Laserfiche WebLink
Redwood City Response: Partially Agree <br /> “The City agrees with the basic premise that body-worn cameras are an <br />important technological enhancement in the current era of modern <br />policing. The City recognizes the inherent benefit that body camera <br />evidence provides for transparent reviews of officer performance, the <br />value of decreasing false claims against officers, lessening civil liabilities, <br />along with increasing the speed at which criminal prosecutions conclude. <br /> However, the City believes that the timetable of October 31, 2017, <br />recommended by the Grand Jury for implementation of a body-worn <br />camera system may not be feasible. The City is in the process of <br />determining the long-term financial commitment this endeavor will <br />require and will seek to secure funding from grants or other <br />competing programs. Additionally, it would be ideal to pair this <br />purchase with other technological integrations with records <br />management software enhancements needed for response to <br />California Public Records Act Requests (CPRA). As a result, the City <br />cannot commit to fully implementing a body-worn camera system by <br />October 31, 2017.” <br /> <br />Based on this direction, the Redwood City Police Department (RCPD) has developed a <br />proposed implementation plan for body-worn cameras (BWC). This report identifies <br />anticipated costs and implementation timelines associated with deploying a BWC <br />system to include Community Service Officers and Parking Enforcement Officers. Staff <br />recommends that funding for this initiative be considered with the development of the <br />FY 2017-18 budget. <br /> <br />Documenting police interactions and enforcement activity is not something new. Over <br />the progression of professional police enforcement starting in the 1820’s in the United <br />Kingdom, police departments have increasingly been aware of the need to document <br />and account for their enforcement interactions. Early on, written reports were first <br />introduced to enhance verbal only court testimony. Over time, professional law <br />enforcement agencies have attempted to align their operations with methods and <br />technologies that provide an enhanced account of police interactions. There are now <br />an expanded array of options for documenting police interactions. Beyond written <br />documentation, many law enforcement agencies have incorporated things like radar to <br />document speeds; recorded interview rooms to assure compliance with constitutional <br />safeguards; and fixed police facility video in high conflict areas like jail intake and <br />booking areas. Most recently, body-worn cameras are providing yet another method to <br />document police interactions during mobile enforcement actions of the individual officer. <br /> <br />Unlike other methodologies deployed in the past that have provided enhanced <br />documentation on police interactions, individual body-worn camera systems present a <br />unique set of issues. Individual privacy rights of the contacted person captured on <br />video, individual freedoms of the working officer in their non-enforcement contacts and <br />daily work activities, and the long term hardware, data storage and personnel costs for <br />6.1.A. - Page 2