Officers don’t have to tell people that a body-worn camera is being operated or that the individuals are being recorded. Officers wear the camera in a conspicuous location and manner. People should assume the camera is recording. It’s also okay to ask the officer if the camera is on or to ask the officer to turn on the camera.
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Body-worn cameras can be used to record any police-citizen encounter. This includes inside private homes and other sensitive areas where officers are on official business and legally allowed. Recording is not required during medical situations unless there is a reason to use the camera to collect evidence, statements and interviews.
Videos are downloaded and stored in a cloud-based storage database provided by the camera’s manufacturer. All recordings must be saved a minimum of 90 days.
The original version of the video cannot be edited by anyone, including system administrators. Redacted copies of the videos to blur people/objects, remove audio, and narrow the video to relevant sections can be created by authorized users. The original version the video will remain unchanged.
Videos can be deleted either though an automated retention system based upon the type of incident recorded or manually by a system administrator. Manual deletions will only be done after a criminal case is adjudicated in a court of law or if a recording was accidentally made in a location restricted by policy, such as a restroom. Manual deletions of accidental recordings will require command staff approval.
The release of recordings to any person shall be made in accordance with current department policy and procedures, and pursuant to requirements of applicable law, including but not limited to the Colorado Open Records Act.