Missouri Lawmakers Consider Police Bias, Body Camera Bills

Missouri lawmakers are grappling with how to address questions of racial bias in policing and how to manage body camera footage.

A Senate panel heard two proposals Tuesday to establish more rigorous reporting requirements for police encounters, including more details on what happened during a stop and more specific descriptions of people involved.

Democratic Sen. Jamilah Nasheed said the bills would help restore trust in law enforcement.

Sheldon Lineback of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association said requiring police to fill out reports every time they interact with a pedestrian could discourage officers from interacting with their community.

The committee also is considering a Republican-sponsored bill that would classify footage from police body cameras and dashboard cameras as nonpublic records until an investigation is closed. The House is considering similar legislation.