Imagine an uncomfortable encounter on a dark and desolate road: Individual vs. police officer.
In this “he said, she said” situation, especially when allegations of abuse and violence come into question, whom do you believe? The natural inclination would probably be to believe the law-enforcement officer – as it is his or her duty to serve and protect the community – but sometimes the people we trust are not always the hero.
Think “GoPro” for police.
A slowly growing trend is for law officers to use miniature cameras, so entire incidents can be caught on tape and later used as hard evidence.
Agencies in Rialto, Calif.; Denver; and Winston-Salem, N.C., are considering joining others across the nation in using the tiny cameras.
Yet not all departments are embracing the technology. Despite some prodding from local prosecutors, the Durango Police Department, La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado State Patrol cite cost and practical reasons: They simply don’t find the body cameras necessary.
Durango police looked into the idea, but could not justify the high cost for budgetary reasons, said Lt. Ray Shupe, department spokesman.
A single computer server used to store police footage can cost between $12,000 and $15,000, Shupe said in an email. The video currently collected from the department’s patrol cars fills up one server, and all footage must be stored for six months. Also, recordings dealing with a criminal case must be kept indefinitely, he said.
“We already have cameras in our patrol car, and the cost to purchase that system and store the videos is the only cost we can afford given our current budget situation,” he said.
Additionally, the police department has extensively looked into residents’ complaints and said that a majority of them stemmed from traffic contact and not personal contact, he said. However, if this were to change, the police department would reconsider the use of body cameras, Shupe said.
“We have very high ethical standards for our department,” Shupe said. “It shows when you look at the low number of citizen-generated complaints we receive in comparison to our high number of citizen contacts per officer.”
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the cameras, but has not done any research regarding their use, said Dan Bender, spokesman with the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office already uses cameras in its patrol cars and sometimes while dealing with combative inmates in the jail, he said.
“It would just be an extension of what has already been done,” he said.
Though he did not completely rule out their use, Bender said the sheriff’s office is always on the lookout for new technologies that could better assist and create a safer environment for deputies.
Capt. Adrian Driscoll, with the Colorado State Patrol in Durango, said body cameras are not being considered, but the patrol is upgrading its technology. State headquarters approved a camera project that will begin within the next month or two, he said. Trooper vehicles will have cameras installed, therefore making body cameras redundant and unnecessary at this time, he said.
The old saying is a picture is worth a thousand words. A video could be worth an exponentially greater number of words and perhaps, some say, lead to better conviction rates and much more.
A recent video taken from a helmet camera by Albuquerque police shows officers shooting and killing a homeless man as he appears to turn away from police. The video, released to the public and accessible on the Internet, has sparked a huge controversy and protests in Albuquerque, outraging civil-rights proponents and others.
Sonny Jackson, public-information officer for the Denver Police Department, said the department plans to run a six-month trial of the body cameras very soon. He estimates it will happen in about six weeks or so. The Denver police chief strongly supports the project, he said.
Todd Risberg, 6th Judicial District Attorney, favors equipping local police with body cameras. His office would like to see every law-enforcement officer in the district wearing body cameras, he said in an email.
“They can keep officers safer, decrease use-of-force incidents, reduce complaints and provide better evidence of what actually occurred,” Risberg said.
A video can give the public reassurance and confidence knowing officers are doing their jobs and help document problems that can later be addressed and corrected, he said.
Risberg is aware the new technology would cost a hefty amount, but he feels it would be money well-spent.
Defense attorneys are also in favor of the technology.
Durango defense lawyer Joel Fry said some law-enforcement officers wear lapel microphones that capture audio of the interactions police have with residents they encounter. Meanwhile, dashboard cameras can record the action, he said.
“Anything that can document what’s actually going on is beneficial,” Fry said. “I think a body camera or a lapel would be a beneficial thing, because it will show you what actually occurred.”
And in a quest to seek justice, the more resources, the better.
“Like photographs or DNA, body cameras are another tool which could be very helpful in our search for the truth,” Risberg said.
vguthrie@durangoherald.com
