Congressman Al Green Introduces Transparency in Policing (TIP) Act of 2014

(Washington, DC)--On September 8, 2014, Congressman Al Green introduced the Transparency in Policing (TIP) Act of 2014. This bill would require state and local law enforcement agencies that receive funds from Department of Justice to acquire body cameras for use by their law enforcement officers. It would require that the Attorney General conduct a study on the cost of using body cameras by state and local law enforcement agencies. The bill would also grant the Attorney General the ability to waive the requirement for the purchase of body cameras if compliance was determined to create a hardship for a particular law enforcement agency.

“We must acknowledge the great daily risk our law enforcement officers across our nation take to protect our communities; however, recent tragic events have once again reminded us of the necessity of transparency and accountability in all levels of law enforcement. I believe that having our officers wear body cameras can bring much-needed additional transparency to communities in future controversial police/civilian actions. People of good will who support both civil rights as well as law enforcement should work together to commend the majority of officers who serve, protect, and defend. Similarly, we must condemn violations by some officers that when left unchecked can undermine public trust.

“I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Ferguson Police Department in acquiring and using body cameras for their officers in the aftermath of the tragic shooting of Michael Brown,” Congressman Al Green said. “This bill would allow us to move forward together as a nation rather than one city, country, or state at a time.”