DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Police in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids are beginning to outfit officers with body cameras, but Iowa’s two largest cities have adopted significantly different rules for informing the public about the cameras and making the recordings public.
The cameras will record a variety of situations, including arrests, traffic stops and incidents requiring force.
Des Moines’ policy says the state’s open records law may require the release of body camera video, but it lays out exceptions, such as an ongoing investigation, The Des Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/2kmnmPm ) reported. The policy also says officers aren’t required to tell citizens if a body camera is present.
Cedar Rapids’ draft policy says the video is “non-public investigative police report information” that will be released only with the police chief’s approval. It says officers will tell people when they’re being recorded “whenever possible.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says the policy differences highlight why statewide legislation with one set of rules regarding public access to body camera footage is needed.
“Our bottom line is a body-camera policy that balances government transparency and individual privacy, which is why we need a statewide bill,” said ACLU of Iowa spokeswoman Veronica Fowler.
According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., more than 20 states have passed such legislation. Legislation has been proposed in more than 15 other states, including Iowa.
Des Moines is spending $1.6 million to outfit up to 300 officers with body cameras by the end of March, using money from city funds, drug forfeitures and private donations.
Within the coming weeks, Cedar Rapids police will begin wearing body cameras, which, a spokesman said, will work with the dashcam devices used in patrol cars.
“This is a good thing for both officers and the community to ensure that the truth actually comes out,” said Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP State Area Conference. “We know that body cameras won’t be able to completely solve all issues, but we do believe it’s a step in the right direction. Overall, the community is going to feel safer.”
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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