Lakewood Police Department Policy and Procedure		Effective Date: 12/03/2021
	Policy Number: PP-4530 BODY-WORN CAMERAS (BWC)

A. Policy

In response to and in conformity with State law, Body-Worn Cameras (BWC) will facilitate collecting audio-visual evidence of criminal activity, record officers' interactions with the public, and ensure compliance with laws and department policies. In addition, these recordings may be used to assist with the prosecution of criminal offenses, enhance transparency regarding interactions with the public, maintain community confidence, and assist with training.  

The BWC is an "on-the-body" audio and video recording system assigned to an officer as an additional means of documenting specific incidents in the field. This policy establishes the use, management, storage, and retrieval of the data stored on the department-issued BWC. Specific uses of the BWC are: 
 
• To capture crimes in progress, whether perpetrated against the officer or the community, and to maintain this evidence for presentation in court. 
• To document an officer's response to calls for service, self-initiated officer activity to enforce the laws, whether contact is consensual or non-consensual, and document the discovery of evidence. 
• To prevent and resolve complaints made against officers during their duties. 
• To assist in training and performance feedback. 
• This policy does not replace Portable Voice Recorders (PP-3725) and is specific to the use of Body-Worn Cameras. 

This policy is intended to provide employees with guidance on when and how to use Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) to record their contacts with the public in accordance with the law. This policy is not intended to describe every possible situation where the system may be used but as a guideline on BWC use. 
 
Definitions

1. Accidental Recordings – The accidental activation of the BWC that results in a recording that is of no investigative or evidentiary value, including non-work-related activity such as during breaks or in locker rooms.

2. Body-Worn Camera (BWC) - Camera system designed to be worn by an officer to capture digital multimedia evidence (DME). 

3. Buffering Mode - The BWC continuously loops a video recording for 30 seconds before the officer initiates the recording. While buffering, audio is not captured, but the video is being recorded.  

4. BWC Docking Station - A router physically installed in Lakewood Police Department-approved locations. The Docking Station simultaneously recharges the device while uploading all digitally encrypted data to a Web-Based Storage Facility.

5. BWC System Administrator - Police Department employee assigned to act as the coordinator for the BWC program.  

6. Civilian: Individual that is not a member of the Lakewood Police Department or other Law enforcement agency. 

7. Conclusion of an Incident - The conclusion of an incident has occurred when an officer has terminated contact with an individual, cleared the scene of a reported incident, or has completed the transport of a civilian or an arrestee. 

8. Demonstration/Protest - A demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people who are partaking in a protest against a cause of concern. The demonstration often consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint or rally to hear speakers. 

9. Digital Multimedia Evidence (DME) - All digital recordings to include but not limited to audio, video, digital imaging, and their associated metadata.

10. Event Mode/Recording Mode - Once activated by pressing the record button, the BWC saves the recorded buffered video and records both audio and video.

11. METADATA - Includes any digital identifiers captured as part of the actual recording, such as date/time, GPS coordinates, labeling, etc. 

12. Officer- All personnel required to wear the body-worn camera, including but not limited to; sworn police personnel and those employees designated by the Lakewood Police Department Chief of Police or designee.  

13. Privatized Video - Citizen recorded video or digital media.

14. Records Custodian - The Records Manager is the Records Custodian. They are responsible for working with the BWC Administrator to complete requests for video and audio in compliance with Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests, Colorado Criminal Justice Records Requests (CCJRA), State and Federal law, court orders, and policy. 

15. Restricted/Confidential Access Video - BWC video of a critical incident or other internal investigation video stored in the BWC system. 

16. Surreptitiously- in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention. 

1. The BWC system will be administered jointly through the Records Manager and the Digital Records and Video Release (DRVR) Team. The related responsibilities include the following: 

• Providing administrative support for the BWC system. 

• Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.   

• Assisting in data collection reporting, including but not limited to monthly usage audits, video storage audits, viewing audits, and other audits as requested. 

2. Officers are expected to follow departmental policy and procedure, utilizing ethical and legal discretion, as well as sound judgment, when activating and deactivating the BWC. 

3. This policy and the overall use of the BWC program will be reviewed annually by the BWC Administrator. Any changes to the policy will be made subject to the approval process or dictated by law. 

4. Additional training may be required at periodic intervals, including annual in-service training to ensure the equipment's continued effective use and operation, proper calibration, and performance, and to incorporate changes, updates, or other revisions in law, policy, and equipment design intended use. 

1. Prior to using any BWC equipment in the field, officers must complete an approved training program to ensure proper use and operation of the equipment. 

2. All employees assigned to the use, management, storage, or retrieval processes for the BWC program must receive and successfully complete appropriate training prior to engaging in those assigned duties.