Introduction of the Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I, along with Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr., introduce the Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act of 2018. This bill would require uniformed federal law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and marked police vehicles to have dashboard cameras. It would also require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on federal police officers' training, vehicle pursuits, use of force and interaction with citizens.

On November 17, 2017, Bijan Ghaisar was fatally shot in his car by uniformed U.S. Park Police officers in Fairfax County, Virginia, after a vehicle pursuit on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Video of this shooting only became available through a camera in a Fairfax County Police Department patrol car that was providing backup. Had it not been for that footage, which was recorded and released by that local police department, the public would not have had access to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ghaisar's death. Moreover, the footage revealed concerns about the Park Police's pursuit and engagement policies.

Body-worn and dashboard cameras for federal law enforcement officers are particularly important for the officers stationed in the nation's capital, where Park Police and the uniformed division of the U.S. Secret Service have full local police powers. Many other federal police also have local police powers near their respective agency buildings in the District. Cameras can increase transparency for individual interactions with police, strengthen public trust and even deter future criminal behavior. For example, when criminals know that they are being recorded by a dashboard camera, they may be less likely to flee the scene of a traffic accident because they realize that their license plate will be documented. Criminals may also be less likely to batter an officer because the recording may be used as evidence. On the other hand, officers will also be less likely to commit offenses for the same reason. Body-worn and dashboard cameras can also be used to train current and future officers more effectively in best and worst practices.

An increasing number of local law enforcement officers, including those in the District of Columbia, are wearing body cameras and using dashboard cameras. It is clear that both law enforcement and the public would benefit from federal officers following suit to increase transparency and maintain public trust.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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