SPRINGFILED, Ill. (AP) - Illinois lawmakers delayed a vote on a plan to ease public access to police dashboard and body cameras under state open record laws.
Chicago Democratic Rep. Art Turner, the bill’s sponsor, said Wednesday that his proposal could still be heard on a later date.
His bill was spurred by the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in Chicago in October 2014. The shooting was captured by a Chicago police cruiser’s dashboard camera, but the video was made public only after a judge’s order more than year later.
Turner says releasing police videos would restore public trust. But police officials argue releasing a video could compromise ongoing investigations.
At least 20 states and the District of Columbia have laws addressing body cameras. Only 10 put the videos under open records laws.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.