Hawaii lawmakers are considering a bill that aims to step up police accountability with body-worn cameras.
Senate Bill 199 would provide a total of $2.7 million over the next two years to the state’s four county police departments to buy cameras for officers and vehicles, if the state allocation is matched with county funding. State funds would not be released unless matched dollar for dollar.
SB 199 requests the following matching funds to be set for fiscal year 2015-2016: $700,000, Honolulu; $250,000, Hawaii County; $250,000, Maui County; and $150,000, Kauai County.
The same amount would also be appropriated for the counties for the following fiscal year.
Introduced by Sen. Will Espero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, the bill would tap general funds as a grant-in-aid to each county to purchase camera gear to be worn by officers or mounted on law enforcement vehicles. The bill’s other primary sponsors are Sens. Rosalyn Baker (D, West Maui-South Maui) and Gil Keith-Agaran (D, Waihee-Wailuku-Kahului).
Espero (D, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) said the measure promotes more transparency, accountability and protection for both police officers and civilians.
"My measure provides some state support if the (police) departments are willing to make that investment. Overall, it’s a win-win situation," Espero said.
Kauai’s patrol officers are slated to begin using cameras this summer, while Honolulu, Maui and Hawaii counties are still researching the use of the technology.
The Kauai Police Department plans to use forfeiture funds to purchase more than 100 cameras. Police Chief Darryl Perry, who supports SB 199, said the department is reviewing options offered by various vendors, including Taser AXON, which has priced each unit at $599.
An additional cost to store video footage with an outside agency in a tamper-proof system is estimated at $40,000 for the first year.
Considered a relatively new tool used by patrol officers, body cameras are either being considered or acquired by law enforcement agencies across the United States.
The Mesa Police Department in Arizona, Fort Collins Police Department in Colorado, Salt Lake City Police Department in Utah and the Rialto Police Department in California are among the agencies that have officers using body cameras.
In 2012 the Rialto Police Department partnered with England’s University of Cambridge-Institute of Criminology to conduct a study on the impact of body-worn cameras. According to a report issued by the Police Executive Research Forum, complaints against police officers and use-of-force incidents plummeted while officers were wearing cameras.
Last year, five Kauai officers took part in a monthlong pilot project that involved using Taser AXON small body cameras, which could be worn at eye or shoulder level. During a recent briefing before the Kauai County Council, Perry described the camera gear as a valuable tool for officers that yields digital evidence, which can help reduce time and resources dedicated to investigations.
While SB 199 is proposed amid national attention tied to the mid-August fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., the Kauai department started exploring the use of cameras two years ago, when top brass attended the annual International Association of Chiefs of Police conference.
"We recognized the importance of a better relationship with the community, transparency and to add a layer of protection for officers," Perry said.
Jesse Guirao, Kauai chapter chairman of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, could not be reached for comment. SHOPO President Tenari Maafala also could not be reached for comment.
Despite support from law enforcement agencies on the mainland that use the cameras — describing the practice as a beneficial tool for both the community and officers — privacy concerns have been raised.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii supports SB 199 but recommends that the Legislature "set clear guidelines for their (camera) use to protect individual privacy and ensure consistency in law enforcement practices."
