William R. Haine
SPRINGFIELD — On the heels of the controversial police shooting in Ferguson, Mo., lawmakers in Illinois today called for legislation that would fund the purchase of body and dashboard cameras for police officers in the field.
Sen. William R. Haine and Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth were joined by a handful of legal and law enforcement groups at a news conference to urge passage of House Bill 3911.
The bill would create a pool of cash from an added $6 charge — on traffic citations and criminal offenses — that police departments could use to fund cameras.
Gordon-Booth said she’s been working on the bill since before the events in Ferguson, where an unarmed black teenager was fatally shot by a white police officer last month. The ensuing protests sparked a national dialogue on police force and race relations.
She said the event was influential in the rejuvenated push for the legislation today.
“Obviously, we all have witnessed what has taken place in Ferguson, Missouri,” said Gordon-Booth, a Democrat from Peoria and black caucus member.
“And one thing we do know about that situation is that if there was a body camera on the officer, the issues that are in question would not be in question.”
She added that the surcharge would create an estimated $4 million to $6 million pool for the program.
The idea has the backing of groups such as the NAACP, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association.
Supporters point to a study by the non-partisan Police Foundation that found that between 2012 and 2013 officers’ use of force fell 60 percent, and citizen complaints dropped 88 percent when police in Rialto, Calif., were equipped with body cameras.
There is nothing in the legislative proposal that requires departments to apply for the cameras.
Haine said there was no telling exactly how many departments would apply for cameras, so there are no immediate plans to statutorily require officers to wear them.
“That remains to be seen,” he said this morning.
But the Alton Democrat noted some departments in his district have already taken the initiative themselves.
“There are some departments in my Senate district that are taking from their general revenues to buy cameras now. Wood River just announced it. So they’re already proceeding ahead of the curve,” he said.
It’s unclear how many departments around the state have taken similar steps.
Kevin T. McClain, executive director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, indicated the state could partner with the University of Illinois to survey departments and gauge the extent to which the technology is already being used.
For every $6 generated by the bill, $3 will go to the cameras and $3 to the standards board, which trains all of the roughly 40,000 officers in the state.
Although supporters said they hoped to begin moving the bill during the legislature’s two-week veto session this fall, it remains to be seen whether other political players will back it as well.
Rep. Ronald L. Sandack, a House Republican from Downers Grove, said he wants opinions from law enforcement agencies within his district before definitively weighing in.
He said he hopes the news conference today would “spur additional discussion” on the topic.
Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the Illinois ACLU, said the group has not taken an official position on the bill.
But with a few privacy protections — such as requiring officers to notify civilians that they’re recording interactions or putting a limit on how long law enforcement can store the video images — the idea is one the group could ultimately get behind.
“I think we can get to a place where this is good for everybody concerned,” Yohnka said.