Nearly all law enforcement agencies in the country are moving toward using body worn cameras, with San Diego Police Department (SDPD) leading the way.
But up until very recently the footage from major incidents was not made available to the public.
Now District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Sheriff Bill Gore and SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman are crafting a policy that involves releasing body camera video of officer-involved shootings to the public as soon after the incident as possible.
Law enforcement leaders say the key is to put the video into context. Often the video will only show one angle and can be misleading.
"Before body camera use was prevalent, we had similar issues with cell video," said Sheriff Bill Gore. "Everybody's got a camera on their hips, it's their iPhone. But frequently what we saw is a confrontation developing between police and an individual, and then right at the moment, a use of force is employed, that's when the person pulls out the smart phone gets a picture that's completely out of context."
Gore says the context the videos will be released with includes witness statements, ballistic reports and other information, possibly surveillance video from other angles.
The agencies are at the forefront of the issue nationally with SDPD being one of the first to implement body camera video but then struggling with public pressure for access to the footage.
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Many other police agencies in the U.S. post every video they record.
Some in the community say they still feel their questions are not always heard.
Only a small handful of community members were present at the meeting at Cherokee Point Elementary.
A representative from LAPD also attended the meeting to potentially model some of their policies after the ones being developed in San Diego.
City Attorney candidate Rafael Castellanos attended the town hall as well. The meeting is the second in a series of community meetings designed to receive input from the public.
SDPD Chief Zimmerman said the response from the community to the policy change has been overwhelmingly positive.
"I'm on board with it. I think it's the right thing to do," Zimmerman said. "We want to make sure there's a balance between the rights of the individuals involved in the incidents and some in the public who want to see the video."
Sheriff Bill Gore says there will be not be a set timeline on when videos will be released but the agencies will try to release it as soon as they can. It will also depend on whether there are no criminal charges or civil legal issues invloved. Also, if there is a potential civil issue, then the video will be released when the case is in court.
"Not releasing the body camera video defeats one of its key purposes, which is to build trust between the community and law enforcement," he said.
