Police body camera study bill sent to Iowa Senate panel

An Iowa Senate subcommittee on Tuesday approved a bill that would launch a study of the use, storage, public inspection and confidentiality of body camera video.

Body cameras are increasingly worn by Iowa law enforcement officers to record interactions with the public. The devices are often promoted as improving accountability for police, but in several cases law enforcement agencies have refused to release the videos.

The family of a Burlington woman accidentally shot fatally by a police officer Jan. 6, 2015, filed a complaint with the Iowa Public Information Board after the Burlington Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation refused to release most investigative materials, including the bulk of body camera video. Continue…

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