Should Newport Cops Wear Body Cameras?

The Newport City Council will soon consider a resolution that could set the stage for Newport police officers to wear body cameras while interacting with the public.

The resolution, sponsored by City Councilor John F. Florez, states that Newport “strives to be a progressive city and at the forefront of technology” and body cameras will “inevitably have universal acceptance.”

With that and other points in mind, the resolution calls for the city administration to “investigate possible funding sources for a one year pilot program for the use of body cameras and report back to the council on or before June 30, 2015.”

In an interview, Florez said that hopes the City Council can engage in an honest assessment of the idea and his resolution should not be considered a condemnation of the police department.

“I want to get the narrative going,” Florez said. “Many segments of our community want it.”

Florez said he has encountered some resistance to his idea, mainly about the cost of implementing the devices and potential usability issues.

He said it seems some believe the best approach is to wait until the department asks for the cameras, or “if there’s a need, they’ll ask,” Florez said. “Philosophically, that’s very different from what I believe, which is that as policy makers, if we feel something is benefical and in the best interest of the community, we should do it.”

If anything, the cameras would demonstrate that the Newport Police Department is a leader in terms of responsible and professional performance from beat cops. And he said recent studies have shown that in communities where body cameras are in use, complaints about police misconduct and brutality have dropped significantly. In some cases, the decline was as big as 88 percent.

The idea is that body cameras keep the public honest, too. It’s hard to allege being mistreated when the camera is recording the entire interaction.

In terms of cost, Florez said that the resolution merely asks for the administration to examine the potential cost and funding sources. Other concerns about cumbersome technology would be addressed with some of the newer devices that are easy to use and require very little from officers in terms of the transfer and archival of the video to police computer systems.

“I know there’s a lot of support out there in the community,” Florez said. “I’m hoping that this resolution establishes a narrative, to get a dialog going and to slowly persuade my fellow council members that this isn’t an issue we should leave up to the police to decide.”

Here is the full text of the resolution:

WHEREAS, In light of recent events highlighted in the national media, Hayward, CA, Messa, CA, New York City and hundreds of other police departments have started embracing the use of body cameras for their police departments; AND

WHEREAS, Body Cameras will give the police department a valuable tool to establish mutual accountability and trust between them and the citizens they are sworn to protect; AND

WHEREAS, Body Cameras will help protect the City and Police from frivolous lawsuits in cases where someone makes a false or exaggerated claim; AND

WHEREAS, Body Cameras simplify the report writing process for police officers. They have assisted in grand jury and trial testimony by erasing any ambiguity from eye witness accounts; AND

WHEREAS, The City of Newport, Rhode Island strives to be a progressive city and at the forefront of technology. Body Cameras are cutting edge technology that will inevitably have universal acceptance. It’s in the best interest of the city to take proactive steps that will have a beneficial impact on all of its citizens; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, That the administration investigate possible funding sources for a one year pilot program for the use of body cameras and report back to the council on or before June 30, 2015.