By Samantha Sanchez
Staff Writer
Manhattan Beach plans to install video cameras to serve as visible crime deterrents this fall. On April 12, the Hermosa Beach Police Department submitted an application for a $250,000 grant that would fund the use of Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) in Hermosa. The use of these cameras is considered a security measure; however, due to the importantce of residents’ safety and the potential security concerns, there are many improvements that should be made in order to ensure that residents feel safe.
The use of security cameras within the South Bay is a beneficial adjustment to the security status of each city. Manhattan Beach covers a vast area of 3.88 miles. The city plans to implement license plate-reading cameras in seven locations for the purpose of detecting vehicles involved in major crimes, said Manhattan Beach Police Department Chief Eve Irvine. More measures should be implemented if the city wants to reduce crime rates in the most effective manner possible.
Manhattan Beach plans to install the license plate camera this fall. According to a study done by the American Civil Liberties Union, only one percent of camera scans results in hits. Therefore, Manhattan Beach should not be wasting $400,000 on a security system that will not effectively achieve its purpose of stopping crime and will potentially concern residents about invasion of their privacy.
In addition, the body cameras will act as an extra set of eyes as they will have the ability to virtually see the action and potential crime going on in any area, so long as a police officer is in that area, Hermosa Beach Police Department Officer Kevin Averill said. Although these body cameras are a step in the right direction, they bring up privacy concerns because the residents have to put their faith in the police officers and ensure that they are not utilizing the body cameras for a personal purposes, or any other purpose, that would prove as an abuse of their power.
However, the video footage allows people to look at the officer’s point of view of things also, Avrill said. Consequently, these body cameras bring about a new set of concerns, but this time, it is not regarding criminals but the police officers themselves. Having to put in even more trust in these police officers should not be an additional focus the city has to deal with and ultimately could potentially cause even more havoc for the city.
In addition, residents being able to get more of a similar perspective as police officers poses additional risks. Videos from the body cameras allow viewers to see these things up close and see all the frantic activity that goes on, Avrill said. However, that does not mean that ambiguity in the footage itself won’t result in discrepancies between the claims of the accused criminal and the officer.
The BWC program needs proper integration in order to guarantee its honesty and authenticity with the public before Hermosa Beach approves it . BWCs have potential to work, but like species that adapt to changes in their environment, crime will adapt to the new technology. HBPD must be accountable, and its policy should satisfy all eight categories of the BWC before the officially recognized use of these cameras is approved.
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