POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE: JUST ANOTHER PUBLIC RECORD

" ... Body cam programs can only fulfill this promise, however, if the public has access to the footage. Without public access, police officers lose the incentive to improve their behavior, abuses remain unseen or contested, and, at worst, the footage turns into a tool of surveillance. With public access, on the other hand, observers can monitor police conduct, the media can serve as a watchdog, the public can encourage police departments to adopt reasonable policies regarding video footage retention, and the nation as a whole can identify and stop entrenched systems of misconduct or abuse. Recent events highlight the critical role that video footage can play in exposing and changing police practices. In the cases of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Walter Scott, video footage provided evidence of police brutality that contradicted official accounts, generated media attention, and in some cases enabled prosecution of police officers. 6 Rather than ensure transparency for body cam footage, however, at least 30 states across the country are considering new statutes to limit public access to the footage. 7 These bills seek to exempt body cam footage from established public records laws, removing them from the traditional Freedom of Information Law framework ..."