Advisory: Scorecard and Report to Examine Local Police Body Camera Programs and Process

Justice Reform News 11.9,17

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, November 14, at 11 AM ET, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Upturn will release an updated scorecard that evaluates the civil rights safeguards of police body-worn camera programs in 75 U.S. cities. The organizations will also release a report, The Illusion of Accuracy: How Body-Worn Camera Footage Can Distort Evidence, which explains why police departments must carefully limit law enforcement officers’ review of body-worn camera footage. Policies that permit unrestricted review of footage reduces the accuracy of officer reports, and undermines the independent evidentiary and investigative value of police reports.

Departments included in this edition of the scorecard include: Alameda, Albuquerque, Arlington (Texas), Atlanta, Aurora (Colo.), Austin, Baltimore, Baltimore County, Baton Rouge, Boston, Broward County, Buffalo, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fairfax County (Va.), Fayetteville, Ferguson, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Fresno, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Louisville, Memphis, Mesa, Miami, Miami-Dade County, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Montgomery County (Md.), Newark, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Parker (Colo.), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh (Penn.), Portland (Ore.), Prince George’s County, Raleigh, Rochester (N.Y.), Sacramento, Saint Paul, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Stamford, Suffolk County, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Virginia Beach, and Washington, D.C.

The scorecard uses eight criteria derived from the Civil Rights Principles on Body-Worn Cameras signed by a broad coalition of civil rights, privacy, and media rights groups in May 2015. The scorecard also highlights notable policies in each of these categories that, of those evaluated, best protect the civil rights of individuals. The Illusion of Accuracy: How Body-Worn Camera Footage Can Distort Evidence is an in-depth look at one of these categories—whether the policy prohibits pre-report viewing—and why this category is so important.

Media interested in covering this event are requested to RSVP by 5 PM ET on Monday, November 13 to [email protected].

WHAT: Webinar for Release of Body-Worn Cameras Scorecard and The Illusion of Accuracy: How Body-Worn Camera Footage Can Distort Evidence

WHEN: Tuesday, November 14 at 11:00 a.m. ET

WHO:

  • Vanita Gupta, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • Harlan Yu, Executive Director, Upturn
  • Sakira Cook, senior counsel, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

HOW:

Dial in: 800 459 5346
Code: LEADERSHIP
Webinar URL: http://connexevent.adobeconnect.com/leadership111417/

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

Upturn works alongside social justice leaders to shape the impact of new technologies on people’s lives. For more information about Upturn, visit https://www.teamupturn.org.