Policing body cameras Montgomery County Police should release more footage % WXYH] SJ XLI FMPP¸W MQTEGX conducted by the county found that this reform will likely “reduce racial inequities in policing and policing outcomes by holding more police SJÁGIVW EGGSYRXEFPI JSV QMWGSRHYGX ERH VEGMEPP] FMEWIH TSPMGMRK ¶ police officers Police body cameras supply auhandcuffed one 5-year-old ditory and visual evidence of events that have occurred. According to 246 E 8I\EW TSPMGI SJÁGIV [EW 100% charged with murder and sentenced of uniformed XS ÿă ]IEVW ERH KMZIR E ÿþ þþþ ÁRI officers are required after shooting an unarmed black to wear body cameras XIIREKIV 8LI JSSXEKI JVSQ XLI SJÁGIV¸W FSH] GEQIVE GSRXVEHMGXIH LMW original statement about this event 51 mins and led to his arrest. The police officers While this bill can be used as verbally harassed E TVIZIRXEXMZI XSSP MX MW EPWS ÂE[IH the 5-year-old for 51 minutes EW SJÁGIVW EVI SRP] VIUYMVIH XS [IEV cameras when they are in uniform. This exempts p plainclothes p ERH YRHIVGSZIV SJÁGIVW from this rule. There is yet another issue as the bill states there will be “ran-
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Lilli Libowitz Assistant Opinion Editor Montgomery County residents were shocked last March when they WE[ E ZMHIS SJ X[S SJÁGIVW FIVEXMRK ERH LERHGYJÁRK E ă ]IEV SPH %Jrican American boy at East Silver Spring Elementary School. New legislation has just been passed to randomly review police body camera footage -- but this legislation HSIWR¸X KS JEV IRSYKL According to the body camera footage of this incident, the young boy left school and refused to reXYVR XS GEQTYW 8LI SJÁGIVW [EPOIH the boy back to the school while also verbally harassing him. One of XLI SJÁGIVW IZIR [IRX XS XLI I\XIRX SJ LERHGYJÁRK XLI GLMPH MR ER EXtempt to frighten him. This is unacceptable. We canRSX EPPS[ TSPMGI SJÁGIVW XS GSRXMRYI VEGMEP TVSÁPMRK ERH TYXXMRK ]SYXL MR danger. We have a societal duty to LSPH XLIWI SJÁGIVW EGGSYRXEFPI ERH prevent incidents like these from happening in the future. The incident at the Silver Spring Elementary School prompted County Council President Tom ,YGOIV XS MRXVSHYGI &MPP ÿĆ Āÿ 4Slice – Internal Affairs Procedures and Reporting Requirements for the random review of police body camera videos in Montgomery County.
dom reviews of the body camera JSSXEKI ¶ ;I EW XLI TYFPMG HIWIVZI E GPIEVIV HIÁRMXMSR SJ [LEX MW QIERX F] µVERHSQ¶ VIZMI[W SJ FSH] [SVR camera footage. To an even greater extent, we need a public volunteer panel to review said footage. This bill is intended to hold the police accountable and attempt to ensure they are behaving ethically and legally. While I support this bill, I do not think it currently goes far enough. These cameras are a step in the right direction, however, we still need more reform. This system is I\XVIQIP] ÂE[IH ERH XLIVI RIIHW to be more bills and laws passed to ensure the police are fairly doing their jobs.
Cartoon by Taylor Polonsky, LT
The Lion’s Tale Magazine 9
