Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/434960
ByTamiAbdollah The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tues- day a plan to equip 7,000 officers on the Los Angeles police force with on-body cameras by next summer, making the law enforce- ment agency the nation's largest to make the move to date. The plan was unveiled at a news conference where Garcetti said he was plan- ning to put forward mil- lions of dollars in next year's budget for the cam- eras, and that the first wave of 700 cameras would roll out as early as January. Los Angeles police com- mission President Steve So- boroff said he estimated the cameras would cost roughly $10 million for the first two to three years and would in- clude technology and soft- ware from Arizona-based Taser International Inc. The LAPD has received a $1 million National Insti- tute of Justice grant given to study their use of body cameras on policing. Garcetti also said Tues- day he would nominate Chief Charlie Beck for the President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Referring to recent events in Ferguson, Mis- souri, Beck said, "What hap- pens in the smallest town in these United States affects all of us." He added, "The entire na- tion waits to see what hap- pens in LA" with these cam- eras. The announcement fol- lows a year of multiple tests of the body cameras on a small number of the Los Angeles Police Depart- ment's 9,900 officers. Nationally, officers in one of every six departments now patrol with tiny cam- eras on their chests, lapels or sunglasses and that num- ber is growing. And after an outcry over as the shooting of an un- armed black teen in Fer- guson, Missouri, Presi- dent Barack Obama rec- ommended spending $74 million to equip another 50,000 with them. Garcetti said the city would be applying for part of those funds. Beck said the cameras will not be officially in use until a policy has been devised with consultation from stakehold- ers and the public. It must be approved by the civilian oversight commission and City Council. "Body cameras won't solve every problem in po- licing. But having video of police officers' interactions with the public will help hold officers' accountable for misconduct, quickly ex- onerate officers who are wrongly accused, and help the public understand the powers we give police and how they use them," said Hector Villagra, execu- tive director of the ACLU of Southern California. He said the most important part of the process would be setting the guidelines overseeing the new tech- nology Most civil libertarians support their expansion despite concerns about the development of policies gov- erning their use and their impact on privacy. To address concerns about transparency, Los Angeles Councilman Cur- ren Price introduced a mo- tion Tuesday asking the LAPD to report on the sta- tus of its program as well as a timeline for its rollout and details on how that would happen. "This city-wide body camera program will help us increase public trust in our law enforcement, and we must ensure that it is rolled out in a way that pri- oritizes our neediest com- munities," Price said in a statement. Many law enforcement officials support cameras' use and say they are effec- tive. The police department in Rialto, California, found after a yearlong University of Cambridge study last year that the cameras led to an 89 percent drop in com- plaints against officers, pos- sibly reining in misbehav- ior on the part of the public and officers as well as ulti- mately limiting department liability. Even so, some rank-and- file officers worry about be- ing constantly under watch, or that an errant comment may be used by a supervi- sor to derail their careers. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS Bo dy c am er as p la nn ed for LA police next year THEASSOCIATEDPRESS A Los Angeles Police officer wears an on-body camera during a demonstration for media in Los Angeles. C & C PROPERTIES AnIndependentlyownedandoperatedMemberof Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates. 741 Main Street, Suite #2 Red Bluff, CA 96080 1-800-287-2187 (530) 527-2187 FOR24/7PROPERTYINFOCALL1-888-902-7253 TEHAMA COUNTY REAL ESTATE TEAM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK www.redbluffcoldwellbanker.com See All Tehama County Listings at OurknowledgeableandprofessionalstaffofRealtors are here to assist you with all your Real Estate needs. *18Monthsto3YearsforShortSales/4–7YearsforForeclosures. If you were involved in a Foreclosure or Short Sale between 2007 – 2012, YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR HOME OWNERSHIP AGAIN. Depending upon the time frame* you may be eligible to purchase a home. Stop by or call and make an appointment today! 645Antelope Blvd. (across from the Tehama District Fairgrounds) at Frontier Village Red Bluff's Only Year Round Farmers Market Frontier Village Farmers Market Winter Hours Nov.-Feb. 9am-1pm Information, tastings, weekly recipes Chili Bean Cook off Jan. 24 • 9:30-12:30 January Beans! WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 5 B