Mailbag: It’s time for police to wear video cameras
Police officers have been under much public scrutiny after several deadly confrontations in communities around the country.
One way to better monitor the behavior of officers is to have them wear body cameras. California Senate Bill 877 would establish a pilot program to help state and local law enforcement agencies buy the devices.
According to NBC, President Obama has requested $263 million to fund police body cameras and training for more than 50,000 police officers throughout the United States following the death of Mike Brown, a black man who was shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo.
I believe that the mandatory use by police of body-worn cameras throughout the United States would decrease officer violence and abuse of civilians.
Iman Habbas
Tustin
The writer is a graduate student at the USC campus in Irvine.
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Republicans take care of their benefactors
I want to applaud Lenard Davis of Newport Beach for his comments relating to how Democrats are good for the economy (“History shows that Democrats are good for U.S. economy,” April 24).
Since when have Republicans done a thing for the country but serve their own political and moneyed supporters? When Republicans get elected to the highest post in the land, they make policies to benefit their already well-off supporters, disenfranchise the poor, send the poor off to fight their wars and jail the poor to keep them relegated to the lower rungs of society.
The death of Freddie Gray while in police custody in Baltimore once again shows how the media cannot cover the issue of generational poverty and hopelessness.
Denny Osborne
Newport Beach
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Obama blows it on trade deal
I helped President Obama get elected by making calls on his behalf, voted for him twice and think he has done a great job as commander in chief.
However, I am seriously disappointed in him for supporting the trade deal known asthe Trans-Pacific Partnership. He knows this isn’t right and is beneath his character.
Marc Schroeder
San Clemente