Police Will Charge for Body Camera Footage Under New State Rule

AUSTIN -- Footage from the body cameras police officers wear will no longer come for free in Texas.Starting Thursday, the state will require people to pay a fee if they request to obtain body camera footage, according to a announcement Friday in the Texas Register, an online publication of the Texas secretary of state's office. Body cameras, which can be attached to law enforcement officers to record their actions, have been touted as a way to increase police accountability.Under the rule proposed by the Texas attorney general's office, law enforcement agencies in Texas will charge a $10 fee for each recording they provide to the public. They will also charge an additional fee of $1 per minute of footage if an identical copy hasn't been released.The amount is meant "to cover the cost of reviewing and making the recording," the rule reads.Kayleigh Lovvorn, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, said a 2015 state law required the office to propose a fee. The legislation requires law enforcement agencies to set guidelines if they use body cameras and allows them to apply for grants to pay for the equipment. Lovvorn said her office did not receive any comments from the public on the proposed fees."The rule was proposed in the Texas Register in July, and our office received no comments regarding the rule," Lovvorn said in an email. "The rule has now been published for final adoption and governmental bodies will soon be able to charge the described fee for providing a copy of a body camera recording."Police departments around the country have been called upon to use body cameras, particularly in response to increased concerns over race and police accountability. In Texas, police departments can decide to release body camera footage if it furthers a law enforcement purpose. Dallas began rolling out body cameras to be worn by officers last year.Dominique Alexander, president and founder of the Next Generation Action Network, a North Texas nonprofit that seeks criminal justice reform, said he thinks the fee will make it more difficult for people to obtain the footage.'If we're going to have to be charged for transparency, that's crazy," Alexander said. "It's very important that we have these videos so we can know exactly what's going on."Lovvorn said law enforcement agencies can reduce the charge or provide the footage for free if they determine the recording is "in the public interest." The rule applies only to body-worn cameras and does not include footage from dash cams.   Continue reading...