Truth doesn't require narration or editing, so why is there need to edit or narrate body camera footage?

Everyone deserves a fair trial, especially those who’ve been seriously injured or have suffered deaths caused by #police action. If there are serious questions about police force actions, then original body cameras need to be analyzed. If there is a wrongful action, the respective police officer should be held accountable, but it will not be possible if the same police department controls rights to edit or narrate the body camera videos.

There is a strong need for an independent body to review and publish the footage in order to establish transparency and to restore faith in civilians. Citizens, especially families of victims, have the right to know that representation of the footage is accurate.

Although there is a recent policy that requires #bodycamera footage to be automatically published when a police officer seriously injures or kills someone, the question remains unanswered as who controls the publishing process. The policy lacks transparency on how videos are edited and presented. Reforms should not be just released in the form of a policy document for posterity, but should be ensured in their implementation..

Jennvine Wong, Legal Aid Society’s public defender says "We need to ask to what extent does the NYPD need to edit the videos, what they are editing for -- and the way they are narrating it, whether or not it is a true and accurate representation of the events that happened".

Then-Mayor Bill De Blasio said in 2020 that the department would release video and audio footage when an officer fires a gun or when they cause a deadly injury. But after the announcement, each published video of the NYPD was edited and narrated by a spokesperson of the NYPD. Without an outside, unbiased force shepherding the footage, this new process still lacks transparency.

If the argument of the department is that they need to adhere to certain federal and state privacy laws, medical reasons which require editing, then the videos should be edited by an independent and transparent organization so that facts can’t be tampered with in the name of laws. 

We already have seen the case of Tyquan Graves, a Black man who was killed by police on suspicion of allegedly holding and firing a pistol. Footage of a 30-minute video clip was posted on YouTube, but nowhere in the video is Graves seen holding a pistol. This incident has raised several doubts on the police action and the authenticity of the true facts represented by a YouTube video. We need to be able to review the full body camera footage to find the truth surrounding the events that led to his death.

If the actions of the NYPD are in good faith, they shouldn't have a problem with an independent body taking control of body camera footage for publishing. It will further restore the faith that the actions of protectors of the citizens are not being impeded upon.

A safe and inclusive society needs a transparent police department. If there is an abuse of power, those found guilty should not be held accountable.