Cameras urged for all police: Civil grand jury: All departments should adopt the technology

Currently, only police departments in Atherton, Belmont, Hillsborough, Foster City and Menlo Park use such cameras.

The grand jury released the report “Body Cameras — The Reel Truth” Tuesday.

The report was prompted by recent officer-involved shootings, including the 2014 fatal shooting of a suspect in Menlo Park when officers were equipped with the cameras but failed to activate them.

The Sheriff’s Office and 11 other police departments in the county do not use the devices. Some agencies have expressed concerns about cost, policy development and civil rights concerns, impact of future camera technology and unknown future legal mandates, according to the report.

The Sheriff’s Office will consider the recommendation.

“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the grand jury’s recommendation. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to monitor the various issues associated with this technology and explore funding opportunities prior to making any decisions,” Undersheriff Carlos Bolanos wrote in an email.

At least five other police departments in the county are considering using the devices including in Daly City, East Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Mateo and South San Francisco, according to the report.

The police departments using body-worn cameras describe their experience of deploying, maintaining and managing the devices as ranging from “positive” to “extremely positive,” according to the report.

In Belmont, Police Chief Dan DeSmidt said the cameras are a valuable tool.

Videos of police interactions can “remove all doubt” as to what transpired, DeSmidt said.

They not only add an element of transparency but an element of truth, he said.

Body-worn cameras can also help prosecute crimes, he said.

The grand jury is recommending that all police departments in the county start using body-worn cameras by the end of 2017.

It only takes about two hours for an officer to learn how to use the technology, according to the report. Some manufacturers also provide high-definition resolution, image stabilization and extended battery life.

Throughout the county, police departments use technology to fight crime including audio recorders police wear, dash cams, gunshot locators, license plate readers and closed-circuit television.

The report concludes: “Finally and most importantly, body-worn cameras clearly state to the public that its police force has nothing to hide, that their encounters with the public are transparent and that these encounters are subject to internal and, when appropriate, external scrutiny.”

The grand jury’s recommendations are just that and not mandates. The departments are required to respond to the report but not to adopt the recommendations.