Raleigh talks police body cams, hears resident concerns

RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Raleigh Police Department is hosting 18 meetings with the community to go over its draft of a policy about body cameras.

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One of those meetings was Monday night at the Central Citizen Advisory Council meeting at John P. "Top" Greene Community Center.

RELATED: Read the draft of the policy here (.pdf)

The department plans to start rolling out the body cameras in about a year. The draft of the policy shows when the cameras would be used. For example, body cameras will be used in traffic stops, arrests and in any situation that involves a weapon or violence.

There are some examples of when a body camera would be turned off. That would include a situation where the officer would be in a school or a health facility or even at their discretion if whatever they've responded to de-escalates.

Though an officer is required to explain why they shut off a camera verbally so that it records before they turn the camera off, some worry officers could abuse this.

"There's not enough policy to govern when it's turned on and it still gives leeway for some corruption," said activist Geraldine Alshamy.

She went on to say she knows most police officers are good people, but she worries about that small percentage.

She also worries that the camera will be turned off more in certain parts of Raleigh.

"I'm really concerned about what happens in southeast Raleigh versus what will happen in north Raleigh," Alshamy said.

Mayor Nancy McFarlane was also present at Monday night's meeting. She said that will be something they look into once officers start wearing cameras.

"I'm glad that we're phasing them in; we're going to do 200 the first year and as we use them, we're going to be able to find out more and more," McFarlane said. "We'll be able to analyze things like that, when are they turned on, when are they turned off?"

Monday night's meetings was one of three on this night and one of 18 through the end of August.

Schedule:

• July 10, 7 p.m. at Central CAC at John P. "Top" Greene Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd;
• July 10, 7 p.m. at Southwest CAC at Carolina Pines Park, 2305 Lake Wheeler Rd;
• July 10, 7 p.m. at South CAC meeting at Sanderford Rd. Center, 2623 Sanderford Rd.;
• July 11, 7 p.m. at Forestville CAC meeting at Abbotts Creek Community Center, 950 Durant Rd.;
• July 11, 7 p.m. at North Central CAC meeting at Tarboro Road Park, 121 Tarboro St.;
• July 12, 7 p.m. at Five Points CAC meeting at Five Points Center for Active Adults, 2000 Noble Rd.;
• July 13, 7 p.m. at the Northeast CAC meeting at Marsh Creek Park, 3050 New Hope Rd.;
• July 13, 7 p.m. at Southeast CAC meeting at Barwell Road Center, 5857 Barwell Park Dr.;
• July 17, 7 pm at East CAC meeting at Lions Park, 516 Dennis Ave.;
• July 18, 7 p.m. at West CAC meeting at Woodland Center, 5611 Jaguar Park Dr.;
• July 20, 7 p.m. at Atlantic CAC meeting at Green Road Community Center, 4201 Green Road;
• July 20, 7 p.m. at Hillsborough CAC meeting at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough St.;
• July 24, 7:30 p.m. at Glenwood CAC meeting at Glen Eden Pilot Park, 1500 Glen Eden Dr.;
• July 24, 7:30 p.m. at Midtown CAC meeting at Five Points Center for Active Adults, 2000 Noble Rd.;
• July 24, 7 p.m. at South Central CAC meeting at Roberts Park Community Center, 1300 E. Martin St.;
• August 8, 7 p.m. at Northwest CAC meeting at Northwest District, 8016 Glenwood Ave.;
• August 15, 7 p.m. at North CAC meeting at Abbotts Creek Community Center, 9950 Durant Rd.;
• August 22, 7 p.m. at Wade CAC meeting at Jaycee Park Module, 2405 Wade Ave