The Baltimore County Police Department has released a policy for the public release of police body-worn camera videos.

From Baltimore County:

Chief Melissa Hyatt said, “This policy is an important step in continuing to build and maintain trust between law enforcement and the community. The policy will preserve the integrity of investigations while respecting the privacy of individuals.”

Under the policy, the Chief of Police can make a decision to release footage from critical incidents and positive interactions with officers and the community within 30 days of the incident, even if there has not been a request for footage (critical incidents are high-profile encounters, along with use-of-force incidents that are defined at length within the policy). The Chief will consult with the State’s Attorney prior to releasing critical incident footage. The policy includes a process by which the State’s Attorney can request an extension of the release in order to preserve a defendant’s right to a fair trial.

For more information:

Baltimore County Body-Worn Camera Video Release Policy (Baltimore County Government)