By Samantha Sanchez
Staff Writer
This month, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach Police Departments are submitting application to the city council for license plate cameras in MB and BodyWorn Cameras in HB. The use of these cameras is considered a security measure; however, these cameras are an invasion of privacy, do not prevent dishonesty, and are uneffective, making their use unethical.
Manhattan Beach plans to install the license plate cameras this fall; however, Councilman David Lesser is concerned the cameras are not actually effective. According to a study done by the American Civil Liberties Union, only one percent of camera scans result in hits. Manhattan Beach should not be wasting $400,000 dollars on a security system that will not effective achieve its purpose: stopping crime.
The HBPD is calling the program the Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. According do the HBPD website, it has partnered with California State, Fullerton to conduct a survey, analyzing the support of local and neighboring residents for the BWC program. The results of the survey will be used to support the department’s application.
According to the Huffington Post, body camera policy does not provide clear privacy protections to limit public surveillance, or allow public to have access to BWC footage. This creates tension and a sense of distrust between the police department and the public because they do not know if what is being recorded can be used against them, or if what they are being told is the truth.
Bwcscorecard.org lists the requirements the BWC program should meet, however there is no penalization if the requirements are not satisfactoryly met. Currently, Los Angeles does not meet requirements for six of the eight categories. Hermosa is likely to use the same policy as LA, so until all eight of the categories are satisfied, the program should not be granted funding. Meeting all eight categories is critical because it secures public reliability of the program
According to the US Department of Justice, BWCs are being encouraged because the increase transparency and accountability. They are desired for incidents where the police have a different story than the defendant. Video evidence would be pertinent to determining the truth. However, police can purposefully not turn on their cameras because there is no clear punishment for those that do not.
According to the Huffington Post, body camera policy does not lay out clear punishment for officers who fail to turn on their cameras during critical incidents. This ambiguity in the policy allows for dishonesty on the parts of police officers, calling for stricter BWC policy, or no use of them at all.
In addition, no records show that crime is a concern in Hermosa Beach, so the city’s desire for BWCs is unnecessary. Money going towards the cameras could be used for more useful and rewarding purposes such as building a parking structure for Hermosa or schools in the Hermosa district.
The BWC program needs significant improvements guaranteeing its honesty and authenticity with the public before being approved. BWCs have potential to work, but like species adapt to changes in their environment, crime will adapt to the new technology. HBPD must be accountable and their policy should satisfy all eight categories of the BWC before their program is approved.
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