The American Civil Liberties Union has crafted a list of policy guidelines for the use of police body cameras after several law enforcement departments have instituted policies that lack pertinent rules and penalties.
The advocacy group said in a statement Thursday that it has found several police departments across the nation have adopted policies that undercut transparency by withholding information from the public and, in some cases, lack penalties for breaking the rules, said Chad Marlow, advocacy and policy counsel for the group.
The ACLU has listed its proposed guidelines in a model bill, which it says can be adopted by state legislatures, local governments and police departments.
Under the proposed model bill, the majority of the video footage from police cameras would only be retained for three months and strict rules would control when cops turn their cameras on and off, according to the statement. The bill also create privacy exceptions to protect victims and anonymous crime tipsters.
In addition, people who are inside a home for which no warrant has been served have the right to request that an officer switch off his camera, the statement shows.
“Policymakers nationwide have been asking for a plug-and-play model policy that shows them how to best balance the promotion of police accountability with the protection of privacy,” Mr. Marlow said. “This is precisely what the ACLU is offering them today.”
• Maggie Ybarra can be reached at mybarra@washingtontimes.com.
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