(Washington, DC) The Police Complaints Board (PCB), the governing body of the Office of Police Complaints (OPC), today submitted a report and set of recommendations to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, the Council of the District of Columbia, and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Cathy L. Lanier proposing that MPD install video cameras in its police cruisers.
PCB urges MPD to establish a pilot project to install video cameras in 150 of its approximately 750 police cruisers, with an eye toward expanding the program to the entire fleet once the initial phase has been successfully implemented.
PCB further recommends that MPD develop sound policies regarding the use of the video cameras and the storage, management, and dissemination of the information obtained from the equipment.
“The use of video cameras could positively affect many police-citizen encounters, since officers and citizens may be less likely to engage in disruptive behavior if they know they are being recorded,” said Philip K. Eure, OPC’s executive director. “Video cameras can also reduce MPD liability costs by helping to exonerate some officers accused of police misconduct.”
For a copy of the PCB’s full report and set of recommendations, please select on the link below: