The murder charge against North Charleston police officer Michael Slager for shooting an unarmed black man in the back could jump-start two bills at the South Carolina Statehouse that have been sitting in subcommittees all session. The bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, would require all police officers in the state to wear body cameras.
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey isn’t waiting for a law, though. He announced Wednesday, “Today, I made an executive decision and have notified my council, we have already ordered this morning an additional 150 body cameras so that every officer that’s on the street in uniform will have a body camera.”
He had stated before that the murder charge was made because of the video of the shooting, which was taken by a bystander. Slager had said that 50-year-old Walter Scott took his Taser after a traffic stop and that’s why he shot Scott. But the video shows Scott running away from Slager when he was shot.
While the shooting might bring more attention to the bills and prompt faster action, the concerns about the bills haven’t changed. Law enforcement groups aren’t against body cameras, since many of them are using them already, but they are concerned about a mandate. They’re also concerned about the cost of buying the cameras, which can range from $100 to $1,000 each. There’s also the cost of storing the video, which could run into the millions, depending on the size of the department and how long each video is kept.
Police also have privacy concerns, both for victims that might be in videos and undercover officers. The videos would be subject to being released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Ryan Alphin, executive director of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association, says, “We do have concerns regarding the recurring cost as well as the mandate that all law enforcement officers wear them. We will continue to work with Senator Kimpson and Rep. Gilliard to draft legislation that will benefit both the community and law enforcement.”
Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, is one of the main sponsors of the Senate bill while Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, is the main sponsor of the House version.
Jim Ely of Columbia says, “I would be willing to pay higher taxes,” to provide body cameras for all officers. “Excepting Game and Wildlife people, I believe anybody who’s on the beat and tracking criminals should have some form of accountability of what their actions were. Also, I believe it keeps people in check as well. They are more likely to not do things which are against the rules if they knew that the situation is being recorded.”
Angie Chaplin of Irmo says, “I don’t know if I’d be willing to pay the extra cost of taxes, but if it’s needed I will because I think it’s essential for all police officers to have a body camera, just to make sure everybody is telling the truth, everybody’s side is seen and everything is being done right.”
