St. Paul To Host Public Meeting On Police Body Cameras

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The City of St. Paul will be hosting a community meeting Wednesday where you can share your thoughts and hear the results of a public survey on police body cameras.

This summer, the St. Paul Police Department asked residents to take a 15-question survey online about the use of body cameras.

Police wanted to know if people think body cameras would be effective in improving trust between the community and law enforcement. And then there's the question of whether the video should be private.

The city wants to launch a pilot program next year that will equip St. Paul officers with body cameras. Police in Minneapolis are already trying out the technology in some precincts.

Body cameras are also currently used by police in several Minnesota cities, including Duluth, Rochester and Burnsville. There are different kinds of body cameras.

Some clip onto an officer's uniform while others can be attached to a hat or glasses.

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Western Patrol District on Hamline Avenue. There will be another community meeting on this issue next month, too.

As far as current guidelines, right now it's up to the individual departments to write their own rules on how to use the cameras. Like when to turn them on or off.

Lawmakers did talk about the issue in their last session. They are expected to talk about it again when the Legislature convenes next year.

Current state law says most body camera video should be available to the public.