Body-Worn Camera Implementation

The State of Wisconsin has a diverse population of just under 6 million served by special agents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (WI DOJ-DCI). These special agents are dedicated to conducting investigations of statewide importance not only in large urban settings but also in underserved rural communities of the state, which include our 11 Native American Reservations, to provide a strong law enforcement response in all 72 Wisconsin counties. WI DOJ-DCI has five field offices located throughout Wisconsin staffed with 110 sworn special agents who are responsible for large-scale, statewide criminal investigations dealing with victims, suspects, and witnesses for cases such as arson, internet crimes against children, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, white-collar crimes, homicide, and officer-involved critical incidents. In addition, WI DOJ-DCI also provides high-priority criminal investigative support to federal, state, and local agencies across the State of Wisconsin. Agents from the WI DOJ-DCI fall under the law enforcement powers of the state's attorney general, Josh Kaul. The goal of this project is to outfit, administer, and train a new broad scale implementation of BWCs to the 110 special agents and supervisors across the state to strengthen accountability and increase
transparency with the public, help maintain a high level of legitimacy in investigations and law
enforcement actions, have more credible oversight and review in use of force incidents, broaden and enhance training of staff, and capture evidence for both criminal prosecutions and civil litigation. With the funds, the WI DOJ-DCI will do the following: (1) Acquire BWCs and contract for services related to that equipment, including digital data storage, all in a manner consistent with county procurement guidelines. (2) With the training and TTA provider, develop a comprehensive BWC policy consistent with state law and establish training protocols for its investigators, and supervisors‚(3) With the TTA provider and subject matter experts, develop best-practices, operating procedures, and tracking mechanisms regarding the use, review, storage, retention, and deletion of BWC media, as well as the access and distribution of such media to prosecutors, criminal justice partners, and the community. (4) Implement BWCs for sworn staff, incorporating them into daily administrative and field operations, and sharing them with prosecutors as criminal discovery in matters referred for civil and criminal prosecution. If awarded, successful implementation of proposed BWC program will produce positive outcomes for Wisconsin, improving police-citizen encounters and promoting public trust throughout the state.