Two Bay area groups are pushing for St. Petersburg police officers to wear body cameras after an incident in early March.
- Groups push for body cameras on St. Pete officers
- Groups say cameras will provide transparency
- Push comes after incident in March with Lamont Stephens
This is the third time in four years the National Christian League of Councils and ACLU Florida has pushed St. Pete's City Council to implement body cameras.
The groups say the body cameras will help provide transparency.
The push comes after a video appears to show officers roughing up a suspect at a gas station.
Lamont Stephens was found slumped over at a gas pump after he was shot with a taser. Police say he resisted arrest, but the cell phone video captured by Daphnie Nicole Odom appears to show officers roughing Stephens up.
Sevell Brown, with the NCLC, said in these kinds of cases where a video only captures half the story, a body camera would serve as the eyes of justice to show the encounter from beginning to end.
"It would give us enough to basically ascertain and evaluate that the officer in that situation, or officers in that particular situation, are exonerated of any accusation whatsoever," Brown said.
The city piloted a program with 15 body cameras four years ago, but since then it hasn't been discussed.
The group plans to ask for a law that requires every police officer in the city that carries a gun to also have a body camera. However, the cost may be too high.
Implementing such a measure would cost the department millions a year -- money the city council would likely never approve.