By Hector Gonzalez
Special to the Lookout

July 27, 2015 -- Four months after an African-American man claimed officers used excessive force  during his arrest at a local park, Santa Monica police announced the department will begin testing body cameras for officers in a pilot program.

In the aftermath of Ferguson, Santa Monica joins a growing list of police agencies across Los Angeles County now testing body cameras for officers, including the county Sheriff’s Department and the Police Departments for Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena and the Beverly Hills.

Santa Monica Police Department officials don't disclose, in an information item to the City Council prepared by SMPD Senior Administrative Analyst Nicole Dibling-Moore, how many uniformed patrol officers, including civilian reserves, will actually wear the equipment, formally called Body Worn Cameras (BWCs).

Moore also does not say when the six to 12-month tests on Santa Monica's streets will begin but notes it will take the department about six months to the get the pilot program up and running.

Officials also do not specify what triggered the project, other than saying the technology has significantly advanced since the department last evaluated BWCs,  including “more sophisticated levels of video clarity, memory storage and other features that speak to the robustness of the tool,” said Dibling-Moore.

“Many of the police departments that have rolled out body worn camera programs with a greater sense of urgency have been in cities with deep divides between the local law enforcement authorities and the communities they serve,” she said. “Such is not the case here.”

On the contrary, she added, the department has traditionally close ties to the community and works “to foster a strong sense of respect, trust, and collaboration.”

In June, Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks and City Manager Rick Cole met with local NAACP and Committee for Racial Justice members and residents over concerns regarding alleged incidents of racial profiling and excessive force.

Local NAACP Branch President Darrell Goode specifically brought up the April 21 arrest of 36-year-old Justin Palmer at Virginia Park.

Palmer, who is now suing the Police Department, the City and the two officers allegedly involved, claims he was singled out as he was trying to charge his electric vehicle at one of the park's charging stations, handcuffed then made to fall onto his face on the pavement.

Attorney Justin Sanders, who is representing the married father of three, said his client suffered severe injuries.

While complaints of excessive force and racial profiling against African Americans and other minorities has triggered “unrest seen in various communities across the nation,” heightening calls for wider use of BWCs, Santa Monica police say there's no local urgency behind the department's venture into the technology.

“Despite the broader environment, the situation in Santa Monica does not demand immediate deployment of body-worn cameras,” said Dibling-Moore. “Nevertheless, the Police Department will examine the technology in the context of Santa Monica and its Police Department.

Department officials will conduct the test with help from researchers at California State University, Fullerton, she said.

After the field-testing period, CSU-Fullerton researchers will help evaluate the program before the department moves forward, said Dibling-Moore.

“The Police Department seeks to be well-prepared and knowledgeable about BWC technology platforms, the logistics involved with system integration, and policy development in the event that the equipment should become mandated, a distinct possibility illustrated by recent legislative discourse at both the state and federal government level,” she said.

At least one bill pending in the state Legislature, AB 953, would require police departments to collect data on “all traffic, public transportation and pedestrian stops” and report the information to the state Attorney General’s Office at least once every quarter, according to the bill’s language.

Much of that data would need to be collected by BWCs.

While the technology is relatively new in its widening applications in law enforcement -- a 2013 Police Executive Research Forum survey found only one-third of the nation's police departments deploying body cameras -- some preliminary evidence shows BWCs can improve police-community relations, Dibling-Moore noted.

Body cameras can strengthen accountability and transparency, “and can assist in deescalating conflicts, circumstances which result in more constructive encounters between the police and members of the community,” she said.

The cameras have also been shown to decrease excessive force complaints, said Dibling-Moore.

“While research is limited, what does exist indicates departments that implemented body worn camera programs saw a decrease in complaints as well as less use-of-force,” she said. “There is a theory that the cameras seem to have a 'civilizing effect' on the citizen, the police officer, or both.”

Implementation – if the City eventually opts for BWCs -- will take considerable time. Department officials now are analyzing BWC-related policies adopted by police agencies using or testing body cameras to figure out which might work best locally.

Testing the BWCs will involve “internal logistics” such as data capture, uploading, storage and retention, privacy concerns and public disclosure, said Dibling-Moore.

“Beyond the technology, the development of internal controls and policies must precede any roll-out of new equipment,” she said.

Only after officials analyze all the data will the department decide whether to adopt body cameras, she added.

“At the conclusion, the Santa Monica Police Department will analyze the program findings and determine a path forward with regard to the utility of body worn cameras in Santa Monica and any potential plans to continue deploying the technology,” said Dibling-Moore.