Body cameras urged
Attorney General Josh Kaul is calling for all law agencies in state to use devices.
MADISON – The Wisconsin attorney general is calling for all law enforcement agencies in the state to have body cameras, though funding the effort could be complicated.
There have been renewed calls for the technology in light of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests of police brutality that have swept the country.
“I would like to see the state work to help support the purchase of bodycams for agencies that don’t have them,” Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. “The idea of having them for everybody makes sense to me, (but) the trouble of a mandate is you’ve got to make sure there’s a way to fund it.”
Kaul, the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in the state, said he supports the Black Lives Matters protests but doesn’t agree with defunding the police, as some have sought. Kaul said he wants to see more investments in social services without cutting police budgets.
Many law enforcement agencies already have cameras, but their use is not consistent across the state. For example, according to interim Madison Police Chief Vic Wahl, the department only uses body cameras in certain circumstances, like for tactical operations.
The Milwaukee Police Department outfitted all patrol officers with bodycams in 2016.
Finding the money is essential because the expense of the technology can add up.
There’s the cost of the cameras themselves — which can range from about $400 to $800 apiece. Then there are the additional charges that come with storing and maintaining video footage, which can range from $15 to $100 a month, CNN reported.
Those latter fees can rack up, especially because a new state law requires footage to be stored for extended periods of time.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in February signed that law in February. It does not require all police agencies to use body cameras but requires those
that do to keep their footage for at least four months — and often much longer.
Defunding the police
The latest — and most visible — push from protesters could complicate efforts to pay for body cameras: defunding the police.
Kaul has responded to the Black Lives Matters protests sweeping the world after Floyd died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
He’s put in place a set of policy proposals to make the justice system more equitable, such as investing in community policing, implicit bias training and reforming the bail system.
In June, Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Brostoff of Milwaukee called him out for not marching with the movement. Kaul in the interview said he’s been meeting with people to try to foster change rather than taking to the streets.
Though Kaul said the protests have been a “positive development” to public discourse on systemic racism, he said he does not support the effort to defund the police.
“I think you can address the concerns that people have raised while also investing in the kinds of programs I’m talking about,” Kaul said. “What I do think is important is think(ing) about how we can get back to effectively investing in social services that have been cut and contribute to some of the challenges we face.”
He’d rather see investment in social services and community policing, which he thinks could be effective solutions and lead to better outcomes.
Though he said he hasn’t been to a protest, the attorney general noted he helps lead the criminal justice coordinating council through the state’s Department of Justice.
The group is working on setting up a listening session on issues that have surfaced from the protests.
“I’d love to see action this year rather than waiting until after the election,” Kaul said. “But I’m hopeful that we’ll see progress resulting from what’s happening.” Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard of Racine was in agreement with Kaul on both body camera accessibility and defunding the police. Wanggaard is a former police officer and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Wanggaard supports people having body cameras and is supportive of the bill that clarified open records (for body cameras),” said his chief of staff, Scott Kelly. “He doesn’t support the defunding of the police at all.”
In the coming weeks, the senator plans to release a package of police reform bills.