National News
New NC rule on police body camera videos coming
February 12, 2015 posted by Steve Brownstein
A new state body camera video rule, spurred in part by conflict over Asheville police taping public events, is on its way.
Whether the rule, which mandates a minimum retention period for the videos, is good for civil liberties remains to be seen, an ACLU attorney said.
Around the country, the number of police wearing body cameras has jumped since the shooting of unarmed residents by law enforcement officers and ensuing protests in places such as Ferguson, Missouri, last year.
Police are trying to come to grips with privacy questions that arise when cameras go into homes or record sensitive conversations. Agencies have implemented policies on the fly over when cameras must be turned on and off, how to store the videos, and how to comply with public records laws.
In North Carolina, the state's Cultural Resources Department sets schedules on how long public records must be retained. But no rule exists for police body camera videos. Now, in part because of inquires by Asheville city officials, the department is set to pass a 30-day retention schedule for the videos, said Becky McGee-Lankford, head of the department's government records section. The rule could be ready within two weeks.
