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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Across the nation, law enforcement agencies are |
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employing body-worn camera systems to promote even greater |
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transparency in the interactions between police officers and the |
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public and to ensure procedural justice; in many cases, however, |
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guidelines have not been fully developed to consider privacy and |
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security concerns caused by the use of cameras; and |
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WHEREAS, Body cameras have been shown to enhance officer |
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professionalism and to dramatically decrease use-of-force |
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incidents; moreover, the technology has helped agencies in |
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evaluating officer performance and in developing training tools for |
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tactics, communication, and customer service, resulting in fewer |
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public complaints filed against police departments; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to advancing policing practices, body |
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cameras have proven to be invaluable resources in investigations |
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and court proceedings by providing video evidence of unlawful |
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activity and crime scenes and footage of victim statements; and |
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WHEREAS, While body cameras benefit myriad aspects of our |
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justice system, it is incumbent on law enforcement agencies to |
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implement policies that safeguard the rights of officers and |
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citizens alike; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby request the speaker of the house to create an |
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interim committee to study issues relating to police body camera |
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equipment, including network and equipment security, records |
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retention, preservation, and privacy rights; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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its findings and recommendations, to the House of Representatives |
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of the 85th Texas Legislature before it convenes in January 2017. |