The White House said that issuing cameras for police to wear on their uniforms is a good thing, and it would help ward off just the type of mistrust displayed by Ferguson, Missouri, residents toward law enforcement.
The statement came in the wake of a St. Louis police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, an act seen by some at the scene as unjustified and tainted by racism. The U.S. Department of Justice has subsequently launched an investigation into police actions.
The statement also came in response to a petition on the White House website urging President Obama to sign into law a mandate for police body cameras, CBS News reported.
“We support the use of camera and video technology by law enforcement officers and the Department of Justice continues to research best practices for implementation,” said Roy Austin, one White House adviser on Justice and Urban Affairs, in response to the petition, CBS News reported.
He also said that the Justice Department was looking at how to incorporate body cameras for police forces around the nation, but warned that the costs of such an endeavor “cannot be ignored,” CBS News reported. He also raised questions about the privacy issues involved with the cameras, and wondered who should rightly have access to the videos and how long they should be saved.
Mr. Austin also said cameras wouldn’t put an end to mistrust of law enforcement.
“Most Americans are law-abiding and most law enforcement officers work hard day-in and day-out to protect and serve their communities,” he said, CBS News reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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