Assembly Issues
Police body cameras
Candidate Responses
The Juneau Police Department is testing body cameras for officers. What’s your position on police body cameras?
Merrill Sanford
Candidate for Mayor
If their senior leadership team and staff say that it’s required and needed and is a good technology thing, then I would agree with that. That’s why we hire a chief of police and the higher up (administrators) of the police department to make those hard calls and bring us into the 21st century.
Greg Fisk
Candidate for Mayor
I don’t think we’ve had some of the problems, fortunately, that have occurred elsewhere. I think we have a good police force that is polite and considerate of the public. I don’t know what the body cameras cost; it may be something that we have to examine but I don’t see a pressing need here.
Loren Jones
Candidate for District 1 Assembly
We’re a small enough community. I think we have a police force that is very well respected. I think we have a police force that doesn’t fall into the ills that we have seen on national TV.
Comments I have from people the time I did a ride-along with the police, I think that it’s really clear that the police have a pretty good relationship with the public in Juneau. Body cameras are in response to lots of national issues of overreaction, of violence, of violence on both sides.
I would go with whatever the police department felt comfortable with at this point and I don’t see a demand. From the citizens, I don’t see a need for that. But I think that it’s a growing trend. I think I’ll go along with whatever the police department decides they want to do.
Dixie Hood
Candidate for District 2 Assembly
Looking at the national news on a regular basis, I think that body cameras are helpful both in terms of officer safety and public safety and consistency with the use of them is critical.
Jerry Nankervis
Candidate for District 2 Assembly
I think people look at body cameras as a way to keep officers from acting inappropriately. I don’t think that happens nearly to the level some people think it happens. You could say I’m a homer because I worked there, but I saw it. I wouldn’t have worked at a place that allowed that to happen or fostered that sort of behavior. Absolutely not.
What I think body cameras will do is they will verify that police, for the vast majority of the time, at least in this town and I would say nationwide, are doing what they should be doing. Now sometimes, are they doing things people find unpleasant? Without a doubt. But I’m charging them with protecting me, protecting you, and protecting everybody in this city. Does that sometimes mean they sometimes need to hit people? Does they mean they sometimes need to Tase people? Yes, it does. And do I think they’re doing that appropriately? Without a doubt.
Jason Puckett
Candidate for District 2 Assembly
Police are very important in our society. And a lot has been in the news about other areas where police have had issues where, you know, the whole Michael Brown thing. And I’ve met a lot of the police in Juneau. They’re amazing men and women that work in Juneau. I think it’s just a backup more towards making sure that they know they’re protected in case something happens and also making sure the people that they’re investigating are protected.
I highly doubt we’re ever going to have a Michael Brown situation here in Juneau but there could be the assumption of something went wrong and by them having the body camera, I think that backs up their story and will help them if anything ever happens.
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