Business Minds

CAMPUS SAFETY MEASURES. AN INITIATIVE TO BUILD TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OBVIOUSLY. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. WE COULD HOLD OUR OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE. THE TRANSPARENCY WHEN PEOPLE SEE THOSE CAMERAS THAT WERE WEARING, THEY MAY PERSUADE THEM TO ACT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. SO THAT HELPS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SEE THAT THEYRE ACTUALLY BEING FILMED, THEIR BEHAVIOR MIGHT CHANGE AS WELL. THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL NOW WEAR BODY CAMERAS STARTING THIS FALL. ITS JUST ANOTHER TOOL FOR GATHERING EVIDENCE. OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED IN 3 TO 6 MONTHS. SO WHAT WERE GOING TO END UP DOING IS PLACING OR PROMOTING ANOTHER LIEUTENANT. AND THAT LIEUTENANT HE OR SHE WILL BE FIRST COMING UP WITH THE OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THESE CAMERAS. GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM SIGNING THE PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY BILL INTO LAW BACK IN 2020. THE LAW REQUIRES NEW MEXICO POLICE OFFICERS TO WEAR BODY CAMERAS. UNM PD LIEUTENANT LARRY BITSUI TELLS US CAMPUS POLICE WERE EXEMPT. WE WERE EXEMPT. NOT ONLY CAMPUS POLICE, BUT ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE IS TRIBAL POLICE. THE OPEN CAMPUS, NESTLED BETWEEN LOMAS AND CENTRAL, HAS FACED CHALLENGES OVER THE YEARS. IT DOES REALLY PROTECT THE STUDENTS AND SHOW THE EVIDENCE. ALSO OF WHAT HAPPENED. THIS STUDENT TELLING US ITS A GREAT IDEA AND ALSO NECESSARY AT TIMES LIKE THESE, HAVING A BODY CAM WOULD ALSO PREVENT A LOT OF THINGS. SO IT GOES BOTH WAYS. FOR THOSE GOOD COPS AND BAD COPS AT THE SAME TIME. ONE OTHER STUDENT SHARES THE SAME SENTIMENTS, BUT WONDERS WHAT TOOK SO LONG. I KIND OF THOUGHT THEY ALREADY HAD THEM. LIKE ALL THE CONTROVERSY WITH POLICE HAPPENING. POLICE ARE AN IMPORTANT GROUP OF PEOPLE TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SAFETY FOR YOU KNOW, CITIZENS. BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL GETS MISUSED A LOT. YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR POSITION, THEIR STATUS. SO PROVIDING THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF HAVING A BODY CAM IS JUST IT KEEPS EVERYONE KIND OF SAFE. SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE NOW ASKING FOR PUBLIC INPUT FROM NOW UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15TH.