THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION ENDORSES THE SAFER OFFICERS AND SAFER CITIZENS ACT OF 2015
NBA supports a bipartisan bill aimed at providing federal funding for body camera usage among law enforcement
 
 

August 20, 2015

Washington, D.C. – The National Bar Association (“NBA”) applauds U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) for introducing S. 1897, the Safer Officers and Safer Citizens Act of 2015. If enacted, this bipartisan legislation will provide for $500 million in grant funding for the purchase of body cameras to state, local and tribal police departments.
 
The proposed legislation recognizes that studies have shown that increasing the use of body cameras by police officers has significantly reduced the number of police misconduct and use of force incidents, resulting in a lower number of citizen complaints. The NBA’s priorities and support of the use of body cameras is consistent with this legislation. “In the wake of many tragic deaths across the nation, including Tamir Rice, Walter Scott and Michael Brown, the desire for Americans to see increased police officer accountability is vast. These incidents have sparked debate, national outrage and dissent. Our organization has called for and continues to call for federal legislation to require the use of this important technology by all law enforcement agencies. The NBA will continue to work within the legislative process to ensure that the funding is appropriately offset so that it responds to the needs within the community” said NBA President Benjamin J. Crump, Esq.
 
For Additional Information Contact: Lonita Baker, National Bar Association Chief of Communications at lonita.baker@gmail.com.
 

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION
The National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 60,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. The NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, 9 divisions, 12 regions and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit: www.nationalbar.org.