State, local, territorial, and tribal task force officers across the nation will be able to utilize body-worn cameras while conducting official federal business in specific circumstances, the Department of Justice announced.
Federally deputized task force officers will be able to wear active body cameras while serving arrest warrants, during planned arrest operations, and while executing search warrants, the Justice Department said Thursday. Hundreds of task forces across the nation address violent crime, arrest dangerous fugitives, and hinder the distribution of illegal drugs.
“After spending a substantial amount of time examining this issue, assessing the results of the pilot program, and taking into account the interests and priorities of all the law enforcement agencies involved, I am pleased to announce that the department will permit the use of body-worn cameras on our federal task forces in specific circumstances,” Attorney General William Barr said.
“The Department of Justice has no higher priority than ensuring the safety and security of the American people and this policy will continue to help us fulfill that mission,” Barr added.
Boston Police Reform Task Force Recommends Improved Diversity, Expanded Body Cam Use, Independent Oversighthttps://t.co/rLe1LT4oUh
— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) September 10, 2020
Officials instituted the new policy following a pilot program that started in October 2019 between federal agencies and local law enforcement, DOJ said.
The Justice Department partners with state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the announcement.
Police departments in Houston, Detroit, Wichita, Salt Lake City, and Park City participated in the pilot program from January through Sept. 1, according to the DOJ. State and local officials offered their input and guidance throughout the program.
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