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Body-Worn Camera Program

On September 17, 2015, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced a program to equip 1,435 Baltimore County Police Department (BCoPD) officers with body-worn cameras (BWC).

Deployment of body-worn cameras began in July 2016. In October 2016, Kamenetz announced he would expedite the program, with full deployment scheduled by September 30, 2017.

Baltimore County Government has purchased body cameras from Taser International Inc.

Immediately following the announcement of the program, a County Interagency Workgroup began working on the complex operational, technical and legal issues associated with equipping officers with BWCs, establishing policies for officers’ use of BWCs, training officers to use BWCs, storing BWC data, releasing BWC footage and ensuring that constitutional and other legal requirements are met.

This resource is designed to provide information about the program and educate citizens about how BWCs will be used. This section will be updated with information about the BWC program as the program develops.

Use Policy

BCoPD’s standard operating procedures—including when an officer turns a camera on or off—are based on standards set by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions. These state standards apply to all Maryland police agencies that use BWCs. View the BCoPD's Body Worn Camera Use Policy (PDF) for Baltimore County police officers.

Video Release Policy

The Baltimore County Police Department issued its first policy governing the public release of footage from body-worn cameras on February 7, 2020. The policy, which aims to clarify the circumstances under which footage will be released and the procedures for release, reinforces the department’s commitment to the improvement of policing strategies and accountability.

Chief Melissa Hyatt said, “This policy is an important step in continuing to build and maintain trust between law enforcement and the community. The policy will preserve the integrity of investigations while respecting the privacy of individuals.”

Under the policy, the Chief of Police can make a decision to release footage from critical incidents and positive interactions with officers and the community within 30 days of the incident, even if there has not been a request for footage (critical incidents are high-profile encounters, along with use-of-force incidents that are defined at length within the policy). The Chief will consult with the State’s Attorney prior to releasing critical incident footage. The policy includes a process by which the State’s Attorney can request an extension of the release in order to preserve a defendant’s right to a fair trial.

View the BCoPD's full Body Worn Camera Video Release Policy (PDF).

Why Body Cameras?

BWCs have become an important law enforcement tool. Baltimore County believes BWCs will:

Improve public safety

Enhance transparency, accountability and trust

Reduce complaints against officers

Make prosecutions more efficient and effective

Who Will Wear Body Cameras?

BCoPD’s plan calls for 1,435 (out of 1,900) officers to wear body-worn cameras.

The remainder of the BWCs are scheduled for deployment by September 30, 2017 to officers throughout the 10 precincts and in other assignments where BWC camera use has been deemed appropriate by the Chief of Police.

Cost to Taxpayers

The contract with Taser is an eight-year, $12.5 million contract. It covers purchase of the Axon Flex body camera, a model that offers officers options for how the camera is worn. The contract includes the cost of maintenance, unlimited data storage, licenses and other camera-related expenses.

To expedite the program, the County will increase overtime expenses to triple the rate of training.

Annual operating costs are estimated at $1.6 million, with most of that paid by the County's speed camera program. These annual costs include 19 additional full-time personnel to manage the program.

Release of BWC Footage

Body-camera video is a public record, subject to release under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) and other relevant laws. This means that BWC footage for any police activity may be sought by media agencies and citizens. BCoPD will honor such requests unless an ongoing investigation or pending prosecution merits retention of the film, and absent any other exception outlined in the MPIA.

In cases where there is significant public interest or a public safety need, BWC footage may be posted to BCoPD’s news blog and social media platforms.

BCoPD will redact BWC footage in accordance with the Maryland Public Information Act and agency policy. Legally mandated redactions include:

The identity of juvenile suspects

Personal identifiers such as license plate and driver’s license numbers

Medical information

BCoPD policy prohibits the identification of sex crime victims.

BCoPD reserves the right to redact or withhold footage to protect someone’s physical safety and for graphic content.

Requesting Footage

To request footage from body-camera video, complete the Body-Worn Camera Recording Request Form.

The following fee process will be effective starting on August 1. Upon receipt of your BWC Request Form, the Video Management Team will prepare an estimate of the costs of your request.

Estimates that total $100 or more will require a 10 percent non-refundable deposit be paid before any further processing will continue.

Deposits not received after 60 days will result in the request being cancelled.

Upon receipt of the deposit, the processing will continue and the final costs will be calculated.

Any deposit received will be deducted from the final costs to determine the Final Amount Due.

Once processing is completed, you will be provided the Final Amount Due advising the remaining balance due.

No video will be released until receipt of the Final Amount Due payment.

Non-payment after 60 days from receiving the Final Amount Due will result in your request being cancelled and your deposit forfeited.

A separate request form must be submitted for each recording request. If the requested recording does not meet the requirements for release, you will be notified in writing and will have the right to appeal a denial of your request.

Fee Waiver

Once your request has been received by the BCoPD, you will receive a letter within 10 days advising the estimated costs associated with researching, redacting and producing your requested recording.

Maryland law allows for fee waivers for indigency. You may request a waiver if you are unable to pay the necessary fee; to request a waiver, complete an Affidavit of Indigency (PDF) and submit with your request form.

What Will Body Camera Footage Show?

BWC footage is similar to footage from a cell phone camera. BWCs will be mounted to an officer’s uniform (the chest or shoulder area) or eyewear. The cameras will point away from the officer and will capture images in the camera’s field of vision. Citizens who interact with police officers will be recorded on body camera footage.

BWCs are equipped with audio. In 2015, the Maryland General Assembly amended the state’s wiretap law, exempting law enforcement from the two-party consent requirement when recording audio; this change allows officers to record audio when using BWCs in their daily work, including in their interactions with citizens.

Limitations of BWC Footage

Body-worn camera footage is a useful tool in providing clarity about controversial police interactions. However, camera footage cannot provide all the information needed to make a fair and accurate judgment about police activity. Footage is part of a thorough investigation; it does not replace a thorough investigation.

Limitations of BWC footage include:

The camera does not necessarily reveal what the officer perceived or what was in his mind. The camera does not follow the officer’s eyes, see exactly what he sees, or record physiological and psychological stress that may affect the officer’s perceptions.

The camera cannot record sensory cues (such as physical resistance or tension), only visual cues.

In low light, the camera may see more clearly than a human being.

Cameras record two-dimensionally. This means viewers may not be able accurately to judge distances from footage.

Retention of BWC Footage

The retention period for BWC video depends on the type of incident.

Guidelines for how long BWC footage should be kept are in the process of development by the County Interagency Workgroup.