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D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
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Title 24. PUBLIC SPACE AND SAFETY |
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Chapter 24-39. METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT BODY-WORN CAMERAS |
Section 24-3900. GENERAL PROVISIONS
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3900.1 The purposes of this chapter are to establish rules for the Metropolitan Police Department's Body-Worn Camera Program ("BWC Program") and to implement Section 3003 of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Support Act of2015, effective October 22, 2015 (D.C. Law 21- 36; 62 DCR 10905 (August 14, 2015)).
3900.2 The intent of the BWC Program is to promote accountability and transparency, foster improved police-community relations, and ensure the safety of both MPD members ("members") and the public.
3900.3In addition to these regulations, the Chief of Police of MPD may issue policy directives to members; those policy directives shall be published on the Department's website at http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/written-directives-general-orders.
3900.4 Members shall successfully complete MPD-offered or approved BWC training before being issued a BWC.
3900.5 When practicable, members shall inform contact subjects that they are being recorded at the beginning of the contact and shall provide language access services to all limited and non-English proficient persons in a timely and effective manner.
3900.6 Members may record First Amendment assemblies for the purpose of documenting violations of law and police actions, as an aid to future coordination and deployment of law enforcement units, and for training purposes; provided, that recording First Amendment assemblies shall not be conducted for the purpose of identifying and recording the presence of participants who are engaged in lawful conduct.
3900.7Members shall not create BWC recordings when they are at a school and are engaged in non-critical contacts with students or mediating minor incidents involving students. For the purposes of this subsection, "school" means a facility devoted to primary or secondary education.
3900.8 When reviewing BWC recordings, members shall immediately notify Department officials upon observing, or becoming aware of, an alleged violation of Department policies, laws, rules, regulations, or directives.
3900.9 Members may review their BWC recordings or BWC recordings that have been shared with them to assist in initial report writing, except in cases involving a police shooting.
3900.10 The Mayor may, on a case-by-case basis in matters of significant public interest and after consultation with the Chief of Police, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, and the Office of the Attorney General, release BWC recordings that would otherwise not be releasable pursuant to a FOIA request. Examples of matters of significant public interest include officer-involved shootings, serious use of force by an officer, and assaults on an officer requiring hospitalization.