Nebraska state lawmakers have approved a bill requiring police departments to have written procedures for officers wearing body cameras.
Under the bill, the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice will develop a model policy for body camera usage. Individual departments using body cameras can either develop their own policy or adopt the model policy. Agencies choosing to create their own policy must include minimum standards, which include proper training for officers using cameras or accessing audio and video captured by the cameras. Recordings must be kept for at least 90 days, and procedures governing the destruction of such recordings after the retention requirement has been met must be adopted. If recorded video is found to have evidentiary value in a criminal, civil or internal disciplinary proceeding, it must be kept until an outcome is reached. If an arrest or prosecution is not made, the video will be kept until a final determination is made or an investigation is officially closed or suspended.
The bill passed on a 45-0 vote.
