Harp: Cop Cameras Can Function Like An Airplane’s ​“Black Box”

Mayor Toni Harp made that pitch at a state legislative hearing Tuesday as a way to bridge the ​“chasm” between citizens and law enforcement..

Harp testified in favor of a bill to create a pilot program that outfits cops with body cameras. (Click here and here for background on how that idea has progressed in town.)

“Just as an airplane’s ​‘black box’ proves itself as an invaluable investigative tool time and again, police body cameras would allow follow-up analyses of events and provide a clear picture – literally – of what happened and when,” Harp told the committee.

Police Chief Dean Esserman accompanied Harp to the hearing and spoke as well in favor of the bill. (The video at left comes from a body camera worn by a Branford cop, in an incident described here.)

Following is text of Harp’s testimony:

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Hello, Chairman Dargan, Chairman Larson, vice-chairs, Ranking, and all members of the Public Safety and Security Committee. My name is Toni Harp, I’m Mayor of New Haven, and I thank you for this opportunity today to testify in favor of proposed Senate Bill 770, An Act Creating a Pilot Program for Police Body Cameras.

Studies conducted within the public safety and law enforcement community conclude that police officers wearing body cameras contributed to a dramatic reduction in use-of-force by the officers and fewer complaints lodged against them.

After one study, conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Police Foundation, the authors concluded as follows:
​“The findings suggest more than a 50% reduction in the total number of incidents of use-of-force compared to control-conditions.”

The bill before you speaks directly to accountability in law enforcement, which was called into question several times last year in use-of-force instances, most famously in Ferguson, Missouri, Staten Island, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio.

These cameras make good use of available technology to record circumstances as they unfold for analysis afterward. Furthermore, awareness of the camera and knowledge that a recording is being made has great potential to alter the behavior of all parties and keep matters from escalating to where force might be necessary.

I’m told these cameras are light enough to be worn on the flap of a shirt pocket; they’re water resistant and capture color video from an officer’s point of view. They have batteries that last at least 12 hours and the video images they capture are recorded remotely.

This technology is being piloted in other states; the bill before you would simply allow a pilot program here in Connecticut. President Obama has advocated for the federal government to invest $75 million for body-worn cameras.

Use of these cameras sends a statement about how those of us in elected office – and our counterparts in public safety – understand that the actions of law enforcement personnel are a matter of public record. Furthermore, just as an airplane’s ​‘black box’ proves itself as an invaluable investigative tool time and again, police body cameras would allow follow-up analyses of events and provide a clear picture – literally – of what happened and when.

We have seen chilling results when police officers use force and questions linger about whether or not that use-of-force is justifiable. We are living with dangerous fallout from these incidents: protests, distrust, uncertainty, and in some communities, a growing chasm between police officers and those they are sworn to protect and serve.

Let’s experiment with these cameras. Let’s include their use in a pilot program right here in Connecticut. Let’s underscore our commitment to the idea that municipal police officers, sworn to prevent crime as well as enforce the law, are an extension of our community, accountable to all its members, and willing to be on record about it.

Thank you very much.