COLUMBUS – An agreement between the city of Columbus and the union representing its police officers removes a significant hurdle to outfitting those officers with body cameras.
The city released the agreement, dated Sept. 23, on Thursday, according to a report in The Columbus Dispatch.
Finishing it keeps the city on track to equip the first officers with body cameras by the end of the year as promised by Mayor Andrew Ginther.
The cameras will be a valuable tool in enhancing police- community relationships and public safety. For these reasons as well as numerous other benefits, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and City Council have dedicated tremendous resources toward outfitting our Columbus Division of Police with this rapidly developing technology. -City of Columbus statement
Now, the city needs to negotiate a contract to buy the cameras. City officials have pared down a list of potential vendors after a test phase in August.
Under the agreement, officers will be allowed to review body camera footage before they file reports or make statements, resolving one of the most debated topics a task force tackled in making recommendations to Ginther.
“If we’re going to write a report, this is going to provide a lot more detail than what we’ve been used to in the past, particularly when it comes to uses of force,” said Jason Pappas, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Local No. 9.
The Body Worn Camera Committee, composed of community members, educators, faith leaders and police officers, was formed last year to develop the policy on body cams that takes into account civil rights, accountability, transparency and privacy protections.
“We want officers to be able to do their jobs, and we want the cameras to serve the purpose for which they were designed. This agreement will expedite the implementation of body worn cameras for the community and our officers,” Ginther was quoted as saying in the statement announcing the agreement.
The American Civil Liberties Union has advocated against officers being allowed to review footage before filing reports.
Body camera footage sometimes doesn’t capture every detail, and officers who review the footage ahead of time could choose to leave out information if it didn’t appear on video, said Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio.
“Was there use of force? That’s our biggest concern,” Daniels said.
The new policy was bargained in the middle of the union’s existing contract, which expires on Dec. 8, 2017.