The eye in the sky doesn’t lie. This phrase is especially applicable to the mandatory use of officer body cameras. Body cameras are bad for the bad guys and good for the good guys, regardless of skin color, background, the bad guy’s job or the good guy’s job. Cameras are objective and treat every political group, race, and socio-economic status equally. All good cops and lawful citizens are protected and all criminals can be held accountable equally through the mandatory use of officer body and dash cameras. After all, the eye in the sky doesn’t lie.
On September 23rd, the unelected Maricopa County Attorney, Allister Adel, announced that she used her incredible power as head of the 3rd largest prosecutorial agency in the country to write a letter to the state legislature calling for laws that would require body cameras. Perhaps someone should inform Adel that she is, in fact, in charge of the agency and that she herself has the power to make that change through her partnership with the police agencies in her jurisdiction.
Sending a letter to legislators was a hollow public demonstration that creates a false appearance of supporting real justice. Her action confirms that she lacks the experience, skill and will to lead the 3rd largest prosecutorial agency in the United States. Her letter highlights that she is not interested in real change or progress, but is simply a political hack more interested in PR during an election year than in providing Arizona’s families, victims, officers and those charged with crimes maximum protection and access to the best and most objective evidence: audio and video that isn’t open to interpretation or political influence. If she really wanted mandated officer body cameras and not PR, she would already be taking direct action to get them; she doesn’t need the legislature.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has the power to require the objective evidence of body cameras before charging a case rather than relying on the subjective testimony of an officer.
A real leader — one with experience, skill, and will — would not write a meaningless letter encouraging a proven dysfunctional legislature to solve a problem that the Maricopa County Attorney and other justice departments across the state already have the power to solve. A real leader would work directly with the heads of police agencies to ensure body and dash cameras are utilized. Community safety, victim protection, due process protections, and officer safety and integrity are advanced with this common sense approach.
It’s fair to question a politician’s motives for writing a politically self-serving letter while knowing it accomplishes nothing. It’s fair to ask why Adel would choose to write a letter when she has direct access to the heads of the state legislature. It’s fair to question her integrity in writing such a letter when she has the existing power and authority, as the head of the 3rd largest prosecutorial agency in the United States, to enact this change through the policies and practices of the office she runs and seeks to run for the next 4 years. Perhaps she doesn’t understand the role of a prosecutor. Perhaps she lacks the experience to do more than write a meaningless letter. Perhaps she simply lacks the skill or will to enact policies and practices that advance the principles of transparency, equality, and justice.
Perhaps she, like many other politicians, is owned by special interests. And perhaps the special interests who own her don’t want real change, but will allow her the hollow symbol of a public letter in an effort to achieve re-election. Perhaps the special interests who own her want to falsely blame any inaction on the legislature rather than take accountability for the injustices they are knowingly perpetuating for their own financial gain.
Maricopa County citizens deserve leaders who use their power to do something other than write letters asking someone else to solve issues they already have the power to solve. This letter wasn’t for the legislators; Adel already has other ways to communicate with the state legislature. This letter was political theatre and it insults the intelligence of every Maricopa citizen. We all deserve real leaders — not imposters who use the power of their positions to write politically symbolic letters.
The eye in the sky doesn’t lie. Adel continues to demonstrate she lacks the experience, skill, or will to run the 3rd largest prosecutorial agency in the Country and her feckless letter demonstrates that.
Matt Long is a Tempe kid, a Mesa father, a former prosecutor, and a trial attorney.
