Title
Authorizing the Council Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings examining the ongoing implementation of body-worn cameras by the Philadelphia Police Department, to determine whether the Department's policy for body-worn cameras promotes transparent and accountable policing practices, and whether the program is fair and equitable to both police officers and the residents of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department began piloting body-worn cameras starting in December 2014, with selected officers from the 22nd Police District. This pilot program was enacted to enhance officer safety, strengthen public trust, and provide an impartial measurement for self-critique and field evaluations during officer training; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Police Department has developed "Directive 4.21," its current policy on body-worn cameras. The Directive was issued and effective on January 15, 2016 and was last updated on June 21, 2016. The Directive is published on the Department's website; and
WHEREAS, In August of 2016, a "Body Worn Camera Policy Scorecard," developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Upturn, evaluated the body-worn camera policies of 50 major police departments around the country, including the Philadelphia Police Department's policy, on eight civil rights dimensions; and
WHEREAS, While the Philadelphia Police Department's policy excelled in some measures,the report found that the current body-worn camera policy: (1) does not prohibit officers from viewing relevant footage before filing an initial written report or statement; (2) does not require the deletion of "unflagged" footage within six months; (3) does not require that all access to recorded footage will be logged or audited; (4) does not allow individuals who are filing police misconduct complaints to view relevant footage; and (5) does not place any limits on the use of biometric technologies, such as facial recognition, to ide...
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