Body-worn cameras by law enforcement raise myriad legal, policy questions
In some areas, such as Duluth Minn., where officials are fighting to keep private a video of a police shooting, it may be the legislature that winds up tackling some of these questions.
Leaders of the American Civil Liberties Union also question in a recent op-ed piece in The Seattle Times whether the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement create more problems than they resolve. The cameras offer a limited vantage point—it is only the officer’s point of view—and typically are turned on and off at the officer’s discretion. The ACLU endorses an “always-on policy” for the law enforcement.
“To date, no police department in (the state of Washington) has proposed policies or guidelines that adequately address the many concerns raised by body cameras,” ACLU Executive Director Kathleen Taylor and Technology and Liberty Director Jared Friend wrote in the opinion piece. “Before adopting body cameras as a fix for police misconduct, let’s consider very carefully what the devices are going to do for us, and to us.”