With the endorsement of Attorney General Steve Marshall, legislation to increase the accessibility of police body cam footage passed an Alabama House committee.
The bill, HB 289, is sponsored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham). She said it is necessary after the occurrence of recent events in other states such as the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Nichols was beaten by a group of police officers and the incident was recorded via body cam and dash cam.
“Sometimes, just being able to release a little bit of information just as we saw in the city of Memphis just a few months ago,” she said. “Those families worked through a process that was similar to this.”
“This is also moving around other states just as a safeguard to public safety.”
Givan called for her fellow legislators to be pro-active on the issue.
“We may not be that state right now, but we could possibly be that state where something so catastrophic happens,” she said. “We want to make sure we protect those lives, we want to make sure that the family members at least have the bare bones information as to whom was the assailant.”
Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter said he is open to discussion on the bill.
“I think as a whole, the state across law enforcement has body cameras, making it more transparent may be something we need to do,” he said. “I think that’s something that we will be discussing going forward.”
The legislation specifies particular persons who can ask for and receive body cam footage.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
