April 30, 2016
Body-Worn Cameras are changing the face of policing in America. Almost every police agency in the country has either deployed them, is in the process of deploying them or is exploring their feasibility. What role do they play in what are arguably the most high risk – high liability operations conducted by a police department? Should they be standard issue? When are they activated? Do the activities they record reveal operational sensitive information? What happens when these recordings are subject to public records requests or are used in court? Failure to answer these questions, and a host of others associated with their use on tactical teams, may result in negative consequences for an agency. Waiting to answer them in the aftermath of a controversial event places the agency in a defensive posture. Don’t wait. Plan now for what role, if any, body-worn cameras will play in your tactical team operations.