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2 Why Body Worn Cameras? • Due to recent national events, the use of body worn cameras (BWC) has quickly emerged as a topic of discussion in many communities and police departments. • The expectation of video footage in police related incidents has become a new reality. • BWC Legislation, enacted August 1st, 2016, requires agencies implementing a BWC Program to adhere to strict policy requirements, when adopting and implementing them. • Used in conjunction with our Panasonic “in squad cameras” and Panasonic system cameras, to be installed in booking and processing areas, we will have full system compatibility and continuity with regard to officer/citizen contacts. • St. Anthony Police Officer philosophy has been, “We want cameras, and we don’t want to work without them.” This has been true for in squad cameras (since 2011) and has been echoed by officers in regard to BWC. • The BWC policy, much like other policies, will be a living document. Due to changes in technology, case law and identified need, the police department will have to continually strive to ensure we are following best practices. • BWC’s can: 1. Help to strengthen and enhance transparency and accountability. 2. Provide an audio and visual record of interactions that can capture evidence, during stressful, tense, rapidly developing situations. 3. Potentially reduce public complaints and use of force reports. • IACP study reports 93% decrease in complaints nationwide. The Benefits of BWC’s include: • Cameras are an unbiased witness to capture the event and behavior of an officer (s), individual/suspect/witness. • Increases transparency and accountability of officers. • May help provide valuable evidence in obtaining accurate witness and victim statements. • Video footage captured may help speed up court proceedings by providing indisputable proof of situations. This may lead to a reduction in court expenses due to an increase in pre-trial plea bargains or possibly an increased rate of convictions. • Video footage captured will aid in officer training and after action review of calls for service. Concerns with BWC’s (Items to consider): • According to early versions of policies governing their use, law enforcement officers must physically activate the camera when they exit their patrol car. The recording equipment must be manually activated when interacting with civilians or recording statements during investigations. However, officers decide when to activate the camera, and for how long the footage is stored, and if and when it should be made accessible to public. For example, the camera can be 20