The Durham City Council voted on Monday to delay the purchase of body cameras for the police department.

There was concern among council members and the public that the Durham Police Department’s draft policy regarding the cameras did not provide access for the public to view the videos.

Deputy Chief Anthony Marsh presented a new draft of that policy.

“We think that it strikes a reasonable balance between all the various issues that have been raised and concerns that have been raised by the public and the officers and members of the council as well,” said Marsh.

Councilwoman Jillian Johnson said the new draft is an improvement but changes still needed to be made.

“We have a policy that is much better than it was at the beginning, and I think that it still needs to be better in order to move forward with this camera purchase,” said Johnson.

According to the meeting’s agenda, the contract to purchase the cameras would cost the city $366,738.

In December, Marsh said the body camera footage would follow the same rules as video from dashboard cameras. That footage is only available in criminal investigations.

The current draft says the release of the body camera footage would be at the discretion of the police chief. Jade Brooks, among others, said that policy would not help increase public trust in the police.

“How will these body cameras be building a culture of trust if the police chief can delete or edit footage at will? That, to me, is not creating accountability, it’s increasing a culture of surveillance,” said Brooks.

Councilman Charlie Reece said that even before the meeting he supported delaying the purchase, but he still believed that the body cameras were a good idea.

“I am a believer that the use of police-worn body cameras can make a huge difference in communities that are disproportionately affected by violence,” said Reece.

Council members agreed to work with the police department to revise the policy before their next meeting.

The Durham City Council will revisit the issue in March.

Related Stories
‹
Police: Hillsborough Woman Dies After Car Wreck Along I-85 in Durham
Durham Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened near the I-85 and U.S. 15-501 exchange and killed 39-year-old Claudia Lopez.
Durham Police Arrest 2 Teenagers For Shooting at Trooper, Car Chase in Orange County
Two teenagers arrested in Durham face a litany of charges after a multi-agency investigation stemming from an incident in Chapel Hill.
Arrest Made in Hillsborough Fatal Shooting; Durham Juvenile Facing Murder Charge
Two weeks after a late-night shooting left a 20-year-old dead and an 18-year-old injured in Hillsborough, Durham Police arrested and charged a suspect. A release from the Hillsborough Police Department on Wednesday said a 17-year-old was taken into custody by Durham Police and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation around 12:30 p.m. in Durham. […]
Power Outages Continue for Chapel Hill, Durham Residents; Police Share Road Closure Updates
UPDATE: In the wake of a severe storm, many residents in Chapel Hill and Durham remained without power on Wednesday morning, and local emergency services and governments continued to provide closure information and safety tips. Durham County, which energy provider Duke Energy said was one of the hardest-hit areas in North Carolina from high winds, […]
Hillsborough Woman Killed By Fallen Tree While Driving in Durham
UPDATE: Durham Police issued a correction on Thursday clarifying that Donna Warshaw is the correct spelling for the victim’s name, not “Warsaw” as it was shared on Wednesday. This article has been updated to reflect this information. A Hillsborough driver died Tuesday afternoon during a severe storm, as a tree fell and struck her vehicle […]
Carrboro Man Killed on I-40 After Running Out of Gas, Crossing Interstate
A Carrboro community member died on Monday morning after being struck by two vehicles while attempting to cross Interstate 40.
Police: UNC Student Killed in Durham Car Crash
George Leander Hill, Jr., a rising senior at UNC, was killed in a car crash in Durham on Friday. He was 21 years old. The Durham Police Department said in a release that the crash occurred when a Toyota Camry in which Hill was riding was struck on the passenger’s side by a Jeep Wrangler […]
Local Government Meeting Schedule: May 23-27
Budget season continues for local government, but it's nearing its end: at least one local board is slated to approve its budget this week.
Local Government Meeting Schedule: March 21-25
Here's a rundown of the agendas for this week's local government meetings in Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties.
Local Government Meeting Schedule: March 14-18
Here's a rundown of the agendas for this week's local government meetings in Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties.
›