North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory today signed into law HB 972, which allows law enforcement agencies to keep officer worn body camera footage from the public unless ordered to release the footage by a court.
“Body cameras should be a tool to make law enforcement more transparent and accountable to the communities they serve, but this shameful law will make it nearly impossible to achieve those goals,” said Susanna Birdsong, Policy Counsel for the ACLU of North Carolina. “People who are filmed by police body cameras should not have to spend time and money to go to court in order to see that footage. These barriers are significant and we expect them to drastically reduce any potential this technology had to make law enforcement more accountable to community members.”
The ACLU of North Carolina has a free smartphone app, Mobile Justice NC, that empowers users to record encounters with police and send the footage to the ACLU of North Carolina for review. It is available on iPhones and Androids. More information is at acluofnc.org/app
Why record any footage to begin with? Because the footage will be only be used to protect themselves and prosecute you.
Here’s what’s going to happen. If the footage incriminates YOU, we’ll possibly get to see it in court presented as evidence, if it’s needed. If it makes the police look bad or helps your case, it’ll never see the light of day.
NC, your government is working against all of you. And a government that doesn’t work for you must be removed.
Hide footage of police wrong doings, and it won’t take much, you will see escalations like Dorner and Dallas sooner than later. You must shine light on the truth, not keep it in darkness. You must deal with police wrong doings severely instead of sweeping it under a rug.
If you want to keep the footage hidden because you don’t want the people to get upset, protest or get violent, then maybe you should be tackling the bigger issue as to WHY people get upset when they see footage.
Police is getting more and more out of control and this bill will only make it worst for both sides. This is bad legislation.
Actually it gives the Police more power to get away with murder. 👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾👎🏾
