Insurers force change on police departments long resistant to it

[TexasTowelie]

30. There is a difference between an insurance requirement and bodycams.

Individual LEOs do not have to contribute money for bodycams, but insurance requirements do place a financial burden on individuals. Law enforcement agencies would most likely have to increase the pay to LEOs to offset those requirements. However, the pay raises to LEOs would eventually fall to the taxpayer.

Risk pools like the one which St. Ann is a member do have the advantage of being able to offer lower insurance premium since the risks are passed upon a larger base which includes the "good cops." If liability is switched to individual LEOs then as the costs are passed along the chain (such as increasing LEO pay) it will actually increase the burden on taxpayers.

It will also increase the amount of administrative work at LEO agencies since someone will have to monitor compliance to verify that the coverage hasn't lapsed and that policies are renewed after each policy term. From an administrative point of view, think about the reminder notices that will be sent before the end of the policy term, to LEOs with lapse policies, the process of terminating officers that don't comply with the requirement, and any reporting requirements that the local agencies may have to either the state or federal levels.

Initially, it sounds like a good idea to have the individual officers hold responsibility. However, if you examine the complexities and economic impact it becomes apparent that there are a lot of kinks and additional expenses that will need to be addressed to make the suggestion feasible.