Kathy A. Bolten

kbolten@dmreg.com

Iowa’s top public safety executive said she's hesitant to dictate to local law enforcement agencies specifics that should be included in policies for body cameras, devices that are quickly becoming standard equipment for officers across the state.

A Des Moines Register review in December found that policies governing the use of body cameras worn by Iowa law officers fall short of standards recommended by national organizations.

At least one Iowa lawmaker — Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines — wants law enforcement agencies to have a consistent set of policies that address where the devices can be used and who gets to see the footage.

Roxann Ryan, Iowa Department of Public Safety commissioner, has a different view.

“The only mandate that I think would be workable in any way, shape or form would be to say, if you’re going to have body cameras, you’re going to need to have a policy,” Ryan told The Des Moines Register.

Ryan, who has been commissioner nearly a year, said any state mandate on body camera policies must be carefully written and could include directives that the policies address specific issues such as how and when the cameras are used and how video is stored.

“But frankly, I don’t even think that’s necessary,” she said.

A growing number of agencies in Iowa — and nationally — are equipping officers with body cameras as a way to increase accountability and allay concerns about officer misconduct. As more agencies use the cameras, many are adopting policies to oversee their use.

However, The Register review found little uniformity among the policies now in place in Iowa.

The ACLU of Iowa has called for the Iowa Legislature to set a statewide body camera policy. The group, in a release after Gov. Terry Branstad’s Condition of the State address this week, urged lawmakers to ensure the state has a good policy in place governing body cameras.

An example cited by the group is that police officers “must not be able to turn (the cameras) off and on at will, potentially preventing recording of important encounters.”

Branstad did not address the use of body cameras in his annual speech to the Legislature.

In an interview with the Register on a range of public safety issues, Branstad said he first wanted to talk with Ryan about body cameras.

“We’ve got to be really thoughtful and careful in what kind of guidelines we put in place in these areas and recognize law enforcement have difficult jobs,” Branstad said.

Two bills were introduced in the Iowa Legislature last year that would have required the state’s law enforcement officers to wear body cameras whenever they interact with the public. Neither bill moved out of committee.

Abdul-Samad, who sponsored one of last year’s bills, said he was pleased to see an increasing number of the state’s law enforcement agencies either using the devices or planning to begin their use. Des Moines and Cedar Rapids police officers will begin using the cameras this year.

While the lawmaker said he didn’t see a need for legislation that required officers to wear body cameras, he did have concerns about what was included in agencies’ policies.

“We don’t need one thing allowed here and another allowed there,” he said.

Charles Smithson, executive director of the Iowa Public Information Board, has said the group wants the Legislature to appoint a study committee to review several issues related to body cameras, including whether video footage is a public record or a confidential part of a law enforcement report. Who can see footage from the cameras is an issue being debated nationally.

A proposed bill this month in the Indiana Legislature would allow law enforcement agency officials to decide whether to release video from body cameras, a proposal opposed by the state’s press association, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Ryan, Iowa’s public safety commissioner, said she would be open to a discussion on what footage from body cameras can and cannot be released. She said she’s reluctant to allow the release of footage that shows children or crime victims.

She also said there are constitutional questions on whether body camera footage taken in a private residences would be subject to the state’s open records laws.

“I think there’s certainly would be some advantages to having a better discussion on what kinds of things can and cannot be released,” she said.

Ban the box

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, in a recent interview with The Des Moines Register, said he would support legislation that would prohibit private employers from asking job applicants whether they have a criminal record.

“I would be supportive of saying ‘ban the box,’ but there also should be provisions for being able to get that information later on in the process if it’s relevant to the job that you’re applying for,” Branstad said.

Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad has said he plans to introduce “ban-the-box” legislation this year. The national movement seeks to remove from job applications the common question of whether an applicant has ever been convicted of a crime.

Bradshaw confirmation hearing

Judy Bradshaw was appointed director of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy last year after the legislature adjourned.

Gov. Terry Branstad predicted Bradshaw would not have a difficult time getting confirmed by the Iowa Senate.

“My sense is that she’s been well received by the law enforcement community statewide,” Branstad said.

A confirmation hearing has not yet been set.

Bradshaw previously was the academy’s assistant director, a position for which she was hired after she retired as Des Moines’ police chief.

The academy’s previous director, Arlan Ciechanowski, retired after his appointment to a four-year term wasn't approved by the Iowa Senate last year. Branstad withdrew Ciechanowski's appointment after Democrats raised questions about his management of the academy and whether it had a welcoming environment for female cadets.