RICHMOND – Two state lawmakers urged the General Assembly on Tuesday to pass a bill that would require police officers in some localities to wear body cameras.
RICHMOND – Two state lawmakers urged the General Assembly on Tuesday to pass a bill that would require police officers in some localities to wear body cameras.
Sen. Donald McEachin (top right), D-Richmond, and Del. Michael Futrell (top left), D-Woodbridge, said House Bill 2393 would restore confidence between police officers and citizens.
Futrell, who is sponsoring the bill, discussed the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they protect and serve.
Henrico Police released an early draft of their police body cam proposal – read more about it here
“While law enforcement looks to identify ways to better serve the towns and counties of our great commonwealth, communities are calling for an increase in transparency and collaboration,” he said at a press conference.
McEachin referred to protests that have been held in many cities after police in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City killed unarmed men.
“We are not offering this bill in an accusatory fashion but rather a fashion that recognizes what’s going on across the country, recognizes the confusion and the dialogue that’s taking place,” McEachin said.
Under Futrell’s bill, the Virginia attorney general’s office would determine which police departments would have to use body cameras. The attorney general’s office would make its determinations after analyzing data on law enforcement agencies’ practices.
“Sheriff’s offices and police departments that have a high rate of occurrence of engaging in biased-based profiling or using excessive force” would be required to implement a body-worn camera system.
Asked how much the police body cameras would cost, Futrell said the equipment can be paid for through forfeitures.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” McEachin said. “The goal is so we can actually see what happens there on the camera … It doesn’t have to be a he-said, she-said issue. It should enhance public safety. It should make police officers feel safer, as well as the general public.”
The bill would also establish and update numerous standards for law enforcement. Moreover, it would mandate that the Virginia State Police develop and implement a uniform statewide database to collect and analyze traffic and investigatory stop records.
“Safety is our No. 1 priority,” Futrell said. “I believe this bill is beneficial not only to the residents of Prince William County but to all the residents in the commonwealth.”
The bill follows months of demonstrations that started in Ferguson in August, after police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, 18. In November, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson.
In response to the events, President Barack Obama proposed a program to help fund the purchase of body-worn cameras by police. Under the program, the federal government would offer a 50 percent match to the states and local governments that buy the cameras.
HB 2393 isn’t the only bill introduced during this year’s legislative session seeking to mandate the use of body cameras by police officers.
HB 1521, filed by Del. Joe Lindsey, D-Norfolk, and HB 1534, sponsored by Del. Mark Berg, R-Winchester, also addressed the issue. A House subcommittee killed both bills last week.
Another bill is HB 2280, by Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond. It has been referred to the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety.
