Aberdeen Police To Phase In Body-Worn Cameras
ABERDEEN, Md. (WJZ) -- The Aberdeen Police Department will begin phasing in body-worn cameras for its officers.
The three-phase process will begin on Aug. 26, when body-worn cameras will be issued to two patrol squads to test. Phase 2 will begin on Sept. 3 when the remaining squads will receive their body-worn cameras. Phase 3 is when Detectives, School Resource Officers, and the Special Operations Unit will be equipped with the cameras.
Officers will record encounters for the following reasons:
- At the initiation of a call for service or other activity that is enforcement or investigative
- All enforcement and investigation related citizen contacts
- Documentation of evidence that can be used in the prosecution of criminal and traffic offenses
- Arrests and transports
- Traffic stops
- Priority responses
- Vehicle and foot pursuits
- Suspicious situations
- All searches (persons, vehicles, structures, effects), except strip searches
- Interviews and interrogations
- Mental health interventions
- Any contact that becomes adversarial after the initial contact, in a situation that would not otherwise require recording
Officers will notify people that they are recording, but they do not need consent or permission from the public to begin a recording.
Each encounter will be recorded for the duration of the event and will only turn off the body-worn camera under the following circumstances:
- The officer has left the scene and anticipates no further involvement in the event
- A supervisor has authorized that a recording may cease
- The officer is no longer engaged in a related investigative or enforcement activity
- The officer is entering an allied agency's facility whose policy requires deactivation of the camera
- The event has concluded
An officer may review a body-camera recording for any work-related reason, including but not limited to:
- Ensuring the Body Camera system is working properly
- Assisting with the writing of a report or other official document
- Reviewing and critiquing the officer's own performance
- Preparing for court
- Responding to a civil suit, criminal investigation (if the officer is the subject of the investigation), citizen complaint, or administrative complaint
- The officer shall have the ability to review the officer's Body Camera recording of the subject incident prior to making a statement
The Records Section will release to the public or through subpoenas and summonses Body Camera recordings, according to the Public Information Act.
The Aberdeen Police Department will retain body-worn video footage based on the following retention schedule:
Description | Retention |
Uncategorized | Until Manually Deleted |
1.Non-Evidentiary | 550 days |
2.Evidentiary/Report | 5 years |
3.Arrest | 7 years |
4.DUI/DWI | 7 years |
5.Use of Force | 7 years |
HCMST Operations | 5 years |
Homicide | 90 years |
Pending Review | Until manually deleted |
Photos | Until manually deleted |
Restricted | Until manually deleted |
Taser Weapon Logs | 3 years |
Training | 3 years |
Uploaded Media | 10 Days |