The North Las Vegas Police Department will soon hit the field with 40 Taser guns equipped with little cameras on the bottom, an experiment to gain audio and video recordings of events involving the police’s use of the weapon. Will the new devices enhance or harm the public’s confidence in police and in Tasers? Let the volley of discourse begin.
Tim Bedwell, spokesperson for NLVPD, whips up the serve: “The cameras will be activated once the safety switch on the Taser is clicked off.” Gary Peck, of the ACLU, returns it: “We’d like to see them turned on when the weapons are drawn from the holsters—to see if they’re being used as a compliance tool, even in circumstances where danger isn’t immediate.”
Bedwell sends it back, with some English on it: “Many times Tasers are involved in situations where other things, like guns, are used. This will serve as yet another tool to gather evidence to enhance the public’s confidence.”
Peck answers with a long backhand: “The recordings have to be made readily available for the public to see. If the department does what departments around here often do—release evidence only when they feel like it—the cameras will have a counter-effect: They will decrease the public’s confidence.”
And Bedwell: “Our chief wanted to get the ball rolling on this. We’ll be one of the first agencies to utilize this new device.” Peck: “It’s clear to us that none of the departments [in Southern Nevada] has established a policy that plainly, unequivocally states Tasers should only be used in circumstances when necessary to protect officer or public safety from immediate harm. Not as a tool for compliance. In absence of these policies and procedures, the cameras are a good thing for the community.”