By Tamara Orange, ACRB Board Member & Interim Chair
Typically, when a dispute happens between two parties, unless there are witnesses, it is one party's word against the other. That was the way things were when citizens had complaints against the Atlanta Police. Through the invention of Body Worn Cameras, policing in Atlanta would change for the better.
Upon my appointment to the Atlanta Citizens Review Board, the use of officer Body Worn Cameras had not been fully implemented. Until that point, the board did its best to weigh the credibility of the citizens and officers to determine who presented the most accurate version of the complaint incident. Reports and eyewitnesses made it easier; however, when there were no witnesses available or the reports were lacking, the challenge to determine whether the officer engaged in misconduct became difficult. This also could leave the complaining citizen with feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and disdain towards law enforcement.
Body Worn Cameras have served as a mechanism for finding officer misconduct, as well as officer comport. The use of these cameras has increased our ability to obtain more accurate information involving a citizen and officer interaction. The camera footage along with the testimony of the citizens and officers provide a clearer picture of the incident which increases the confidence level of our decisions. Body Worn Cameras protect both the officers and citizens.
While cameras have been a great addition to the investigations of citizen complaints, camera footages alone do not always provide the entire story. We still need citizens, witnesses, and officers to provide their statements. We still need accurate and full reports to be completed. The cameras do not always tell us the why of the incident; that’s where the citizen and officer testimony becomes important. So, if you file a complaint, please participate in the complaint investigation interview because your statement is still very important to the determination of your complaint.