3/12/18
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for your detailed and thoughtful comments re the critical importance of having a fully transparent-community
friendly- body-worn camera policy.
We must continue to push the Palo Alto Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies, to allow the alleged victims
of police brutality, community activists, and other interested members of the public, as well as the press, to view body-worn
camera footage, without undue delay, police bureaucratic obfuscation, and other nefarious maneuvers designed to frustrate the
public’s right to know.
Let me end with the following quote:
Law enforcement officers carry upon their shoulders the cloak of authority to enforce the laws of the state. In order to maintain
trust in its police department, the public must be kept fully informed of the activities of its[52 Cal. App. 4th 105]peace
officers. (Bradbury v. Superior Court (1996)49 Cal. App. 4th 1108
[https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/49/1108.html], 1116
Regards,
Aram
> Aram thanks for including me in on this important exchange. As you know video from Body-Worn cameras including MAV feed play’s a
critical role in building community trust, accountability and transparency.
Body-Worn Camerashttp://www.theiacp.org/model-policy/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/BodyWornCamerasPaper.pdf
[http://www.theiacp.org/model-policy/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/BodyWornCamerasPaper.pdf]
Citizen complaints of officer misconduct in one city fell by 87.5 percent. Their is nothing more compelling to a judge or jury in
viewing actual events in analyzing alleged irrefutable testimony.
However, police have the upper hand in all cases in disallowing the complainant / victim(s) the unfettered opportunity to review
video first or simultaneously for potential exculpatory evidence. All policy’s I have read to date, have this much needed
provision exclude.
Any police policy impacting the interaction of its citizens should be fair and impartial and developed jointly, involving members
of the community and not, not by a body of police bureaucrats looking to gain the legal upper of the citizens it serves..
Lastly, I look forward to the release of the remaining photo’s of the officers involved in the killing of Marcos Antonio Carlos
Sincerely,
Mark Petersen-PerezEditor: Palo Alto Free PressTicuantepe, Nicaragua 🇳🇮
Sent from my iPad
On Mar 12, 2018, at 1:39 PM, Aram James
wrote:
> Hi Gary,
Thanks for your detailed response re your background ( and your command staff’s) with the 2014 PERF report- on the various
perspectives re how individual police departments might implement policy regarding the use and implementation of this important
technology. I have read the report several times, since its release, and still could benefit from a reread. I’m most definitely a
slow learner!
I am embarrassed to say that I have not recently kept up with when or if our department ( Redwood City Police Department) has yet
rolled out body-worn cameras.
I recall attending one RWC council meeting, where you attended as well, where the subject was addressed. I recall personally
addressing the subject, and voicing my support for body-worn cameras, depending on the policy our department ultimately adopts.
Can you update me re the proposed timing, re the roll-out for body-worn cameras here in RWC? Can you send me the policy, or
proposed policy for their use? Please consider this request, for this information, a California Public Records Act request. I
understand you are always very busy, so if you need more then 10 days to respond, no problem, just let me know.
By the way, in addition to copying in the powers that be in RWC, I have also copied in Mark Petersen Perez, the ownerand publisher
of the Palo Alto Free Press.
I’m sure you remember Mark. Mark and I used to attend meetings of the San Jose City Council, mostly around Taser issues, and other
police practices issues, when you were almost the Chief in San Jose.
Of course, you were always very gracious with the two of us, when we had questions and concerns with the taser issue, and related
policy.
Just this last Thursday, the two of us attended the monthly meeting of the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission. The PAPD’s
command staff presented a draft policy, re body-worn cameras, to members of the HRC and the community. Both Mark and I addressed
the commission with our concerns that the proposed PAPD policy lacks transparency is several regards. We are hopeful that some of
the issues and concerns re their policy, raised by the two of us, in additions to questions posed by several members of the HRC,
will be taken seriously by the PAPD command staff. In other words, we are hopeful the policy ultimately adopted by the PAPD
reflects critical input from the community and is not simply a policy dictated to us by the department. I look forward to an on
going discussion with you regarding all of the above issues.
Best regards,
Aram
On Mar 12, 2018, at 9:47 AM, Aram James wrote:
> Hi Gary,Thanks for responding, hope you are well. Mark Peyersen
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 12, 2018, at 9:37 AM, PD Gary Kirby wrote:
> Aram,
Thank you for thinking to forward the PERF report on Body-Worn Cameras. I am quite versed in the contents of the document as well
as all of my command staff who were provided a copy of the study when it first came out.
Regards,
Gary
Gary L. Kirby|Deputy Chief of Police
Redwood City Police Department
1301 Maple St. Redwood City, CA 94063
gkirby@redwoodcity.org [gkirby@redwoodcity.org]
(650) 780-7123 [tel:(650)%20780-7123] Office
From: Aram James [mailto:abjpd1@gmail.com [abjpd1@gmail.com]]
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2018 3:59 PM
To: minka.vanderzwaag@cityofpaloalto.org [minka.vanderzwaag@cityofpaloalto.org]; PD Gary Kirby; zachary.perron@cityofpaloalto.org
[zachary.perron@cityofpaloalto.org]; city.council@cityofpaloalto.org [city.council@cityofpaloalto.org]; dcbertini@menlopark.org
[dcbertini@menlopark.org]; hrc@cityofpaloalto.org [hrc@cityofpaloalto.org]; paloaltofreepress@gmail.com
[paloaltofreepress@gmail.com]; GRP-City Council; citycouncil@menlopark.org [citycouncil@menlopark.org]; roberta.ahlquist@sjsu.edu
[roberta.ahlquist@sjsu.edu]
Subject: PERF on implementation of body worn camera policy
http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Technology/implementing%20a%20body-worn%20camera%20program.pdf
[http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Technology/implementing%20a%20body-worn%20camera%20program.pdf]
Shared via the Google app [https://itunes.apple.com/app/google/id284815942]
Sent from my iPhone