Body cameras for police worth the price

By Christian Wesley

Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015 | 2 a.m.

What’s on our teenagers’ minds? In its 59th year, the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum is intended to answer just that question. The annual gathering, which this year attracted about 1,000 students, provided an opportunity for public high school juniors and seniors to discuss issues of the day in groups of 40 or so students and was moderated by a community leader. Each group selected one of its participants to reflect on the experience. This column is written by Christian Wesley, a senior at Cimarron-Memorial High School. His group’s topic was “Law and Crime.” Publisher and Editor Brian Greenspun is turning over his “Where I Stand” column to these young adults, who have something to say.

At the Sun Youth Forum, students from throughout the Clark County School District came together to discuss local, state, national and global issues. Some of the topics that were discussed were “School Days,” “Home is Nevada” and “Around the World.” The participants in my room discussed law and crime, with the Honorable Judge Carl Hoffman as our moderator. Issues such as police officers and illegal immigrants were notable topics that triggered the most controversy and debate.

Body cameras on police officers and police relationships with different races led to the most heated discussion. The consensus was that police should wear body cameras, but there was some controversy about them. How much would it cost to supply the cameras? Would there be an invasion of privacy for the police officers? Would they have the camera on all the time or just out in the field? Would the camera hinder the officer’s ability to protect? It was concluded by the students that no evidence suggests the officers are hindered in any way by wearing body cameras during duty hours. The students also concluded that it’s the police officer’s job to protect and serve, and if the camera is a part of the job, then there shouldn’t be any privacy issues. The cost of a camera is minimal and could be paid for with a slight increase in taxes. In reality, the camera is there to protect not just the officer but the civilian as well. It allows people to see both sides of a story in a situation, leaving no room for controversy or doubt about a confrontation between an officer and a civilian.

As for the police officers and their relationship with people of different races, the students decided on two simple solutions: First, have partners of different races who would rotate after a set period of time to keep the officers experiencing diverse cultures and ethnic groups. The second solution is that police officers should have some on-the-job training in the neighborhoods they work. They should talk to residents who live there and become well known so that the officers wouldn’t be thought to be such a bad entity in different neighborhoods.

Students discussed what should happen to immigrants who entered the United States illegally, which is a controversial subject in the nation today. What made it such an interesting debate was that the majority of students in my room wanted to make the process of becoming an United States citizen easier so that the issue of people coming to the United States illegally would become irrelevant. Or to have a type of “Border School” in all border states where immigrants would be taught English, U.S. government and the Constitution, and how to live in our society. After they finished this “school” they would be able to be nationalized as a United States citizen. It was a serious conversation because most of the students in the room could either relate to it or had a friend or family member who is currently or has been in the situation, making this an extremely relevant discussion.

The Sun Youth Forum was a chance for students to share our opinions. It was also a chance for adults to listen and take in what the younger generation has to say about issues that we will have to deal with in the near future. I am proud to say that I was able to participate in such a worthwhile event and to hear different opinions from kids my own age.