A body-worn camera program may operate under one agency policy, one technology platform, and one set of expectations. That does not necessarily mean those expectations will be experienced or applied identically across every district, shift, work unit, or supervisory chain. Two body-worn camera audits released in 2026 by Philadelphia’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission provide a useful illustration of the governance issue. In April, CPOC released an audit of the Philadelphi

Periodic audits play an important role in a body-worn camera program. They can provide leadership with independent confirmation that specific statutory, policy, data-management, and operational requirements are being met. But an audit and a governance system do not answer the same question. The recently released South Lake Minnetonka Police Department 2026 Body Worn Camera Audit provides a useful illustration of that distinction. The Minnesota Security Consortium conducted th