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Washington
–
Today,
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
introduced
the
Safer
Officers
and
Safer
Citizens
Act
to
help
provide
state,
local
and
tribal
police
departments
with
resources
to
outfit
officers
with
body-worn
cameras.
Senator
Scott
has
worked
with
more
than
a
dozen
groups,
including
law
enforcement
associations,
civil
rights
organizations
and
privacy
advocates,
over
the
past
three
months
to
develop
the
legislation.
Studies
have
shown
that
body-worn
cameras
can
play
an
important
role
in
keeping
both
law
enforcement
officers
and
the
communities
they
serve
safer.
One
study
of
the
body
camera
program
in
Rialto,
California
showed
public
complaints
against
officers
wearing
body-worn
cameras
fell
by
almost
90%
and
that
officers’
use
of
force
decreased
by
60%.
“Across
our
nation,
too
often
we
are
seeing
a
lack
of
trust
between
communities
and
law
enforcement
lead
to
tragedy,”
Senator
Scott
said.
“While
rebuilding
that
sense
of
trust
will
take
time,
I
believe
that
providing
law
enforcement
agencies
with
the
resources
they
need
to
equip
officers
with
body-worn
cameras
is
an
important
step.
We
have
seen
that
body-worn
cameras
can
keep
both
officers
and
citizens
safer,
and
that
video
can
help
provide
clarity
following
an
altercation.
If
a
picture
is
worth
a
thousand
words,
then
a
video
is
worth
a
thousand
pictures.”
The
Safer
Officers
and
Safer
Citizens
Act
authorizes
a
new
grant
program
at
the
U.S.
Department
of
Justice
that
will
allow
departments
who
have
developed
policies
and
procedures
regarding
body-worn
cameras
to
apply
for
funds
to
aid
in
the
purchase
and
initial
setup
costs
of
their
body-worn
camera
program.
Funding
for
the
new
grant
program
is
offset,
and
totals
$100
million
a
year
from
Fiscal
Years
2016-2021.
State,
local
and
tribal
departments
will
be
required
to
match
25
percent
of
the
grant
funds,
and
should
support
their
body
camera
program
with
a
comprehensive
communication
and
educational
campaign.
Preferential
consideration
will
be
given
to
departments
whose
policies
regarding
body-worn
cameras
meet
the
following
criteria:
- A
comprehensive
policy
developed
in
consultation
with
criminal
justice
experts
and
community
members
- Contains
policies
and
procedures
addressing
deployment,
video
capture,
viewing,
use,
release,
storage,
retention,
audits
and
controls
- Is
supported
by
a
comprehensive
communication
and
education
campaign
- Is
informed
by
the
best
practices
on
body
worn
cameras
developed
by
the
Department
of
Justice
- Commits
to
submitting
data
for
the
purposes
of
studying
the
effectiveness
of
the
usage
of
body
worn
cameras
The
grant
program
is
paid
for
by
adjusting
regulations
regarding
paid
administrative
leave
for
Federal
employees.
The
bill
requires
the
Office
of
Personnel
Management
(OPM)
to
issue
regulations
limiting
administration
leave
for
an
employee
of
any
agency
to
no
more
than
20
days
a
year,
unless
personally
approved
by
the
agency
head.
A
report
by
the
Government
Accountability
Office
found
that
between
2011
and
2014,
57,000
federal
employees
were
placed
on
administrative
leave
for
more
than
a
month
while
the
agency
determined
whether
to
punish
or
clear
them
for
alleged
misconduct.
As
the
Washington
Post
reported,
the
salary
costs
alone
for
the
extended
leave
were
more
than
$775
million.
Administrative
leave
does
not
include
vacation
days,
sick
days,
maternity
leave,
or
other
leave
under
the
Family
Medical
Leave
Act.
This
past
May,
Senator
Scott
called
for
a
Senate
hearing
on
body-worn
cameras,
and
testified
before
the
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
on
the
issue
last
month.
Following
the
death
of
Walter
Scott
this
past
April
in
North
Charleston,
the
South
Carolina
Legislature
passed
legislation
mandating
the
use
of
body
cameras
by
departments
in
the
state
of
South
Carolina.
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