MONTGOMERY, Ala. — SB14, or The Jawan Dallas and Steve Perkins Act, died during a committee meeting after 4 voted in favor and 8 were opposeds. The act, sponsored by Senator Merika Coleman (D), would have made police body camera footage part of public record 30 days after an officer involved shooting. This means anyone would have access to the body cam videos, with few exceptions.
Under the existing law, police body cam video can only be released to the subject in the video or someone representing the individual. ALEA also has the ability to grant or deny permission to view the video. According to the Perkins family, they were denied viewing the video but District Attorney Scott Anderson allowed Nick Perkins, brother of Steve Perkins, to view the body cam footage after former Decatur police officer Mac Marquette was indicted for murder in the death of Steve Perkins. Nick Perkins, whose brother Steve Perkins was shot and killed by Decatur Police over four months ago, previously traveled to Montgomery to express why he feels body camera footage should be made public record.
Perkins says, "The importance of this bill is to actually give families a sense of relief, a sense of knowing what may or may not have happened to their loved one."
Although the bill died in committee, Perkins and Senator Coleman say they will continue to work to bring about the change necessary to create transparency with police body camera footage and accountability within Alabama police departments.
"Even though it didn't pass today, there were senators who expressed that they were interested in working with Senator Coleman to get it to a point to where it could be passed and it could be presented to the floor and possibly sent on to the governor to be signed," says Perkins.
