Mayor Muriel E. Bowser of Washington, D.C., has proposed a plan that would make most police body cam video footage available to the public. Exceptions would be made for videos taken in places that are considered private and where people expect privacy (particularly video taken indoors), both of which would be kept private.
D.C. implemented a pilot program last fall that gave body cameras to some police officers. Overtime, Bowser would like to expand this to include all of D.C.’s 2,800 officers at an estimated cost of $5.1 million.
When she announced the program, Bowser said, “The bottom line is, we believe that the body-worn cameras will enhance police work in our city, especially at a time when our population is steadily growing.” She described the program as “the right thing to do for our officers and our residents.”
