A trending topic among this year’s Law Enforcement & Public Safety (LEAPS) Technology Forum speakers was lawful access for national security.
The event, hosted by AFCEA’s Bethesda Chapter, took place on May 10 at the National Press Club.
Opening keynote speaker Robert Brown, executive assistant director for the FBI Science and Technology (S&T) branch, pointed at a photo taken in the summer of 2020 of a lone cop being surrounded—and protected—by protesters. Though the photo highlights a moment of hope in a time of extreme crisis, Brown pointed out that the important factor is building back the community’s trust.
“Obviously, a lot has changed since [that] summer, we weren’t using body-worn cameras back then, we should have 20 years ago,” Brown stated.
The lack of necessary equipment was similarly pointed out by Matthew Feinberg, section chief in the field operations section for the FBI. “This is more than an equipment problem,” Feinberg said. “We’re talking about the enclaves and information flow.”
Body-worn cameras are not considered a new technology; however, they have not been quickly adapted by the FBI, though they have been an industry standard for years, according to the speakers.
President Biden’s push for body-worn cameras has caused the successful roll out of the equipment being used by every FBI agent in New York, Miami, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and soon to be Texas and more cities and states nationwide.
