Smile! You could be on CMPD camera soon

The Story

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are getting body cameras starting next year.

The Facts

– After a successful pilot program last year, CMPD is prepared to equip all 1,900 officers with cameras that will record most interactions with the public.

– The first batch will cost $500,000 and equip about 200 officers, or two yet-to-be-named divisions. Cost per camera is $400-$1,200.

– Police say those costs pale in comparison to what they pay out to settle complaints and lawsuits: More than $1 million in the past year.

– The Catch: If you get recorded, you won’t get to post it to your Facebook account. In fact, you won’t be able to see it at all. Police say the tapes are protected by personnel and case evidence laws.

Quotes

“I think everything should be open to the public. Don’t give us the camera and put stipulations on it.” – John Barnett, the founder of True Healing Under God, a civil rights organization.

“Unless the officer wishes to wear a camera, I think that it violates his rights. If our Police Officers are forced to wear same, I think every employer in the Country should require their employees to wear a camera. What is next? Maybe our crazy government will require citizens to purchase and wear cameras, when they are out in public!” – CharlotteObserver.com commenter

C5’s Take

With the turmoil of Ferguson and now New York City, this seems like an inevitable and smart step. Departments around Charlotte are getting camera’d up, including Davidson, Cherryville and Gastonia. Police in other cities say complaints against them have dropped substantially since they’ve started wearing cameras. If they make folks act nicer on both sides of the blue line, why not.

But we also ask why not make them available to the public? Keeping them private will only raise the very suspicions these cameras are intended to dispel.

Photos: Todd Sumlin / Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published December 8, 2014 at 5:44 AM.