The Minnesota Senate Saturday night passed a police body-camera bill that the sponsor, Saint Louis Park Democrat Ron Latz says Governor Mark Dayton has agreed to sign because a controversial measure has been removed. In the compromise bill, state law would not grant officers permission to review body-cam video before they write incident reports. Instead, that decision would remain with local police departments and municipalities.
The bill requires that police body-cam video be made public if a firearm is discharged or use of force causes substantial bodily harm or death. But Minneapolis Democrat Bobby Joe Champion, who voted against the bill, says body-cam video should also be public if certain behavior is exhibited by police or others.
Alexandria Republican Bill Ingebrigtsen questions how many police departments will actually use body-cameras. Ingebrigtsen says, “Put yourself in that position of the person who’s gonna come up and potentially report a crime. With even the thought that they’re gonna be recorded is gonna stifle that kind of information.”