Omaha City Council discusses approving new body cameras & tasers for police
Channel: Scott Blake
Date: 2022-09-07

As the Omaha City Council deliberates on buying new body cameras and tasers for the Omaha Police Department, those for and against the new contract proposal made the most of their time to express their opinions. "This department wants to show this community that it is accountable, that it is credible and that it continues to work to be a better police department," council member Ben Gray said. "I'm going to continue to support this; number one, because my community demands it, and number two, because this police department deserves it." "Body cameras are a tool for the police to surveil the public, not the other way around," opponent Scott Blake said. Gray was one of several council members who plan to approve the five-year contract worth roughly $5.5 million. The purchase covers 586 body cameras and 586 improved tasers, plus the storage system for all the video recorded by cameras. OPD Deputy Chief Michele Bang said the contract helps keep the department's program, training and budget strategy stable. "Every year, as you know, we have to come in front of the city council and the mayor and the citizens to establish a budget, and so, this provides us with some knowns," Bang said. Those in favor of the contract touted the increased accountability the body cameras provide, while also saying tasers offer police a less lethal tool at their disposal. Opponents referenced the use of tasers when Zachary Bearheels died in Omaha police custody in 2017. They said they'd rather see the $5.5 million fund a mental health initiative. "I find it, again, ironic that five years ago, we were beating on the table for tasers and bodycams and other things, and now today, we're talking about the opposite," Gray said. "Reallocate some of this money -- ideally, all of this money -- to a mental health program," citizen Sarah Johnson said. "Not a surveillance platform, but something that would truly benefit the majority of the citizens in Omaha." During the discussion, Bang pointed out OPD would pay for some of the contract costs using more than $420,000 in existing grand funds. The city council will vote on the contract Tues. Sept. 29. KETV News. José Zozaya. Sep 22, 2020.