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Posted by: kwflatbed

ART MARROQUIN
City News Service


The Los Angeles City Council agreed today to a plan for installing digital video cameras in 300 police cruisers by the start of 2007 at a cost of about $5 million.
The council unanimously agreed that the cameras should be mounted on the dashboards of police cars assigned to the five patrol areas in the Los Angeles Police Department's South Bureau.
"There's never been a digital camera program for a police department of this size, and 300 cars, while it seems big to other cities, is not a big number for the city of Los Angeles," Councilman Jack Weiss said.
The LAPD's entire fleet of about 1,600 police cars could be equipped with cameras within three to four years, according to Tim Riley of the LAPD's Information and Communications Services Bureau.
The council's Information Technology and General Services Committee will review the proposal before it comes back before the full City Council for a final vote.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's $6.7 billion spending plan set aside $5 million to put cameras in police cars in four patrol areas. But that plan was scrapped in May, when the Budget and Finance Committee moved the funds to the city's "unappropriated budget."
As a result, the LAPD was required to solicit bids for camera systems, and the Police Commission approved that action in July.
Putting video cameras in police cruisers fulfill a requirement in the federal consent decree for monitoring traffic stops as a way to ensure officers are not pulling over motorists based on the color of their skin.
In 2001, the city agreed to a laundry list of reforms, to be overseen by a court-appointed monitor, to avoid a lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department, which threatened to sue over a pattern and practice of civil rights violations.
"This is just one more tool," said Councilman Bernard Parks, who preceded William Bratton as police chief. "It doesn't get us out of the consent decree. It doesn't replace supervision, it doesn't replace the tactics, it doesn't replace all the things that are in the consent decree. It's just one more tool for us to have."
Under the council-approved plan, the cameras would start recording when an officer turns on the car's lights and siren. The cameras would be virtually tamper-proof, according to the LAPD.
Available technology enables the wireless transfer of digital video to computers at each of the LAPD 19 stations. The data would be encrypted and accessible only to police supervisors.
An internal LAPD report released earlier this year said installing digital cameras in all of the department's police vehicles could save $3 million annually in costs associated with investigations into officer conduct.

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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

I wouldn't be too happy about that!!

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Posted by: LA Copper

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBC FL Cop I wouldn't be too happy about that!!

Doesn't bother me..

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Posted by: PBC FL Cop

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Copper Doesn't bother me..

We had them in our cruisers and they caused all kinds of problems. Hopefully they work out well for you guys.

Stay safe!!

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