Legislation that would deal with police officers involved in shootings is being proposed at the state capitol. One effort aims to protect the identity of officers involved in those events, while the others would require law enforcement to be more transparent.
One bill already introduced at the state legislature would require an outside agency to investigate deadly use-of-force cases. As of now, it varies among departments as to whether these cases are investigated internally.
“There is a conflict of interest of having the department investigate itself in the interest of objectivity we’re asking that whenever there is a deadly force use it will automatically trigger an independent investigation,” said Tia Oso of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
She also supports the bill that would require most officers throughout the state to wear body cameras. The Mesa Police Department has been using the devices for three years. Det. Steve Berry said the cameras are easy to use and complaints have decreased since their introduction.
“Let’s face it, whether you be a police officer or you be a citizen on the street you be a citizen on the street," Berry said. "Everyone in the world behaves a little bit better when they understand that they are being filmed.”
The Arizona Police Association is also working to introduce legislation that would allow departments to withhold the name of an officer for 90 days when one is involved in a shooting. The police association says this is meant to protect the officer’s safety and no other information would be redacted.
State Rep. John Kavanagh is also considering legislation restricting what video from police cameras could be released.
