D.C. Plan Would Limit Citizen Access to Police Body-Camera Recordings

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said Wednesday that she would allow police officials to withhold some footage captured by body cameras, a move that members of the D.C. Council said backtracked from a proposal she made last month that would have given the public more access to videos.

 

In August, Bowser (D) said a series of police-involved shootings caught on camera in recent months had led her to favor greater disclosure of video captured by body cameras that thousands of D.C. police officers could soon wear, a decision that encouraged members of the council who favor more transparency.

But legislation that the mayor submitted to the council Wednesday added broad exemptions to the plan she laid out last month, including footage of all assaults.

In addition, D.C. police would not allow members of the public to view footage of their own interactions with police if they file a complaint that leads to charges against an officer. That narrowed a provision she proposed last month to let members of the public view footage of themselves after incidents.