A look at Arizona policing changes 1 year after Ferguson

PHOENIX — It has been nearly a year since a police officer shot Michael Brown to death in Ferguson, Missouri. The ripple effect of the killing led to legislative changes throughout the nation.

According to a report by the Associated Press, 24 states have tried to enact more than 40 laws related to policing issues since the shooting.

“Whether it’s trying to (put) body cameras on police officers or people wanting to expand gun laws,” Arizona political expert Jaimie Molera said.

“You tend to have a lot of these kinds of things after these kinds of tragedies.”

The state saw several pieces of legislation introduced shortly after the Aug. 9, 2014 incident occurred.

“Quite frankly, a lot of times when you have events that capture a lot of the public attention, that’s when you tend to have folks scrutinize those particular policies or issues,” Molera said.

One bill aimed to keep hidden the names of officers involved in shootings; it was vetoed. Another created a law enforcement body camera study committee. Its findings are expected to be released by the end of the year.