Use of police bodycams has potential to enhance public trust

In techdirt, July 22, 2015, Mike Masnick holds that the use of police body cams can only improve transparency and public trust in law enforcement if the footage is free of tampering. Questions have surfaced about the recently released video of the arrest of Sandra Bland in Texas that many think was edited.

A video forensics expert said the footage appeared to be edited possibly using a technique called “sanitizing,” whereby the video is edited without deleting any of the audio. (Wired, July6 22, 2015, by Alessandra Ram)

A number of organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union have published guidelines for the use of police body cameras. The policies are designed to keep the police from editing on the scene by turning the cameras off and on. The policies also protect the privacy of the public including that of potential witnesses and allow public access to footage. (ACLU, by Jay Stanley)

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, July 23, 2015, is providing an online map of police bodycam laws and policies of over 100 police departments across the country. The map is intended to promote the best practices on the use of bodycams and public access to footage.