Alabama lawmaker proposes bill to make police video more accessible

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Proposed legislation will cut through red tape and make police body and dash camera video more accessible to the public. The bill would make recordings from these cameras public records.

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that body cam footage is not public record. This bill would reverse their ruling.

State Sen. Merika Coleman says she filed the bill because law enforcement needs to be held accountable for their actions.

“Families and individuals have had challenges and problems being able to have access to body cam footage, to be able to prove or disprove what the rumor mill is saying about what has happened to their loved ones,” said Coleman.

She says her bill is in direct response to the death of Jawan Dallas in Mobile. Officials say Dallas was stunned twice by a Mobile police officer during a struggle. His family requested to see the police body camera video but was denied.

“It establishes an appeals process in the event that law enforcement fails to provide that requested recordings,” said Coleman.

Everett Johnson, president of the Alabama Fraternal Order of Police, questions the necessity of the bill.

“This piece of legislation is a continuing undermining of the credibility of our law enforcement officers,” said Johnson.

Alabama law allows body and dash cam footage to be requested by parties involved in the particular case. Johnson says allowing the public to access videos puts the confidentiality and integrity of certain cases at risk. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones hopes for a solution that will aid both sides.

“Hopefully in the near future a law can be enacted that would serve to protect the integrity of investigations, but also let individuals that have an interest in the particular video have a better chance of access,” said Jones.

“Let’s be transparent when it comes to this body cam and dash cam video. Because at the end of the day how are the body cams paid for?” said Coleman.

According to the bill, a request can be denied if releasing the video would substantially interfere with an ongoing investigation.

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