St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway to co-chair national body camera task force

ST. PETERSBURG — Police Chief Tony Holloway was appointed co-chair of a national task force on body cameras, the subject of intense debate across the country as Americans increasingly scrutinize the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.

Holloway joins Sheriff Susan Pamerleau from Bexar County in Texas to lead the American Bar Association's Task Force on Body Cameras.

The purpose? To review how law enforcement agencies use the cameras and to identify best practices. Many have called for body cameras to enhance accountability following police killings in places like Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Holloway has avoided bringing body cameras to St. Petersburg even as other local agencies, including the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and Tampa police, acquire them. The St. Petersburg chief has raised concerns about issues including privacy and data storage.

In a statement announcing the appointment Wednesday, he reiterated his stance: "Body cameras in and of themselves will not automatically instill trust and confidence in law enforcement, but they certainly have the potential to play an important role in achieving that goal if properly utilized."