Civilian panel: Mpls. cops must expand body camera use

A civilian advisory panel wants Minneapolis cops to flip on body cameras in nearly every encounter with the public and face punishment if they don't.

The Minneapolis Police Department would also all need to keep all video footage for 280 days, which is the time that a civilian can file a complaint against an officer.

Those were the key recommendations made by the Police Conduct Oversight Commission, a group appointed by the mayor and city council. The draft report (.pdf) says the changes would create a "body camera policy that works for all stakeholders and promotes trust, increases accuracy and best protects all."

Body cameras have become a key issue in debates in Minnesota and the nation over police encounters and tactics. Supporters say greater use of the cameras would help make officers more accountable and also provide police with a defense if they're wrongly accused of brutality. Critics cite concerns over public privacy and worry video won't tell the entire story of a police encounter.

Minneapolis police conducted a trial run of body cameras over the summer with 36 officers. The department plans to equip more than 600 officers with the body cameras next year.

If approved, the commission's recommendations would dramatically expand that effort. Under the proposal:

• Cameras be turned on during "all consensual community contact, all calls for service and all law enforcement activities." The department's current protocol requires the cameras to be manually turned on "when safe and practical" during 15 law enforcement actions including traffic stops and physical confrontations.

• Officers would indirectly notify subjects while recording through a red light or language on their uniforms. In public, the report says officers should inform those being recorded when possible. During a consensual encounter in a home or other private space, the panel recommends that the officer would be required to obtain consent before recording.

• Restrictions on using body cameras during SWAT incidents and by officers during approved off-duty employment would be eliminated because officers still retain the ability to conduct arrests.

The proposal also recommends, but doesn't specify, consequences for officers who don't follow the rules. In incidents that involve allegations of police misconduct, failure to record would be treated as "evidentiary presumption" against the officer.

Footage involving a death of an officer or civilian would be permanently preserved. The department's standard operating protocol calls for non-classified video to be retained for one year and classified video to be retained for six years.

State law regulating public data, which allows exceptions when a recording involves undercover officers, sexual assault victims, informants and mandated reporters, would still apply.

A spokesperson for the police department declined to comment before the commission's formal vote on the recommendations next Tuesday. The city is not required to adopt the recommendations.