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Bill Requiring Police Video Disclosure Advances In Kansas Senate

PATRICK T. FALLON BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Kansas Senate has advanced a compromise that would make it easier for some people to get access to police body camera footage. However, some lawmakers aren’t fully satisfied with the legislation.

The bill would allow people in police videos, or their families, to get access to recordings within 20 days. In the past, it could take months for families to see a video and find out what happened in the case of a fatal police shooting or other confrontation.

Democratic Sen. David Haley said he would like to go further, with statewide rules regulating the use of body cameras. But Haley said he is supporting the bill.

“It’s a baby step. I think it puts in place a foundation for all departments to follow, and it’s important to have that structural foundation,” Haley said.

A previous version of the bill would have required quicker public access to videos, but law enforcement agencies said the tight timeframes were impractical.

A similar bill has already passed the House. However, the Senate made a small change to the bill, meaning it will need further consideration should it pass the Senate.

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Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.

 
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

 

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.