The Santa Barbara County Grand Jury on Friday endorsed the implementation of cameras into police patrol vehicles in the county.
Currently, only the Santa Barbara and Guadalupe police departments don’t have video cameras in their patrol cars.
Video could serve as an unbiased account as a supplement for an officer’s arrest or incident report, according to a statement issued by the grand jury Friday.
The grand jury said agencies that have used patrol car cameras have had positive results.
“In all cases, agencies that work in law enforcement and have installed audio and video equipment say they are supportive of the use of this technology,” said Ted Sten, Grand Jury foreman.
The report also suggests that the costs for the equipment could be offset through the decreased cost of litigation.
The lack of cameras was brought to light in the case of a Santa Barbara man charged with driving under the influence. Peter Lance, 63, is facing a misdemeanor DUI charge after being arrested by Santa Barbara police in the early morning hours of Jan. 1. He alleges misconduct by arresting Officer Kasi Beutel.
Among Lance’s allegations are claims that his signature and those of other defendants were forged on police report documents, relinquishing their right to have blood samples taken that could be retested later.
Beutel and the Santa Barbara Police Department have denied the allegations.
Last month, Santa Barbara Deputy Chief Frank Mannix told Noozhawk that the department has considered purchasing camera equipment for more than a year, but the $250,000 price tag has slowed efforts down.
Mayor Helene Schneider said the Police Department and the city administrator’s office have been reviewing equipment, the budget implications and grant opportunities. The City Council has started looking into the financial implications on purchasing and installing such equipment.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
