Over the last few years, use by law enforcement of body cameras has exploded. Body cameras can have some significant benefits to law enforcement and the community; they can help protect against police misconduct, can protect law enforcement against false allegations of abuse, and can help police and the public glean lessons from the positive and negative interactions between law enforcement and the community every day. At the same time, police body cameras can have significant drawbacks. Absent the right protections – including assurances as to when the cameras may be turned on and off, when and how the information collected by the cameras may be used, and who may have access to it – body cameras can ineffectual or invade the privacy of people at their most vulnerable moments.
In February, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in support of legislation laying out the acceptable use of body cameras and placing restrictions on the use and release of the collected data. The ACLU noted the importance of having a statewide law regarding body camera use, to ensure all police departments use the cameras in the same predictable manner, and urged the General Assembly to adopt such legislation before body camera programs go into effect in Rhode Island. Unfortunately, the bill died without receiving a vote.
