Name: Clearwater is latest local city to discuss adopting body cameras for police
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Clearwater is latest local city to discuss adopting body cameras for police

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/The City Council is expected to discuss on Monday whether to adopt the cameras, but the five council members are splitCLEARWATER — The use of body cameras has been central to ongoing calls for police accountability across the nation and Tampa Bay.In early June, after a weekend of intense protests,its effort to buy more than 600 body cameras, an existing initiative that had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.Also last month, the Hillsborough County Commission, nixing a plan from last summer to buy cameras that only activated when deputies pulled their weapons. And St. Petersburg Police Department is still under a test period for cameras.Now this week, the Clearwater City Council is revisiting the question of whether to adopt police body cameras, with a work session discussion scheduled for Monday, and if the program is advanced, a vote on Thursday.Ahead of their first discussion on the topic, the five council members are split on their support for body cameras, while weighing the potential for more accountability with the cost and public records burden.Council member Mark Bunker has been a vocal proponent of adopting the system, arguing it can protect officers from false complaints and also provide a way to hold officers who act unlawfully accountable.“If we don’t have cameras to capture these moments, we don’t really know what’s going on,” Bunker said.Although he is concerned about the costs, council member David Allbritton said he would support adopting the system “if the majority of the council wants to do it.”“I just think our community and our police department have always done a great job of community interaction, and knowing the community and we don’t have the issues many other places do,” Allbritton said.Council member Hoyt Hamilton said that given the ongoing scrutiny of police brutality in America, “I don’t think we have a choice but to go to them.”Council member Kathleen Beckman said she was still analyzing data before making a decision. Mayor Frank Hibbard said his feelings are mixed, and he is concerned about the cost as well as some studies that have shown the devices do not drastically reduce civilian complaints or instances of use of force.According to Chief Dan Slaughter, it would cost the city $747,031 to purchase 200 cameras, 25 chargers and hire a records clerk and sergeant position to manage the program. After the purchases, it would cost $569,855 annually to maintain licensing and fund the two new positions, he said.The police department tested five body cameras over four weeks in 2015. Deputy Chief Eric Gandy, at the time a major, concluded the devices give officers the ability to prove they acted appropriately during provocation and also had the potential to decrease citizen complaints.But he concluded the cost-benefit aspect was less clear. Between 2010 and 2015, the department had 19 excessive force complaints, with only two of those sustained. The complaints cost the city $32,000 in litigation, or $6,400 per year. With the body camera program at that time estimated to cost $235,200 per year, Gandy concluded the implementation “hardly makes financial sense.”Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletterColumnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.Loading...Want more of our free, weekly newsletters&nbsp;in&nbsp;your&nbsp;inbox? Let’s&nbsp;get&nbsp;started.Slaughter said he would support the council’s decision to adopt body cameras if the desire is there, but that he is not convinced the devices are systemic solutions to police misconduct. He noted the Minneapolis Police Department had body cameras on May 25, when an officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd for nearly eight minutes, resulting in his death and triggering nationwide protests.“It’s not that they don’t have value, but they don’t address the problem,” Slaughter said.He also notes the department’s strong relationship with residents in neighborhoods across the city, which he believes has contributed to a low rate of citizen complaints and deadly interactions with police.Slaughter said there are other ways he hopes to build more trust in the community. He said he is looking at revising the citizen complaint process to expedite how the department responds, in the moment when they see misconduct, not just after the fact. And Slaughter hopes more frequent communication with the community will help clear misconceptions; for example, Slaughter said some residents were surprised to learn the department already had a policy banning neck restraints on people in custody.“If I was a police chief that had significant trust and ethical issues in the ranks of employees I’m trying to lead, I’d be the first advocate to get (body cameras), but I’m not in that environment,” Slaughter said.This site no longer supports your current browser. Please use a modern and up-to-date browser version for the best experience. — — —

/The City Council is expected to discuss on Monday whether to adopt the cameras, but the five council members are splitCLEARWATER — The use of body cameras has been central to ongoing calls for police accountability across the nation and Tampa Bay.In early June, after a weekend of intense protests,its effort to buy more than 600 body cameras, an existing initiative that had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.Also last month, the Hillsborough County Commission, nixing a plan from last summer to buy cameras that only activated when deputies pulled their weapons. And St. Petersburg...

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Clearwater is latest local city to discuss adopting body cameras for police

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