SLED Body-Worn Camera Implementation Policy

The Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation program (BWC PIP) provides funding to limited public agencies (i.e., states, units of local government, (including tribal government, recognized by the Secretary of the Interior), combinations of such states or units, or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the foregoing), that perform criminal justice functions; and national and regional public and private entities, including for-profit (commercial) and nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations), faith-based and community organizations, and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education) that support initiatives to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee.

The BWC PIP, funded under the 2016 Department of Justice Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113), will support the implementation of body-worn camera programs in law enforcement agencies across the country. The intent of the program is help agencies develop, implement, and evaluate a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust. Elements of such an approach include; Implementation of a BWC program developed in a planned and phased approach; Collaboration that leverages partnerships with cross-agency criminal justice stakeholders including prosecutors and advocacy organizations; Implementation of appropriate privacy policies; Implementation of operational procedures and tracking mechanisms; Training of officers, administrators, and associated agencies requiring access to digital multimedia evidence (DME); Adoption of practices and deployment of BWC programs appropriately addressing operational requirements.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will use this award to support a Body Worn Camera (BWC) system program initiation. . Current state law mandates that law enforcement officers who are involved in citizen contact must operate a body worn camera system. SLED has conducted extensive research into the use of body worn camera systems and has a complete and thorough policy already in place. The introduction of body worn camera systems at SLED would greatly benefit the citizens of South Carolina and other law enforcement agencies. The clearest and most prominent objective of this funding request is to provide each agent with a body-worn camera for better documentation of evidence. As a result, the Division would expect to see more accountability for an agent’s actions, providing more transparency and community trust.

CA/NCF