When Denver Police Department’s leaders talk about their plans to field 800 body cameras within the force, they repeatedly talk about the credibility and transparency the cameras will bring.
Yet, questions loom about how the footage will be used, including whether videos only will be released when it benefits the department while damning videos never see the light of day.
Others are concerned about privacy issues of those caught on camera.
And there are some who so distrust the department’s officers that they are convinced bad cops will find ways to avoid recording public interaction.
Those are important questions, critics say.
Denise Maes, public policy director for the ACLU-Colorado, said her organization supports the body camera program because it can improve police accountability and oversight.
“However, the cameras can only be effective if good and clear policies are in effect,” she said.
In late August, Denver Police Chief Robert White announced his intention to request $1.5 million to outfit 800 body cameras for his traffic and patrol officers.
Just two months into a six-month pilot project with the University of Cambridge and Taser International, White is convinced the body cameras will be another step toward improving his department’s public image
“The body cameras are one of those tools that speak to our credibility,” he said.
The public, though, wants more clarity on how the footage will be used.
Document: Read the Denver Police Departments body camera policy
On Thursday night, about two dozen people attended a forum where two police commanders explained the cameras and the department’s policy for using them.
Throughout the night, people questioned who has access, who can delete or edit videos and who decides when the public can see the footage.
“We’ve seen elsewhere where footage is really hard to get access to when people feel their rights have been violated,” said Tania Soto Valenzuela of the Colorado Progressive Coalition. “We really want to work on how we can have equal access to those videos.”
Benjamin Donlon, a 27-year-old Denver resident and homeless advocate, said he was concerned about accountability and wanted assurance that officers and their commanders would not alter video to protect their public images.
“The accountability process will be controlled by those committing the abuses,” Donlon said. “I feel that is a problem.”
The Denver Police Department’s policy is modeled after those written by agencies already using the cameras.
A camera constantly records on a 30-second loop but the footage is not saved until the officer manually turns it on. The prior 30-second loop of video is then saved along with everything recorded until the officer turns off his camera.
Officers are required to turn on their cameras in almost every interaction with the public and leave them on until the event is stabilized or over. They do have some discretion, however, such as when discussing a private medical issue. Citizens also may request officers turn their cameras off, but officers must announce that request on camera before shutting it off.
When officers finish a shift, they leave their cameras in a docking station where footage is uploaded and the batteries are recharged. Officers cannot edit or download their footage, said Cmdr. Megan Dodge, who is overseeing the pilot project.
The footage, which is stored in the cloud, is accessible on a website maintained by Taser International. The only people with access to the website are the police department’s internal affairs investigators and detectives who build criminal cases for court and Dodge.
If Nick Mitchell, Denver’s independent monitor, wants to view footage, it would be given to him by the internal affairs bureau, Dodge said. And, the Denver District Attorney’s Office and the city attorney’s office could request footage for cases they are working on, she said.
But the police won’t be handing out copies of footage to everyone who asks.
“Certainly, there are privacy issues with individuals that have to be weighed as well as confidential information from ongoing investigations,” Dodge said.
In an e-mail to The Denver Post, police officials said a video’s release to the public will be on a case-by-case basis. Several factors would have to be weighed, including the public purpose served by releasing a video.
DOCUMENT: Denver Police body camera policy
The decision on when and what to release rests with the chief, according to the department’s written policy.
“A lot of these are evidence,” Dodge said at the meeting, “and they are of a nature where we could run into juveniles or sexual assault victims so the videos need to be maintained by law enforcement.”
One concern is the punishment that will be levied if an officer deliberately turns the camera off. Those who deliberately turn off a camera or consistently forget to use it will be punished, Dodge said.
Rabbi Steven Foster, a member of Denver’s Citizen Oversight Board, said the police department needs to issue a disciplinary policy so the public knows exactly what the punishment will be.
“I’ve heard several times now that, ‘We will deal with that officer,'” Foster said. “You have to put something out there other than ‘we’ll decide.'”
Maes shared the same concern, saying the police department’s existing policy has no enforcement plan.
“This requirement must have some teeth in it,” she said.
After Thursday’s meeting, Dodge acknowledged the concerns and pledged that the department would be transparent and fair while protecting privacy.
“This is a new technology around the country,” Dodge said. “There are a lot of questions about privacy. There are a lot of questions about trust. It’s not just in Denver. We could wait until everyone else has done it or we can be on the forefront of developing this technology.”
Noelle Phillips: 303-954-1661, nphillips@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Noelle_Phillips
Denver police department’s body camera policy
The Denver Police Department has a five-page policy for its body camera testing program. Highlights include:
• Officers must turn on cameras for all traffic stops and pedestrian contacts, in chases, while executing warrantless searches, when responding to suicide and other mental health calls, when responding to calls of violence or those involving weapons.
• Cameras will not be activated in places such as restrooms, hospitals and without direct law enforcement purpose.
• Officers are not allowed to play back footage for citizens.
• Footage will be stored for one year unless it is being used for a criminal or internal investigation.
• Direct access to the footage will be limited to the police department’s internal affairs bureau, detective bureau and the camera program manager.
• The district attorney, city attorney and independent monitor will have access to footage of cases they are reviewing or prosecuting.
• Public release of video will be on a case-by-case decision with final authority belonging to the police chief.
To read the entire policy, visit www.denverpost.com.
