Wauconda candidate: Police body cameras violate our rights
Most of the candidates running for seats on Wauconda's village board believe police officers should wear body cameras while performing their duties.
The only critic in the group is Jason Anderson, who called the devices an “infringement on our individual privacy.”
“It may prove you're guilty under a certain circumstance when you're really not,” Anderson said during an interview with the Daily Herald. “You may say something at that time that may incriminate you.”
All of the other candidates enthusiastically supported the idea of police wearing cameras.
“I think it is necessary these days,” Trustee Chuck Black said, adding cameras remove any “gray area” if police and civilians are disputing an encounter.
Trustee Joseph Coster also said police cameras are a good idea.
“We should do everything we can to ensure our police are protected,” Coster said.
The candidates were asked about body cameras and other issues last week.
Body cameras have been getting a lot of attention recently because of police-involved violence in Missouri, New York and other towns. Some departments have issued the cameras to officers to ensure they act properly in public and to capture evidence.
At a recent community forum about police behavior, Mundelein police Chief Eric Guenther said he hopes his officers will be using the cameras by next year.
Wauconda officials haven't publicly talked about acquiring cameras, nor has Chief Patrick Yost pushed for them.
Six candidates are running for three trustee seats with 4-year terms. They are: Anderson; Black; incumbents Ken Arnswald and Linda Starkey; and Wauconda Park District commissioner Bob Cook.
Two additional candidates — Coster and Tim Howe — are running for one seat with a 2-year term.
Anderson, Cook and Coster are running as the For Wauconda slate. A fourth teammate dropped out but could be replaced on the ballot.
Arnswald, Black, Starkey and Howe are running as the United For Progress team.
All of the candidates were asked about body cameras.
Arnswald said they create documentation for police and said they could “save a lot of press time” if the videos show police acted properly during an encounter.
Starkey supported cameras, too.
“With technology today, we are all under scrutiny at all times, whether we like it or not,” she said.
Howe said cameras are a great tool to protect police from false allegations. As for expectations of privacy while in public, Howe said “that ship has sailed” in today's camera-happy world.
Cook said he'd like to see data from test programs before agreeing to buy them for Wauconda's officers. But he said he's “for it 100 percent” in theory.
“It could save us a couple of lawsuits,” Cook said. “Nowadays we live in a litigious society ... This could save our bacon.”
Despite his constitutional concerns, Anderson said he'd support a policy to equip officers with cameras if the trustees voted to make such a purchase.
The candidates also were asked if they support the right of civilians to make video or audio recordings of police officers doing their jobs, either on public or private property.
All agreed that people should be allowed to record police during encounters.
“A police officer works for the public and their actions are in the public and they should be reviewed,” Cook said. “That's part of putting on that uniform.”
Anderson took a similar stance, saying if police were allowed to videotape civilians, civilians should be allowed to record police.
“I believe that is should go both ways,” he said.