In the midst of a heightened national debate surrounding the use of police force, President Barack Obama on Monday proposed several anticipated reforms for police departments nationwide — including a commitment to increasing the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement.
But some people have begun to question the effectiveness of body cameras in the wake of a grand jury decision not to indict a New York police officer whose chokehold killed 43-year-old Eric Garner in July. The incident was captured on video, and Wednesday's grand jury decision has since ignited mass protests in cities across the country.
As part of the announcement, Obama proposed a $263 million investment package, part of which includes the Body Worn Camera Partnership Program. The federal government will cover half of the cost of new body cameras and requisite storage for state and local law enforcement.
The Department of Justice found in a 2013 study that more than 75 percent of the 254 police departments surveyed do not use body cameras.
The Chapel Hill Police Department does not use body cameras currently, but is now testing various models to determine which fits their needs, said Bryan Walker, spokesman for the department.
“Once we decide on a particular camera, we intend to equip officers with the cameras as our budget allows,” Walker said in an email.
Cameron Bynum, a UNC junior and managing director UNC Wordsmiths, a slam poetry group, said body cameras will help the justice system by increasing accountability among the police.
“Police cameras are one of the clearest ways to prevent the kind of injustices that we see and police brutality now,” Bynum said. “Bad cops are the only people who would not want cameras because they want to continue being bad cops.”
As a $75 million investment over three years, the program will potentially provide up to 50,000 cameras. Congress will need to pass the proposal for it to receive funding.
