KCETs Award-Winning Weekly Series SOCAL CONNECTED Looks at Unanswered Questions Around the Growing Use of Body Cameras by Souern California Police Officers

KCETs Award-Winning Weekly Series SOCAL CONNECTED Looks at Unanswered Questions Around the Growing Use of Body Cameras

by Southern California Police Officers

BURBANK, Calif. - January 30, 2015 - SOCAL CONNECTED, KCETs Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series explores questions raised around the increased use of police body cameras. Conor Knighton reports the Los Angeles Police Department is planning to equip 7,000 officers with body cameras, but it is still developing guidelines around their use. Also, police officers in Hawthorne have purchased their own equipment and are using it even before official policies are in place. Finally, at a community meeting in Watts, citizens voice their opinions about body cameras, which may soon be standard equipment for police throughout Southern California. As police departments develop policies for the use of body cameras, many questions must be considered, including:

- When should the cameras be turned on and off?

- Should police view the video before writing their reports?

- Who has access to the video?

- Can the privacy of individuals be assured?

Based on stories from KCET.orgs Agenda. This segment airs on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 8 p.m.

This weeks SOCAL CONNECTED also features:

Underwater Killing Fields: Huge abandoned fishing nets that have settled on our ocean floors are virtual killing fields for seals, sharks and other sea life that get tangled in them. To rid Southern California waters of this hazard is a meticulous and labor-intensive task that few people are equipped to undertake. Reporter Angie Crouch profiles the remarkable work of the Ocean Defenders Alliance, a group of volunteers who make dangerous dives off the coast of Palos Verdes to save sea life.

From Gangbanger to Poet Laureate: By the time he was 13, he was running with gangs and addicted to heroin. At age 16, he was sitting in a jail cell and something changed. Reporter Jennifer Sabih profiles writer Luis Rodriguez, recently named the Poet Laureate for the City of Los Angeles. His best-selling memoir, Always Running, launched his career and has helped hundreds of troubled youth. But can Rodriguez do for his own son what he has done for scores of other young people? Based on stories from KCET.orgs Departures.

From Boys to Men: Approximately 1,000 black youth are arrested every day in the U.S., most of them young men. What can be done to steer them in the right direction? Call to Adventure takes black teens from the inner city to the Malibu Hills, challenging them with a daunting rope course that forces them to take risks and trust others.

Broadcast Premiere Date: Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m.

Repeated: Friday, February 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m.

SOCAL CONNECTED is anchored by 16-time Emmy -Award winner, Val Zavala. Contributors include science journalist Cara Santa Maria, reporters Derrick Shore, Jennifer Sabih, Conor Knighton, documentary filmmaker Nic Cha Kim and writer Nick Hardcastle.

The television broadcast executive producer for SOCAL CONNECTED is Val Zavala; digital executive producer is Zach Behrens; and Linda Burns is senior producer.

ABOUT SOCAL CONNECTED

SOCAL CONNECTED, winner of a Peabody and two duPont Awards, 23 Emmy Awards, 24 Golden Mikes, 48 LA Press Club Awards, two Gracie Awards, and four regional and one national Edward R. Murrow Awards, including Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazines Best New Local TV Program of 2009, airs exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to leave comments, please visit www.socalconnected.org. SOCAL CONNECTED is made possible through the generous support of The Ahmanson Foundation, Chapman University and the MaddocksBrown Foundation.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and childrens programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of KCETLink.

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