Memphis Police Body Cameras Lead To 39% Drop In Complaints

Police body cameras lead to 39-percent drop in complaints | FOX13

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Cameras do not lie and neither do numbers.

Memphis police told a city council committee body cameras on officers have reduced the number of citizen complaints by nearly 40-percent.

After a rocky roll out that spurted and stopped, nearly 100-percent of Memphis police officers have body cameras.

The technology is working as number of complaints against MPD has dropped 39-percent in just one year.

"I will repeat what an officer told me a little while ago. He said, 'Director, it keeps us straight and it keeps the citizens straight," said Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings.

The data presented by MPD shows a dramatic drop in the number of complaints against officers in every police precinct but one, Mount Moriah. "We deployed body worn cameras when the DA was ready, and we had our video analysts in place. So, it is another great tool," said Rallings.

Activists from the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center advocated for body worn cameras for years. Paul Garner of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center told FOX 13, "I think there are still some questions about the body camera policy and how that video is made available to the public, to the person who is involved in that incident with police. How are they using it for prosecution?"

The data also shows that the body camera video also gave police enough evidence to find six officers at fault after a citizens complaint.

FOX13 asked the Director what happened to those cops. "Know that those cases have been handled, and if the officer required discipline, they were disciplined, and some of those investigations are still ongoing," said Rallings.

Great! This is one of the best positives to these cameras IMO.

The proof is in the pudding. That's cutting down complaints (and the need to spend time/money giving due diligence to follow up on complaints) by over ONE THIRD.

With results like that, I can't see how anyone can defend an argument against having police body cameras.

The proof is in the pudding. That's cutting down complaints (and the need to spend time/money giving due diligence to follow up on complaints) by over ONE THIRD.

 

With results like that, I can't see how anyone can defend an argument against having police body cameras.

Anyone that would have been against the idea from the get go probably had a different motive, IMO.

Sounds mostly positive.

However, just like with the United Catastrophe, what are the citizens rights in all of this? Can a citizen request the camera be turned off? Can a citizen refuse to cooperate with the police in situations where they would otherwise be compelled to cooperate? Do cameras mean citizens have a universal right to remain silent? Can a citizen get a copy of their interactions with law enforcement? Is the video/evidence admissible in court if the entire transaction is not captured by the camera? The audio?

Like most technology, I think we often get the cart before the horse.

What are my rights? Who is going to tell what my rights are? When are they going to tell me? Can it vary depending on jurisdiction? State? Will there be Federal Policy?

Again, sounds mostly positive.

Sounds mostly positive.

 

However, just like with the United Catastrophe, what are the citizens rights in all of this? Can a citizen request the camera be turned off? Can a citizen refuse to cooperate with the police in situations where they would otherwise be compelled to cooperate? Do cameras mean citizens have a universal right to remain silent? Can a citizen get a copy of their interactions with law enforcement? Is the video/evidence admissible in court if the entire transaction is not captured by the camera? The audio?

 

Like most technology, I think we often get the cart before the horse.

 

What are my rights? Who is going to tell what my rights are? When are they going to tell me? Can it vary depending on jurisdiction? State? Will there be Federal Policy?

 

Again, sounds mostly positive.

Body camera regulations are set by each state. A problem states have with an open records request of body camera footage is that open records laws - obviously years old - do not address body cameras. Language is often catered towards paper documentation, standard video, dash cam video, etc.

Complaints and time to handle complaints is less. But also the time to recover an open records request increases. Luckily the producers of this technology have made advancements in recent years and the price to implement isn't as bad as many believe.

Body camera regulations are set by each state. A problem states have with an open records request of body camera footage is that open records laws - obviously years old - do not address body cameras. Language is often catered towards paper documentation, standard video, dash cam video, etc.

 

Complaints and time to handle complaints is less. But also the time to recover an open records request increases. Luckily the producers of this technology have made advancements in recent years and the price to implement isn't as bad as many believe.

I think we are at the tip of the iceberg.

In the near future those same cameras will all be live on an active network that ties in with the NSA super computers and tracks every human being on the planet.

Mobile Big Brother coming to a Police Department near you soon.

I think we are at the tip of the iceberg.

 

In the near future those same cameras will all be live on an active network that ties in with the NSA super computers and tracks every human being on the planet.

 

Mobile Big Brother coming to a Police Department near you soon.

Fine by me, if you are in publuc. You have no expectation of privacy there. Now, if you are on my door step and knocking on my door to simply question me, it needs to be off. I do have an expectation of privacy in my doorway.

Fine by me, if you are in publuc. You have no expectation of privacy there. Now, if you are on my door step and knocking on my door to simply question me, it needs to be off. I do have an expectation of privacy in my doorway.

Just don't answer the door... lol

Just don't answer the door... lol

Ha. Keep my door on the hinges I say.

In the report, it mentions 6 officers being disciplined. I wonder how many officers have been exonerated by the use of the body cams? I would like to see those numbers.

Fine by me, if you are in public. You have no expectation of privacy there. Now, if you are on my door step and knocking on my door to simply question me, it needs to be off. I do have an expectation of privacy in my doorway.

I don't follow, you have the right to remain silent and with that in mind I don't see how any law enforcement officer would be legally forced to turn off his body cam at your door step.