.
. AN
. AN ORGANIZATION THAT REPRESENTS SHERIFFS AND POLICE CHIEFS
WANTS THEM.
SO DO MANY OF THE POLICE
AGENCIES SURVEYED BY THE KING 5
INVESTIGATORS LAST YEAR BODY
CAMERAS THEY ARE CONSIDERED AN
IMPORTANT TOOL FOR POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY.
KING 5 INVESTIGATOR CHRIS
ENGLE'S REPORTS ON WHETHER
STATE LAWMAKERS WILL ANSWER THE
CALL FROM MANY DEPARTMENTS TO
HELP PAY FOR BODY WORN CAMERAS
FOR THEIR OFFICERS TRACK THE
MEAL AND TIETON ON HIS WAY TO A
CALL.
YOUR JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD
IN PIERCE COUNTY.
I'M GOING TO ACTIVATE CAMERA
CITY OF REU POLICE OFFICER
CHRIS JOHNSON HITS THE BUTTON
ON HIS NEWEST PIECE
OF EQUIPMENT HIS BODY WORN
CAMERA RECORDS ANOTHER OFFICER
AS THEY APPROACH A CAR
CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE
OF THE MAN INSIDE.
TURNS OUT HE'S HOMELESS.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN AT LEAST
GET YOU A WARM PLACE TO STAY.
YOU NEED TO DO IT IN YOUR CAR.
ROY IS ONE OF THE LATEST POLICE
DEPARTMENTS IN WASHINGTON STATE
TO EQUIP OFFICERS WITH BODY
CAMERAS.
THIS IS THE RECORD BUTTON.
YOU JUST PRESS IT TWICE SO
YOU'RE RECORDING IT RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. OR YOU'RE YOU'RE BEING RECORDED
AS IT SOUNDS RIGHT NOW.
OFFICER JOHNSON, A NEARLY FIVE
YEAR VETERAN WELCOMES THE
ACCOUNTABILITY THE CAMERA
BRINGS TO PEOPLE HE ENCOUNTERS
AND TO HIM.
I SUPPORT IT BECAUSE IT FALLS
UNDER OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT CREED
.
YOU KNOW, DOING THE RIGHT THING
WHEN NOBODY'S LOOKING RIGHT NOW
FALLS INTO THE SMALL PERCENTAGE
OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
STATEWIDE THAT HAVE BODY
CAMERAS.
THE KING 5 INVESTIGATOR
SURVEYED EVERY DEPARTMENT IN
WASHINGTON LAST YEAR AND 213
SHERIFFS AND CHIEFS RESPONDED.
WE FOUND THAT 160 LAW AGENCIES
75 PERCENT DID NOT HAVE BODY
CAMERAS FOR THEIR OFFICERS
HAVING THE CAMERAS ARE GOING TO
BECOME THE NORM.
I ALSO HOPE THAT THERE'S GOING
TO BE STATE LEGISLATION TO FUND
THIS.
MANY POLICE CHIEFS TOLD US THEY
HOPE THE STATE WILL HELP PAY
NOT ONLY FOR THE CAMERAS BUT
THE ADDITIONAL STAFF NEEDED TO
MANAGE VIDEO FILES AND EVIDENCE
THE BIGGEST EXPENSES THE
WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION
OF SHERIFFS AND POLICE CHIEFS
ASKED LAWMAKERS THIS SESSION TO
FACILITATE THE IMPLEMENTATION
AND USE OF BODY CAMERAS.
A QUESTION FOR THE LAWMAKERS IS
THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO
HELP THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT
WANT BODY CAMERAS BUT DON'T
THINK THEY CAN AFFORD THEM?
I ASKED THAT QUESTION OF THE
HOUSE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
CHAIRED BY REPRESENTATIVE ROGER
GOODMAN OF KIRKLAND.
OTHER PRIORITIES AHEAD
OF BUYING BODY CAMERAS FOR A
POLICE AGENCY STATEWIDE WE WILL
CONSIDER COST SHARING IN THE
FUTURE THE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE IS THROWING ITS
SUPPORT BEHIND ADDITIONAL
OFFICER TRAINING AND A NEW
INDEPENDENT STATE TASK FORCE TO
INVESTIGATE POLICE SHOOTINGS.
STATE MONEY FOR BODY CAMERAS IS
NOT IN THE NEAR FUTURE EVEN
THOUGH OUR SURVEY FOUND 51
PERCENT HALF OF THE 106
DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT CAMERAS ARE
ACTIVELY CONSIDERING THEM IF
THEY CAN FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR
ROI IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST
POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE
DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY BUT
IT DID HAVE A POLICE CHIEF WITH
A CREATIVE IDEA.
YOU GET TO WHERE YOU KNOW JUST
ABOUT EVERYBODY IN THE
COMMUNITY.
CHIEF DARWIN ARMITAGE BROUGHT
BODY CAMERAS TO HIS TO MAN
DEPARTMENT JUST BEFORE HE
RETIRED IN DECEMBER.
HE COULDN'T AFFORD THE 6000
DOLLAR PURCHASE PRICE FROM A
MAJOR MANUFACTURER WHERE DID
YOU GO TO GET THE CAMERA?
AMAZON, AMAZON, AMAZON.
IT'S COME TO THAT POINT WHERE
WE'RE BEING ASKED QUESTIONS AS
TO HOW WE'RE DOING OUR JOB AND
WHY WE'RE DOING IT IN A CERTAIN
WAY.
NOW THE BODY CAMERAS ARE GOING
TO TELL OUR STORY.
THE NEW ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
DOLLAR AMAZON CAMERAS ARE
BRINGING ACCOUNTABILITY AND
AFFORDABILITY TO THE STREETS
OF ROI.
CHRIS ENGLE'S KING 5 NEWS AND
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND WHETHER THEY HAVE BODY
CAMERAS OR IF THEY EVEN WANT
THEM.
TEXT THE KEYWORD CAMERA TO 206
FOUR FOUR EIGHT FOUR FIVE FOUR
FIVE TO ACCESS THE KING 5