Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Submitted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Riverside-San Bernardino Area Alumni Chapter
RIVERSIDE, CA- In the wake of the police shooting of Michael Brown in August 2014, as well as the subsequent protests in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country, there has been a call to mandate the use of body-worn cameras to promote accountability and transparency in police civilian interactions. Their widespread use has the potential to be a win-win, helping protect the public against police misconduct, and at the same time helping protect police against false accusations of abuse.
We, the undersigned African American organizations praise the actions of the Riverside County Sheriff and County Board of Supervisors for securing and committing the resources necessary for additional Sheriff officers to wear a body camera. We now ask that a citizen review committee be established to help in the review of the policies that will govern the use of the cameras and the public availability of its footage. There is no doubt in our minds that working together, the implementation of these cameras will strengthen the trust between the African American community and law enforcement.
We further urge other law enforcement agencies throughout the Inland Empire to follow suit.
