A Neutral ‘Eye’ in Squad Cars

The introduction of video cameras in police squad cars has provided a valuable window on typical police work. Around the nation, patrol car-based videotaping has documented reality, thwarting spurious claims of police misconduct, exposing excessive force or abuse against citizens by bad cops and generally serving as a reliable witness.

One can understand the frustration and even fear on the part of police officers ordered to rely on a new technology sometimes prone to glitches or even failure. Both the Irvine and Los Angeles police departments have removed video camera equipment from patrol cars, for different reasons. Still, the benefits outweigh the negatives, and ways to put cameras back in service should be swiftly examined.

In Glendale last year, a camera mounted on a police cruiser documented an officer kneeing a suspect who had already been handcuffed and subdued. As a result, the officer was fired and another was placed on a year’s probation.

In West Palm Beach, Fla., last month a mounted camera showed that an officer whose cruiser struck a 13-year-old bicyclist was not at fault. The videotape showed the boy pedaling across the street against the light and a “don’t walk” sign.

Experiences with the cameras vary. Irvine police officials discontinued their use because of failures in the equipment and concern that the unreliability of the cameras might be used in court by attorneys alleging cover-ups. In Los Angeles, police videocams were installed after the 1991 police beating of Rodney G. King. The cameras later were removed when their manufacturer went bankrupt, making repairs difficult. Now the LAPD is seeking bids on systems that may prove more reliable.

The trend is clear. More and more departments are installing cameras. To step away from the transparency the cameras provide would be a mistake, both for police officers and the public they serve. Performance-based contracting, in which vendors are paid for equipment that performs well in the field, ought to be the norm for such big-ticket expenditures.

Meanwhile, the public has come to expect to see police work on tape--after all, it’s a staple of reality television. It also provides a visual aid for understanding the trials of police work and is increasingly accepted as a virtual witness to events. Cop cameras have provided valuable evidence in court and have convinced citizens who falsely claimed abuse to drop their complaints. The window has been opened and won’t be closed again.