AT&T Technology Sponsorlogo

Minneapolis Announces Tougher Police Body Camera Policy

"For the first time, we're giving the body camera policy teeth by providing the first clear disciplinary structure for instances when this policy is violated," Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference announcing the new rules. "It is a stronger, clearer and more precise policy."

Minneapolis police officers dispatched to a scene must activate their body cameras well before they arrive and could face progressively harsh penalties for not doing so, ranging from suspensions to firing, the police department announced Wednesday.

The department's stricter body camera policy comes after it was criticized last summer when two officers involved in the fatal shooting of an Australian woman, Justine Ruszczyk Damond, failed to activate their body cameras when they were dispatched to her home. The officer who killed Damond, Mohamed Noor, has been fired and is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, the Associated Press reports.

"For the first time, we're giving the body camera policy teeth by providing the first clear disciplinary structure for instances when this policy is violated," Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference announcing the new rules. "It is a stronger, clearer and more precise policy."

About the Author