CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Transparency is the goal of many North Carolina police departments.

  • Amended legislation would allow city council members and county elected leaders to vote whether to view a video without court approval
  • The current law is something affecting many police departments in North Carolina
  • NC Bill 791 still has to go to committee

But in the past few weeks some say that's been a challenge in Charlotte. Under state law, the court is the one and only body that can decide whether to release body camera video to the public.

A bill co-sponsored by state representatives Kelly Alexander and John Faircloth wants to amend some of the law. It would allow city council members and county elected leaders to vote whether to view a video without court approval. The catch is they would have to watch the video behind closed doors and sign a confidentiality agreement.

While the issue is timely for Charlotte because of the discussion around body camera video in the police shooting of Danquirs Franklin, it's something affecting many police departments in North Carolina. It’s a reason Alexander said the state needs to get involved.

“It's the genesis of all of this to want to move this process from a fairly restrictive process to one that is more open,” said (D) Rep. Kelly Alexander.

The video could also be viewed by a citizen review board but the video would still have to go through the court before it went to the public.

NC Bill 791 still has to go to committee.