North Dakota Highway Patrol Body-Worn Camera and Digital Evidence Improvement and Enhancement Project

The North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) serves the entire State of North Dakota, with a population of 779,094, according to the 2020 US Census Bureau. To enhance operations, promote public trust, and provide transparency and accountability, the NDHP has recently fully implemented a BWC program. The current program has 159 sworn officers outfitted with a BWC.

This grant would increase the electronic storage capability of the BWC program to assure accessibility, security, and viability; provide technology upgrades to a secure portal that allows prosecutors and other approved partners to view and request digital evidence downloads, including in-car and body-worn camera videos and photos; provide technology upgrades to enhance digital uploading capabilities of the BWC videos to a secure central server that is also compatible in rural areas; and provide introductory, advanced, and best practices BWC training to users within the NDHP agency, interested North Dakota law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and other stakeholders. With the funding assistance of the grant, the North Dakota Highway Patrol will begin work to upgrade the delivery of BWCs videos through a secure portal. Improving this existing portal and timeliness of video availability will benefit the NDHP, prosecutors, and stakeholders.

Being able to securely store and offer redacted copies of videos will be a priority for aiding prosecutors and officers in their cases. The North Dakota Highway Patrol will also utilize these grant funds to provide training to enhance the understanding of digital evidence and ensure best practices are understood by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors across the state.