayor Eric Garcetti plans to equip all of the officers with the body cameras, which total 7,000. The cost of the cameras will be about $10 million paid for with taxpayer dollars.
A second meeting has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Canoga Park.
Click here to take a survey created by the LAPD on the use of body cameras.
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