ABSTRACT
Most police body cam footage would be exempt under bill. Police body camera footage taken in private places would be largely exempt from Freedom of Information Act laws under legislation under consideration Tuesday in the state House of Representatives. Under the rewritten legislation, the footage wouldn’t be considered a public record, but would be available to people who are the subject of an audio or video recording, whose property has been seized or damaged by police, or the parent or legal guardian or an attorney representing an individual caught on tape by police. “One of the core functions of body worn cameras is to improve trust with the community,” said state Rep. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, the sponsor of the bill. “But this technology must be guided by a balance between the right of oversight with an individual’s right to privacy.” Media organizations, however, called the bill bad public policy that isn’t protecting police or citizens.
