The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union unveiled a new smartphone app Tuesday. It lets users send videos of police encounters to the ACLU if they believe officers have violated their civil rights.
Staff Attorney Carolyna Manrique says the app forwards the video as soon as recording has been stopped. That way a version is saved even if the phone is confiscated or the video is deleted.
"Video footage can serve a crucial role in shining a light on a person's interaction with a police officer, and we have seen that play out throughout the country," she says.
David Robinette is a captain in the Greensboro Police Department. He says the department supports the app and points out that Greensboro patrol officers already wear body cameras. But he warns that context is important.
"Just as we are concerned about the due process of our citizens when they are arrested, we're also concerned about the due process for our officers when they've been accused," he says. "And that's why we would encourage people not to rush to judgment on a short clip of video that they have seen."
Similar apps have been released by ACLU affiliates in other states including New York, California and Michigan.
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