Editorial: Ferguson highlights need to equip UCPD with body cameras

The shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., by a white police officer would probably have had a straightforward resolution if Darren Wilson was wearing a camera which recorded the events of that tragic August day.

Along with a revival of a conversation about racial dynamics in America, the Michael Brown case has propelled the issue of body cameras for law enforcement to the forefront of the national debate about police accountability.

While it may take time to implement a massive oversight project of law enforcement personnel, national pressure and recent events should light a fire under stakeholders and get the University of California moving on its program to put body cameras on all UCPD officers.

Brooke Converse, UC spokesperson, said the University initiated the process of putting body cameras on UCPD more than a year ago and has selected a preferred vendor. However, Converse added that it was still too early to give any details on when the cameras will be operational or how much they would cost.

But moving quickly to put cameras on all officers would be more than just a show of good faith. In the past few years, UCPD has been involved in numerous controversial incidents of racial profiling or use of force that cost the UC – and taxpayers – millions of dollars in settlements.

In July, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David S. Cunningham was awarded a $500,000 settlement after a lawsuit alleging excessive force and racial profiling by campus police.

It’s also hard to forget the infamous 2011 UC Davis pepper-spraying incident, which led to more than $1 million in settlement payments, including $38,000 for the officer who pepper-sprayed the demonstrators.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department approved a $1.3 million plan to outfit 600 of its officers with body cameras.

Outfitting the UCPD’s 400 officers would likely cost less than than that figure, which still pales in comparison to the amount of cash that is regularly paid out by the University in settlements. In any case, the funds are a small price to pay for people of color to feel as though they can trust those charged with the responsibility of protecting them.

Early results from police departments who have adopted the technology are promising. In Rialto, a city about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, a randomly controlled study found use of force by officers fell by more than 50 percent and complaints against officers fell by 88 percent after the implementation of body cameras.

Partially in recognition of the growing movement for police accountability, President Barack Obama called Monday for a $263 million funding program to improve relations between communities and police departments, including introducing 50,000 body cameras to regional police forces.

While the president’s plan is still in its early stages, it is possible that some of the costs of the UCPD’s system could be offset by this federal funding.

Body cameras exist not only as a physical reminder of law enforcement accountability to the public, but also as an investment in the future relationship between the police and the university community, well worth the minimal upfront costs.