In Camden County, new policies clearly state that it's not up to an individual patrol officer to decide when to turn on a body camera.
As unwavering as this space has been in support of police dashboard and body-worn cameras, an absence of clearly spelled-out limitations on the recording systems can create a sort of Wild Wild West.
The Camden County Police Department, whose Metro Division serves exclusively the City of Camden, just finished creating a far-ranging set of camera policies, accomplished with admirable input from the community and established law-enforcement experts.
The finished rules were released last week. They can be found in full at camdencountypd.org/body-worn-cameras. They're a good template for other police departments that are undergoing this video revolution. In addition to holding a public forum in March, Camden County utilized resident and officer surveys, and engaged the help of the Policing Project of the New York University School of Law.
The basic tenets are a lot like those of sound journalism: Who, what when, where and why. The rules say the cameras are to be used at every interaction, with several mostly justifiable exceptions. The cameras aren't to be turned on for encounters with undercover officers (for security reasons), in restrooms or locker rooms (for privacy reasons), or during officer-to-officer conversations.
The important concept is that the cameras' use is "not discretionary" with the officer for such incidents as vehicle stops, shootings, searches, witness interviews and arrests. The devices are to be turned on "without unnecessary delay upon being dispatched."
Unless conditions are unsafe, an officer must tell a subject that an incident is being recorded. Civilians involved may ask that the camera be turned off, and the cop must comply, but only if the civilian gives a reason other than mere preference. (That provision seems to be overly malleable; other towns may wish to state the conditions more clearly.)
Then, there is what happens to the recorded video. Playback is to be only by departmental personnel, only for official purposes, including training and obtaining intelligence. Recordings that are not in use as evidence or for investigations must be erased from servers after 90 days -- a rule that addresses concerns about unjustifiably long data retention.
While the rules address body-worn-cameras only, they can be adapted for dashboard cameras that some rural and suburban departments prefer, since most of their policing is done with patrol cars. Dashcams can also provide a better perspective of a scene than the body cameras.
It would be best if departments deployed both kinds of cameras, but since a state law that used fines to fund the systems was overturned, affordability is an issue. Lawmakers should find another way to help departments buy cameras, one that won't be tossed out out as an "unfunded mandate" on towns.
Camden, which has 70 officers with body cams, is off to a good start. When every New Jersey police department has the cameras, along with appropriate rules, this will be a safer state for officer and civilian alike.
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