Just last week we suggested that Minnesota could reduce officer-involved incidents and complaints if they would simply outfit police officers with body cameras. One department has implemented that suggestion, and we believe both the authorities and the public will benefit from the move.
All Duluth police officers have been outfitted with body cameras to record interactions with the public in hopes that the video evidence will cut down on investigation times and provide a third-party account to corroborate incident reports.
The Duluth PD said the video is uploaded at the end of each shift, but the department will not be conducting random viewing of the tapes unless it is necessary for an investigation. They also noted that they have trained their officers to hit record prior to any interaction with a civilian, as the camera does not record 24/7.
All things considered, outfitting the entire force with cameras did not break the bank. The department said the devices cost about $300 a pop, and with 97 uninformed officers on staff, the total bill came in south of $30,000. That’s a small price to pay considering recent evidence suggests that cameras reduce complaints and lawsuits against the department, which can result if 6- and 7-figure payouts.
If the program is successful in Duluth, look for Minneapolis to follow suit. The Minneapolis Police Department has already stated that they have begun buying cameras for their officers, but they plan to roll out the program on a much smaller scale on a trial basis, assuming there are no hiccups.
Avery Appelman Comments
As a purveyor of justice I am glad to hear the Duluth Police Department has outfit all of their officers with body cameras. Far too often in the court of law you run into a case where it’s a client’s word versus the word of the cop. The wrong judge may be predisposed to take the word of the officer over the word of the citizen. If an officer knows he can get away with something because his word will be held in higher esteem, they can bend and break the law as they please.
The cameras will provide an objective, third-party account of any interaction between an officer and a citizen. If there is a question as to who escalated the incident or if the suspect was resisting, all the court will need to do is review the tape.
