Outfitting police with body cameras is the newest element in the national debate over law enforcement transparency and Baltimore County is weighing whether to equip its officers with some type of camera system.
But County Executive Kevin Kamenetz wants to gather as much information as possible before committing. We think that's a prudent course.
Kamenetz's body camera initiative comes amid controversy and protest over police use of force and subsequent decisions not to issue indictments over the deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of white policemen in Missouri and New York City.
Kamenetz was careful to point out that no "crisis events" such as the two above were driving his decision in Baltimore County. He and Police Chief Jim Johnson simply believe there's a place for recording transactions between police and the public.
Some issues arise. Simply buying cameras would be a small part of the project — the county would need computer storage capacity and a support staff to monitor the program. There are privacy concerns also — some situations may best be handled with cameras turned off. Also, the county's police union wants no officer to be forced to wear a camera until the issue is thoroughly studied.
Such a study is the task given to Chief Johnson by Kamenetz, who has asked for results in 90 days, though he's willing to grant an extension. In addition to the study, we think public hearings are in order.
In a parallel process, the county is planning to begin using Tasers with cameras attached. The county plans to spend $100,000 for camera-equipped Tasers that begin filming when the safety is shut off.
If the county study calls for using body cameras, Kamenetz said he would budget for them in the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Many other jurisdictions — Laurel being one — are already using body cameras. At first blush, they seem like they could be a good idea and one we believe would show that the clear majority of police officers are acting responsibly in doing their sworn duty. But we would be the first to acknowledge that there might be complications that we haven't considered, so a study makes sense.