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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In light of the end of bipartisan, bicameral police reform legislation negotiations, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) sent letters today to President Biden, Capitol Police Board Chair Karen Gibson, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts asking that they require the use of body and dashboard cameras for police officers under their jurisdictions.
Norton and Beyer introduced a bill requiring all uniformed federal police officers to use the cameras after the 2017 killing of Bijan Ghaisar by U.S. Park Police, and that bill has passed the House twice as part of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“[W]e urge you to implement the policies outlined in the Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act (H.R. 1163), which directs all uniformed federal police officers to wear body cameras and all marked federal police cars to have dashboard cameras,” the letters state. “The bill has already passed the House of Representatives twice as part of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
“While some federal law enforcement agencies have begun to adopt camera programs, we strongly believe that every federal law enforcement agency should be required to do so. We believe this is a simple but necessary step to protect officers and the public.”
The full letter to President Biden can be found here; the letter to Capitol Police Board Chair Gibson here; and the letter to Chief Justice Roberts here.
