7th Grade Aveson Student Submits Opinion Piece About Pasadena Police Body Cameras

There have been several bad cops that have done terrible things and get away with is because there is no evidence of what they did. A lot of cops do not want body cameras because they are afraid of being caught doing bad things.

In a letter to Pasadena’s Public Safety Committee, PPOA attorney Leslie Wilcox said the policy for body cameras should limit the public’s access to footage.I think they only should let the family of the suspect if the cops injured the suspect or kill the suspect. Leslie Wilcox also wrote, give officer’s discretion when turning the cameras on or off, and allow officers to review the recordings when filling out police reports [Source: Jason Henry, Pasadena Star-News]. I think it’s okay that the officer can review the tape but the should not be able to take out the footage out of the camera.

The Pasadena Police Department received $250,000 adding on to the $300,000 for the purchase of cameras by the City Council earlier this year. Pasadena had to match the grant with local dollars to qualify, according to the Department of Justice. It requires the departments to establish a “strong implementation plan and a robust training policy before purchasing the cameras,” according to the announcement [Source: Jason Henry, Pasadena Star-News]. This a good thing because then every policeman will have a camera on them in the line of duty.

In conclusion, every policeman should have a body camera because it would provide more evidence to court. I think they should also only show the footage to certain people.

 

David Cruz is a 7th grade student at Aveson Global Leadership Academy. In addition to his concern about the environment, he enjoys skateboarding and playing video games.  He is a resident of the Pasadena area.