All You Need to Know About Body-Worn Cameras

All police departments and similar state departments use body cameras for a variety of purposes. This blog post will enlighten the readers with a few important details pertaining to these cameras.

What Are Body-Worn Cameras?

Body-worn cameras are digital video cameras that are powered by small batteries. They are usually much smaller in size than most digital video cameras you’ll find in the market. Law enforcement officers in different departments of the state may attach these small cameras anywhere on their clothes to record certain events. It’s up to the user to activate the recording whenever needed. Usually, when the shift ends, officers leave their body-worn cameras at the docking station, which they control. All the recorded videos are uploaded to a cloud-based storage system when needed.

Are Officers Taught to Use Them?

All police officers and other government employees who are given these cameras also receive essential training on operating these cameras. They are also taught how to run the video management software associated with the camera. Moreover, police officers are also required to be aware of NYPD’s policies and rules pertaining to the use of body cameras.

Why Do Police Officers Need Body-Worn Cameras?

 

Providing police officers and similar government officials with body-worn cameras can help increase the accountability of both the officers and the public they are dealing with. These cameras allow the authorities to keep an eye on public interactions with the officers on a daily basis. These footage from these cameras plays a key role as evidence during investigations. Supervisors or department heads can view these videos to determine accountability and promote healthy interactions between the public and law-enforcement agencies.

Using body-worn cameras or making it mandatory for law enforcement officers can improve their accountability and help de-escalate many potentially volatile encounters with the public. When both the officials and the public are aware that they are being recorded, they are less likely to do anything against the law.

When Are the Officials Instructed to Turn On the Body-worn Camera?

As mentioned earlier, body-worn cameras aren’t turned on all the time. It’s the responsibility of the officers to turn them on whenever the need arises. They aren’t required in all situations, and it’s not mandatory to record every interaction with the people. However, the use of body-worn cameras is mandatory by law in certain situations, such as whenever an officer is using force. Here’s a complete list of scenarios in which police officers and other officials of law-enforcement agencies are required to turn on their body-worn cameras:

• During all arrests and summonses
• During all their interactions with anyone who’s a suspect of any criminal activity
• During all types of search missions
• During their search of individuals as well as property
• During any emergency call to a crime scene
• During some investigative actions
• During all their interactions with any emotionally disturbed individual

Officers aren’t required to turn on their cameras during certain sensitive encounters. For instance, if they’re in conversation with an informant, interviewing any victim who doesn’t wish to reveal their identity, or during a strip search.

Are Officers Required By Law to Inform People that They Are Recording?

It’s mandatory by law that officers must inform the individuals that they are being recorded. However, if notifying people will have any significant effect on the purpose of investigation, or threaten anyone’s safety, then officers may record covertly. The officers aren’t required by law to seek an individual’s permission before recording them.

 

When Are the Officers Allowed to Turn Off Their Camera?

According to the law, it’s mandatory to record the entire event for any of the above-mentioned cases. However, an officer may switch off the camera upon the request of an individual if it doesn’t defeat the purpose of the investigation. It’s also advised to keep the camera turned on if there’s any threat present.

When Are the Recordings Release by NYPD?

NYPD releases the recordings to the concerned authorities as soon as possible. For instance, if the video is pertaining to any criminal case, the video is soon handed over to the prosecutor who has jurisdiction over the concerned matter.

Can General Public Access the Videos Released by NYPD?

On the basis of the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), an individual is entitled to request access to the recordings of body-worn cameras. The law binds NYPD to provide video in all cases unless it’s prohibited by law due to any specific reason.

Are Body-worn Camera Videos Published for Public Access?

NYPD releases body-worn camera videos for public access after 30 days of the incident. However, it may take even longer for some cases due to certain reasons such as court orders, the complexity of the case, privacy concerns, or any other reasons. Sometimes, NYPD may also grant the concerned civilians or their families some time to view the video before it’s made public. In some cases, if the release of video can lead to chaos or mass protests, the NYPD may delay its release.

NYPD can also release other forms of evidence along with the video to further provide the context of the incident. For instance, if the video shows use of lethal force by a police officer, NYPD may provide any other relevant evidence to explain what led to the event. NYPD may also redate the faces of civilians, bystanders, and witnesses to protect their privacy and prevent them from any possible threats. The unedited version remains with NYPD and any other investigative authorities for further investigation and record keeping.

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