City Council Meeting Date: March 2, 2021
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Mark Elliott, Police Chief
Title
Public Hearing for Public Input on Police Body Worn Camera Program and Equipment Purchase.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council should accept public comment on the implementation of a police body worn camera program, followed by a motion to close the public hearing.
Summary Report:
Minnesota State Statute State Statute 626.8473 requires the opportunity for public comment at a city council meeting before purchasing body cameras.
SS 626.8473 s.2 states, A local law enforcement agency must provide an opportunity for public comment before it purchases or implements a portable recording system. At a minimum, the agency must accept public comments submitted electronically or by mail, and the governing body with jurisdiction over the budget of the law enforcement agency must provide an opportunity for public comment at a regularly scheduled meeting.
The City Council should accept public comment during this agenda item.
Background Information:
The Northfield Police Department (NPD) does not currently have any Body Worn Cameras (BWC's). The department has had in-car squad video for many years. This video has been helpful in providing accountability to the community and in meeting the community's expectation of professional police service delivery. The NPD has requested funding for BWC's in the annual budget since 2017, but the request has been pushed back. The funding request has been in the CEP since 2018 and has been listed as a 2021 expected expense. This item was discussed during city council budget discussions in 2020 and approved as part of the 2021 budget.
BWC's have been available for over a decade, but have greatly increased in popularity following calls for police reform in 2015. Late in 2015, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing Report, which is highly regarded by police departments and c...
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