San Antonio suspends officers after BWC footage reveals misconduct

Two officers were suspended — one for failing to report a use of force, and the other for punching a restrained individual and delaying medical care. Both incidents were captured on body-worn camera. Read about it here.

The “bad news” is that these incidents happened at all. The “good news” is that the agency identified them and took corrective action. But the larger, unanswered question in the article is this: how were these incidents identified?

When misconduct is caught internally—through a strong, consistent, and multi-level review process—an agency demonstrates accountability. A well-designed review process gives agencies the best chance of detecting and handling problems before they escalate. By contrast, an inadequate, inconsistent, or nonexistent review process exposes officers and the agency itself to unnecessary risk.

When incidents are uncovered only through external means—complaints, the media, or social media—the damage can be far worse. Such cases raise serious doubts in the public’s mind about whether the agency can recognize and correct its own shortcomings. That doubt erodes confidence not only in the agency, but also in its body-worn camera program, its officers, and its leadership.

#BodyWornCameras #Accountability #LawEnforcement