Kansas Highway Patrol troopers don’t use body cams. Agency wants funding to change that
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Over more than a decade, law enforcement agencies across the country have outfitted their officers with body cameras to record interactions with the public. But not the Kansas Highway Patrol.
That may be changing.
Col. Erik Smith, the agency’s acting superintendent, told state lawmakers last week that the Highway Patrol would seek $2 million from Kansas and $2 million from a federal grant to purchase cameras. The agency has long used dashboard cameras but has never purchased body cameras for officers.
“I think that’s a disservice to us, I think that’s a disservice to you, I think it’s a disservice to your constituents,” Smith told the Kansas House Transportation Committee last week. “Transparency is key in today’s society. It keeps us accountable. It also keeps a lot of officers out of trouble, frankly when complaints can be unfounded.”
Body cameras have been gaining popularity for police agencies over the past decade as a tool to provide transparency about police interactions in the wake of deadly police shootings. They’ve been embraced by activists and officers alike because of the promise of protecting citizens who are mistreated by officers and shielding officers from false accusations.
While cameras and the costs of storing footage can be expensive, Kansas and Missouri law enforcement agencies have incorporated the devices over time. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office began using body cameras in 2011. Overland Park bought body cameras for their officers in 2019,
The Missouri State Highway Patrol began issuing body cameras to some officers in 2021 before expanding the program’s scope last year. At least 60% of its troopers have the devices now, according to Lt. Eric Brown, a Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesperson.
Capt. Candice Breshears, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Highway Patrol, said the agency has pursued grants in the past without success. If the Highway Patrol doesn’t receive a federal grant this year, Smith said, the agency will likely seek additional funding from Kansas.
The agency has, so far, not encountered significant pushback for the funding, which represents a minuscule fraction of the state’s overall budget, and is supported by lawmakers and police reform activists alike.
The Kansas Highway Patrol has faced intense scrutiny in recent years over roadside interactions with drivers. Over the summer a federal judge ruled the agency had violated drivers’ constitutional rights through the “Kansas two-step” in which they would hold drivers at the side of the road without voluntary consent.
The agency is currently appealing an injunction from the judge requiring them to change their policies to prevent future violations.
Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, said body cameras would not fix the problems that came up in the two-step lawsuit, in which the ACLU represented motorists. However, he said cameras can be an important tool to encourage accountability.
“If body cameras were in use and the policies were ones that actually protected civil liberties and that were designed to actually increase transparency, then that could be a useful tool in monitoring whether or not the Highway Patrol is actually following the terms of the injunction and respecting the Constitution,” Kubic said.
Rep. John Resman, an Olathe Republican and former Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy, said he was surprised to learn the Highway Patrol had not already purchased cameras for their officers.
“I can’t see a reason why we wouldn’t approve it in committee,” Resman said. “It protects the officer, the trooper in this case, and it also protects the citizen.”
The funding, Rep. Barbara Ballard said, was justifiable. Officers, she said, may behave differently when they know their actions are recorded on camera. The Lawrence Democrat said cameras are a safety issue for officers and citizens.
“You’re going to eventually be in the minority if you don’t and you could be in total jeopardy,” Ballard said. “And it’s not serving the individuals that are on the highway because they’re not just Kansas citizens, it could be anybody going through the state from all races of people.”
“I just think you just have to get with the times.”
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
