Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Requesting a report from the Madison Police Department on the use of On-Body Cameras for MPD officers.
Body
WHEREAS, recent events in the United States have generated community discussions on the use and effectiveness of on-body cameras by police officers, and;
WHEREAS, Madison's police department prides itself on being on the cutting edge of policing tools and transparency, and;
WHEREAS, a large benefit for the city of Madison would be the accurate documentation of dangerous or deadly situations, and;
WHEREAS, body cameras have the potential to be a win-win, helping protect the public from police abuse and protecting the police for against false accusations of abuse, and;
WHEREAS, many cities have purchased and developed policies for police on-body cameras including; Rialto, CA, Greensboro NC, Fort Collins, CO, Fort Worth, TX, Pittsburgh, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, Hartford, CT, Chesapeake, VA and Modesto, CA and;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Madison Police Department is directed to analyze the implementation of on-body cameras including addressing key points such as benefits, accountability, transparency, right of privacy and community impact, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Madison Police Department will work with the police union and community leaders to gather their input on developing a policy and identifying the potential benefits and drawbacks of on-body cameras,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Madison Police Department provide the Common Council with a report of their findings by the December 2, 2014 meeting.