EFF: California Should Provide Public Access to Police Body Cam Footage
California Should Provide Public Access to Police Body Cam Footage These days, more police officers are using body-worn cameras, or BWCs. That’s why it’s more important than ever we have clear guidelines around the public’s right to access those police recordings. To that end, EFF is supporting [ PDF ] A.B. 748, a bill currently pending in the California legislature that would mandate public access to police recordings of so-called “critical incidents.” In 2015, following high-profile police shootings of civilians, a survey found that 95 percent of large police departments were planning to use them in the future. Body-worn cameras can serve a valuable function in increasing police accountability. Without proper policies, though, they can also be use to surveil people who interact with police, or those who may not be aware that filming is taking place. BWCs can’t function as a proper police accountability tool unless the public has a clear right of access to police video and audio...