For obvious reasons, it has been a troubling few days across the country. The murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer has ignited a powder keg of anger across our country. That keg was built over decades, due to continued and too often unchecked systemic racism. This issue is not one that exists “somewhere else,” racism exists everywhere and impacts all of us. It damages our communities, it divides our country, and it will continue to haunt our future unless we take serious action to stop it. To this end, Lansdale Chief of Police Mike Trail and I will be working together to adjust the 2021 budget to prioritize the outfitting of officers with always-on body cameras beginning next year.
It should be stated that there has not been any incident in Lansdale, or action by any of our officers, that has instigated this change. Lansdale’s police force is, and will continue to be, one of the best in the area. Everyday officers report to duty looking to help our community stay safe while growing and changing. Their service to our home always is a point of pride for me, and I believe the addition of body cameras will not change that in any way. If anything, body cameras will help us become an even better police force by enabling us to review interactions with residents and train officers on how to better approach difficult situations. Cameras have been found to illuminate interactions with police and have served as key evidence for both the public and officers, enabling cameras to simultaneously protect both good officers and lawful residents in court.
Ultimately this change is being precipitated by the reality that policing and policing management has evolved, and it is time for Lansdale’s Police Department to evolve with it. The recent events in Minneapolis have only stood as further evidence, and a strident reminder, that we must be hyper-aware of how officers interact with the public. The only way to adequately monitor these interactions is through body camera technology. They allow us to see from a first-person angle what transpired. Additionally, if multiple officers are involved, we will have additional viewpoints and insights into the actions taken during any single event. These additional viewpoints serve to protect both residents and officers in the event of a contentious situation that requires further clarification into what took place. Cameras do not have bias, they cannot editorialize events, they simply show what took place and how it occurred, which make them extremely valuable in our world today.
While this shift to additional camera technology will be a first for the department, it is not a new discussion for Lansdale. Councilwomen Meg Currie Teoh, resident Mark Ladley and I have each discussed the use of body cameras with Chief Trail in the past. However, the cost of data management is substantial and has kept us from moving forward with the initiative.
Despite the monetary cost, I feel we can no longer wait to address this technological gap in our department and believe strongly that we will be able to better serve all the residents of Lansdale through the addition of these cameras. If even one frame of content from body cameras can improve, change, or adjust how officers interact with our residents, then it is money well spent and worth doing.
Obviously, body cameras will not solve inherit and systemic racism. To solve that, we must first acknowledge its existence and then directly confront and change the cause of such inequality. This change has been in process for too long. Thankfully, Lansdale has been on the forefront of addressing this issue. Two years ago, I championed, and Borough Council unanimously passed, the creation of the Human Relations Commission which can arbitrate instances of racism and bigotry in our community at no cost to those involved. This was a major step forward in our growth as a community.
Similarly, body cameras will be another tool in our chest for Lansdale to use in identifying and bring about positive change for our community.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Preparing For The Future In Front Of Us
Mayoral Musings: Happy (Belated) Mother’s Day
Mayoral Musings: Despite Dark Realities, We Cannot Be Ruled By Fear
Mayoral Musings: Understanding Montgomery County’s Reopening Goals
Mayoral Musings: Reopening The Community Will Take Time
