Chief Mark Corr has no objection to a body camera program, provided it is properly funded. This is a discussion we can continue to have as we begin working on the next budget cycle. There will need to be discussions with the labor unions, but the biggest hurdle will be the cost of equipment, the cost of storing video, and, the most challenging part, the cost of personnel to manage video and public information requests. In 2019, the Police Department had 459 public record requests; should any significant percentage of these requests require body camera video, we will need more full time assistance managing the requests for information.
By way of example, a person may ask for the body camera video for one-year of an officer's motor vehicle stops possibly alleging bias. Since an officer may make a motor vehicle stop without documenting it, we would need to review all patrol video for that officer to identify the motor vehicle stops. Each officer is scheduled for 243 work days (less days off; add overtime) which is equivalent to 1,946 scheduled hours. Someone would need to review the video and then redact video of license plates, images of people or other confidential information. This same reviewer would need to redact from the audio all confidential information. The redactions may not be similar given that audio may be permitted where video is not, or vice versa. A single request could take someone a month or more to honor.