On February 23, 2022, Associate Policy Director D’Paul Nibber testified before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in support of SB 558 – Public Safety – Law Enforcement – Body-Worn Cameras with amendments. This bill would, among other provisions, require the State of Maryland to procure body-worn cameras, equipment, and technology for all law enforcement agencies, and establish and administer a statewide uniform storage and access system for all body-worn camera data captured.

From the MACo testimony: 

During the 2021 Maryland General Assembly session, MACo opposed the body-worn camera mandate included as a piece of the Maryland Police Accountability Act. Law enforcement officials at every level of government raised concerns for two principal reasons: unanticipated and potentially significant costs; and the administrative burden of reviewing and redacting thousands of hours of sensitive footage. SB 558, as a follow-up to last year’s broad police reform legislation, is a significant and important step toward addressing these concerns, as well as ensuring smoother implementation of the Police Accountability Act.

MACo will be testifying on the bill’s crossfile, HB 162, on March 1, 2022.

More on MACo’s advocacy:

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2022 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.
Learn more about MACo’s 2022 Legislative Initiatives.
Read more General Assembly News on MACo’s Conduit Street blog.