Title: Law Enforcement Officer Body Cameras

Summary: Requiring a law enforcement agency that permits its law enforcement officers to wear body cameras to establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras and the data recorded by body cameras; requiring such a law enforcement agency to ensure that specified personnel are trained in the law enforcement agency's policies and procedures; requiring that data recorded by body cameras be retained in accordance with specified requirements, etc.

Full Text:
WHEREAS, advancements in technology allow body cameras to be affordable and practical tools for law enforcement use, and WHEREAS, body cameras can provide a valuable source of information to both law enforcement and the general public, and WHEREAS, the audio and video recording of police and citizen interactions allows law enforcement agencies to improve efforts to reduce crime and properly address citizen complaints, and WHEREAS, establishing uniform procedural requirements for the use of body cameras by law enforcement will provide consistency and reliability throughout the state, and WHEREAS, there are currently no statewide mandatory and uniform standards or guidelines that apply to use of body cameras by law enforcement officers, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 943.1718, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 943.1718 Body cameras; policies and procedures.  (1) As used in this section, the term: (a) Body camera  means a portable electronic recording device that is worn on a law enforcement officer s person and which records audio and video data of the officer s law enforcement-related encounters and activities. (b) Law enforcement agency  means an agency that has a primary mission of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing the penal, criminal, traffic, and motor vehicle laws of the state and in furtherance of that primary mission employs law enforcement officers as defined in s. 943.10. (c) Law enforcement officer  has the same meaning as provided in s. 943.10. (2) A law enforcement agency that permits its law enforcement officers to wear body cameras shall establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras and the data recorded by body cameras. The policies and procedures must include: (a) General guidelines for the proper use, maintenance, and storage of body cameras. (b) Any limitations on which law enforcement officers are permitted to wear body cameras. (c) Any limitations on law enforcement-related encounters and activities under which law enforcement officers are permitted to wear body cameras. (d) General guidelines for the proper storage, retention, and release of audio and video data recorded by body cameras. (3) A law enforcement agency that permits its law enforcement officers to wear body cameras shall: (a) Ensure that all personnel who wear, use, maintain, or store body cameras are trained in the law enforcement agency s policies and procedures concerning them. (b) Ensure that all personnel who use, maintain, store, or release audio or video data recorded by body cameras are trained in the law enforcement agency s policies and procedures. (c) Retain audio and video data recorded by body cameras in accordance with the requirements of s. 119.021, except as otherwise provided by law. (d) Perform a periodic review of actual agency body camera practices to ensure conformity with the agency s policies and procedures. (4) Chapter does not apply to body camera recordings made by law enforcement agencies that elect to use body cameras. Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.