Ga. lawmakers consider mandating body cameras for police

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - New legislation could make body cameras a must for every officer in Georgia.

Just weeks ago, a state trooper shot Manuel Teran, who was protesting the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Teran died. The Georgia State Patrol says Teran fired first.

Members of the community called for transparency in the days following Teran’s death, asking to see body camera footage of the incident. The GBI says that video doesn’t exist because the officers near the incident were not wearing body cameras.

A 2021 study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab found body cameras reduced use of force by nearly 10% in the departments that were studied.

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The cameras also reduced complaints against police by 17%.

Supporters say police body camera programs increase police accountability and strengthen public trust. Opponents argue cameras are costly and pose risks to individual privacy.

Former state patrol commander turned lawmaker Bill Hitchens supports a new bill sponsored by three metro Atlanta democratic lawmakers that mandates that every officer in the state wear and activate a body-worn camera when responding to calls or during any contact with the public. The Police Accountability Act makes it clear the bill’s sponsors want more oversight to see what each officer in the state is doing.

The bill also outlines legal consequences for an officer who fails to activate or tampers with their body camera, including criminal liability and discipline by their department.

There are some exceptions, such as SWAT teams.

According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, there are more than 40,000 officers in over 900 agencies in Georgia The body cameras can cost up to $1,700 a piece, so it could cost up to $1.5 million to outfit the state’s officers.

This is not the first time Georgia lawmakers have tried to mandate body cameras. They tried to pass a similar law in 2021, but it didn’t get enough support. As of 2021, just seven states had passed laws mandating statewide body cameras for law enforcement: Colorado, Connecticut, New Mexico, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina.

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