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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 27, 2023 02:31 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher M. Rabb and Rep. Morgan Cephas, Rep. Benjamin V. Sanchez, Rep. Melissa L. Shusterman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Studying the storage, security, access to and use of body-worn camera footage |
| Body-worn cameras have become more widely used by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. In 2015, a survey of 67 cities and 76 counties across the country found that 95 percent of law enforcement agencies had fully operational body-worn camera programs or intended to implement a full body-worn camera program. Further, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported in 2016 that 47 percent of general-purpose law enforcement agencies and 80 percent of large police departments had procured body-worn cameras. Of these, “60 percent of local police departments and 49 percent of sheriffs' offices had fully deployed their body-worn cameras.” In recognition of the vital importance of the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement in the protection of officers and civilians, and the financial and technical obstacles many departments have faced when implementing body-worn camera programs, we will be reintroducing a resolution (formerly HR 923) that directs the Joint State Government Commission to study how body-worn camera footage is currently used and stored in this Commonwealth. The Commission would be required to prepare a report assessing the cost of filming, storing, and reviewing complete body-worn camera footage, provide recommendations on how to ensure that footage is used for the justice of all and shielded from cyber threats, and establish an advisory committee comprised of individuals who have expertise and experience fields, positions, and situations relating to criminal justice, cyber security, ethics, and law enforcement. Pennsylvania deserves to know how body cameras are being used by our law enforcement agencies across the state, which departments are utilizing body-worn cameras, and how we can continue to support the individuals that have sworn to protect and serve us. Please join us in co-sponsoring this resolution to better understand the efficacy of body-worn cameras, and how we can work together to make the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement more accessible, convenient, secure and effective. |
Introduced as HR113