WBA Newsroom
A legislative committee studying the use of police body cameras held its first meeting on Thursday. The committee is trying to establish uniform regulations for law enforcement using body cameras. A body cameras proposal passed in the Assembly but was not brought up for a vote in the Senate before the end of the last session.
WISN-TV News Director Ben Hart and attorney James Friedman are representing broadcasters on the committee.
At its first meeting the committee heard reports from the National Conference of State Legislatures, Wisconsin Department of Justice, attorneys representing local and county government, and a body camera vendor.
The bill that failed in the last session would have made footage from police body cameras confidential to the public unless it contained injuries, deaths, arrests, or searches. Victims and witnesses would also need to give law enforcement permission to release footage if the videos violated their privacy.
The committee discussed issues like privacy, data retention, transparency, and enforcement of any regulations that are established.
The committee will meet again in September.
