Police Body Camera Bill Easily Clears Senate

INDIANAPOLIS -- A bill regulating when police body camera videos are released to the public cleared one of its last major legislative hurdles Tuesday with the Senate’s near-unanimous passage of the measure.

Republican Sen. Rod Bray says one of the biggest issues in the House version of the bill was the burden it placed on the public and the press to prove a police body cam video should be released to the public.  The Senate switched that burden. Now, law enforcement would have to prove in a court that it shouldn’t.  Bray also notes the importance of what’s not in the bill.

“This does not dictate whether a police agency has video cameras or not – that’s going to be a local decision – nor does it dictate when those should be turned on,” Bray said.

Democratic Sen. Greg Taylor says he thinks the bill will lead to fewer lawsuits.

“I believe that if you are going to be apprehended by a police officer and you know they have a body camera, you’re going to act differently,” Taylor said.

The Senate approved the bill 49-1.  The measure might go to a conference committee for the two chambers to work out any minor issues.