Body cameras – Page 2 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

D.C. Council to vote on public access to police video

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D.C. police may get the first green light for the proposed body camera program when the D.C. Council takes up compromise legislation allowing public access and lifting many but not all restrictions.

Calling it much improved from the total secrecy plans first proposed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in April and the modified ban outlined in September, the D.C. Open Government Coalition on Monday wrote all Council members with praise for the leadership of Judiciary Committee chair Kenyan McDuffie and offering final recommendations.

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Police body cameras spark debate about privacy in Tennessee

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As debates ramp up across the nation over the use of police body cameras, law enforcement officials have taken up a common refrain. Yes, police interact with civilians in public spaces, and those interactions should be recorded with body cameras.

But police work also involves being called to a person’s home on the worst day of his or her life, whether that’s to report domestic violence or a break-in.

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Pasadena police union weighs in on body camera policy

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The Pasadena Police Officers Association wants the city to use its existing policies related to audio and in-car video recordings when it places body-cameras on its officers next year.

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D.C. police won’t release body-camera images, panelists say

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Although D.C. police officials said one of the aims of its police body camera program was to increase the police's accountability to the public, the public has yet to view any of the footage after repeated public records requests, experts said at a recent panel discussion.

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State agency rejects request by cops to classify body camera footage as private

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A state agency has rejected a request by several Minnesota police departments to classify body camera footage as private, saying that state law should clarify how the data is handled in the wake of the fast-growing technology.

Law enforcement agencies had argued current state law did not adequately address the issue of addressing both a citizen’s right to privacy and the public’s right to information. Continue…

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Justice Dept. gives DC $1M for police body cameras

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The Justice Department has awarded the District of Columbia a $1 million grant to expand the police department’s body-worn camera program.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has proposed equipping 2,800 officers who regularly interact with the public with cameras. Continue…

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US announces $19M in grants to expand use of body cameras

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The Department of Justice awarded $19.3 million in grants this week to dozens of police departments seeking to start using body cameras but turned down a greater number of applicants hoping for federal aid to deploy the technology.

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D.C. mayor’s plan would limit access to police body-camera footage

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D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said Wednesday that she would allow police officials to withhold some footage captured by body cameras, a move that members of the D.C. Council said backtracked from a proposal she made last month that would have given the public more access to videos.

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Privacy often trumps transparency with police shooting videos

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Cameras mounted inside patrol cars captured every moment.

With their guns drawn, Gardena police officers screamed instructions at three men on the sidewalk. The officers warned them to keep their hands above their heads, mistakenly believing that they had been involved in a robbery.

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Seattle Police Held a Hackathon to Figure Out How to Redact Body Cam Video Streams

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Along with police departments in New York City and Los Angeles, Seattle police are preparing to test body cams on officers in the field. In an attempt to find a balance between releasing footage and redacting private details, Seattle police held a hackathon of Friday.

Discussion around whether law enforcement agents should wear body cams has surged in the months since the shooting of Michael Brown. And as funding comes through for pilot programs, it's increasingly important to answer question about how these devices will be implemented.

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