Minneapolis police are changing body worn camera policy to prevent officers from turning off recordings when an event is in progress
“Strengthening accountability and increasing transparency have been cornerstones of our community safety work,” Mayor Frey said in the joint statement. “This update helps leadership provide a more complete and accurate picture during and after incidents, and puts officers in a better position to hold each other accountable.”
The latest policy, which is slated to take effect February 4, “is designed to increase accountability and transparency within MPD,” the statement said.
“We’ve seen as a community and as a police force, body camera footage increasingly plays a crucial role in understanding critical events in our community,” Chief Arradondo said. “Accountability is not achieved with any single solution, but changes like this move us toward an even more transparent approach to public safety and building trust with the communities we serve.”
Under this policy update, any conversations between officers captured in the footage regarding their performance or tactics can still be redacted prior to public release, according to the statement.
This isn’t the first time the Minneapolis Police Department has updated its body worn camera policy in the wake of an officer involved death.
Officers were also required to turn on their cameras when they began to travel to a call for service and prior to any law enforcement action. The policy specifically required body cameras to be activated prior to “any contact with a reporting person, victim, suspect or witness.”