Berkeley – Workshop on police body camera implementation.

Workshop on police body camera implementation.

Council will hear presentations from the PRC and from the City Manager/police chief.
Agenda: http://records.cityofberkeley.info/Agenda/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=234&doctype=1

Note that the police department proposal differs from the PRC proposal in these respects:
1. The police position is to let officers review camera footage before writing their incident reports, except for an officer-involved shooting or in-custody death investigation.  The PRC made a broader exception for all use foo force incidents; this was in itself a compromise position. This issue is important to prevent officers from tailoring their report to the video.  Our position even allowed officers to review the footage and file an amendment.
2. The PRC proposed some very moderate provisions for public release of footage, for example, to the media with permission of the police chief or designee, an in compliance with a public records act request.  The police object to these provisions on logistical and bureaucratic grounds.
*** Additionally the staff proposes a very cautious one-year pilot program of only twenty cameras.  Body cameras have been shown to save lives and keep particularly people of color out of the mass incarceration system.  This proposal is much too conservative.
See the attachments in the link above for other less critical issues.
Council needs to hear from you to produce the best possible policy.