A Florida Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate announced on Monday that he is backing a bill from a Republican presidential hopeful.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who is running for the Senate in 2016, said on Monday that he is backing the Police Creating Accountability by Making Effective Recording Available (Police CAMERA) Act.
The act was introduced at the end of March by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii., U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. The bill set ups a pilot grant program to ensure local and state law enforcement use more body cameras. The program would be set up by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and would go for two years at a cost of $10 million.
"Body cameras will benefit the brave men and women who serve in our police force and the people they protect," Paul said when he brought out the bill. "The use of body cameras helps officers collect and preserve evidence to solve crimes, while also decreasing the number of complaints against police. The Police CAMERA Act will help state and local police departments access this new tool, while ensuring that the privacy rights of every civilian are respected."
"At a time when the trust between law enforcement and those they were sworn to protect has reached a critical point, the CAMERA Act gives us an opportunity to explore and learn best practices for the use of body-worn cameras," Brown said. "Representing Florida, a place that has had its share of issues with transparency and police accountability, the CAMERA Act is a positive bipartisan measure which strengthens trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve."
Murphy announced his support for the bill on Monday.
"Giving police officers body cameras protects both the officer and a citizen during times of an altercation," Murphy said. "This pilot program will allow states and communities to partner with DOJ to examine the usefulness of police body cameras around the country. When it comes to protecting our communities, it is important for us to make these critical investments, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on this initiative."
More than 30 legislators on Capitol Hill have backed the measure but U.S. Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., is the only Republican besides Paul to co-sponsor the bill. U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., is also a co-sponsor.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
