Madison police chief leaves for Seattle with body cam goal unfinished

As Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes wrapped up his last week working for the city, one of his major goals — department-wide body cameras — remains a work in progress.

Barnes’ last day as Madison’s police chief was Thursday. He will soon lead Seattle’s police department.

A vocal advocate for body-worn cameras, he said he hopes city leaders come together to implement them in his absence.

“We’re the only department our size in the region — not just the state, but in the region — that does not have body-worn (cameras),” Barnes said in an interview with WPR. “Which means either we got it right and everyone else got it wrong, or perhaps, maybe there’s something that we’re missing.”

For years, Madison has held off on adopting body cameras for its police. City leaders have weighed mixed research on their efficacy, privacy concerns and their potential to improve public trust.

Barnes tried to increase support over his about four years leading Madison’s police department. He said body cams can be a tool for accountability, both for the public and civilians. 

“And it’s really a small price to pay for some assurance that if there’s a disparate outcome that we can try to piece together what may or may not have happened,” Barnes said.

Barnes was hoping to work with the Common Council and mayor this year to fund full deployment of the cameras in his department. 

In 2023, the Common Council green-lit a 90-day body cam pilot with about 40 officers in Madison’s north district. Barnes helped launch the pilot in April 2024, and reported the results to city leaders in the fall. 

The department found officers didn’t change their behavior while wearing the cameras but that they could help build public trust. 

Barnes encouraged the next chief to pursue a full body cam rollout, but he said they will need buy-in from city leaders like the mayor and Common Council to fund it.

“I think it’s time. You know, the technology has been around for a very long time. The benefit is that we’ve allowed everyone else to be the guinea pig,” he said. “I think now is a great time to buy the product.”

Assistant Chief John Patterson will lead Madison police as interim chief in Barnes’ absence.