New York, NY – Compelled by video of a police chokehold death and the lack of such evidence in the fatal shooting of a Missouri teenager, a top New York City official Thursday intensified her push to equip the city’s 35,000 officers with body-worn cameras.
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Public Advocate Letitia James held a demonstration of the cameras, which she said would protect residents from misconduct and police officers from false allegations, all while saving the city millions of dollars in legal costs.
“This simple tool will go a long way in improving police-community relations in New York City,” James said, holding up a camera that records up to 45 hours of audio and video.
James proposed a camera pilot program earlier this month, in the fervent aftermath of Eric Garner’s chokehold death on Staten Island on July 17 and Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9.
The pilot program would cost about $5 million and outfit about 15 percent of the force — primarily officers in areas with high rates of crime and misconduct complaints, James said.
Introducing the cameras, which sell for $450 to $900 each, across the department would cost about $32 million, she said.
That’s a far cry from the city’s spending on misconduct-related litigation. Last year alone those judgments and settlements cost city taxpayers $152 million, James said.
“It’s a win-win for both the police and the community,” James said.
James said Police Commissioner William Bratton has supported the use of body cameras in the past.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is reviewing the program proposal, James said.
Patrick Lynch, president of the powerful Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association police union has said he wants to see evidence of the cameras’ effectiveness.
He said the city spends so much on legal costs because it “refuses to fight even the most ridiculous and baseless of the claims.”
Great idea….the union will now have a harder time defending bad cops…that’s why they don’t want it
Its a shame officer Wilson wasn’t wearing one when he was attacked by Mike Brown. It would have shown he was justified for his course of action.