DOJ OIG Releases Report on Use of Body Worn Cameras
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) released an audit in June 2021 that reviewed DOJ policy on body worn cameras for federal law enforcement officers. The review period covered October 2019 through January 2021. So far, through its Office of Justice Programs, the DOJ has provided over $115 million to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to assist with their body worn cameras programs.
Over the course of the audit, which began in June 2020, DOJ OIG found that the DOJ had no body worn camera program for its own law enforcement officers. Furthermore, the DOJ components- the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Marshals Service- were unprepared to implement any body worn camera initiatives.
A press release summarizing the audit detailed that DOJ typically did not allow body worn cameras on its operations prior to October 2019. After determining that DOJ guidance was necessary to enforce clear policy for the implementation of body worn cameras on task force operations that involved partner law enforcement entities, DOJ launched a pilot program to test a new policy in November 2019. In October 2020, DOJ finalized a department-wide body worn camera policy for task force officers, but DOJ law enforcement officers were still not required to wear them.
On June 7, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General issued a memorandum directing all DOJ components to develop body worn camera policies and submit those policies for review within 30 days.
The OIG audit emphasized three primary areas of concern that DOJ should address. First, DOJ must establish policies for body worn camera use. Second, DOJ must assess the operational costs of a body worn camera program including equipment purchase, video storage, and other resources. Finally, DOJ must consider contracting options for the purchase of body worn camera equipment and video management systems to maximize savings.
In a video to the public, DOJ IG Michael Horowitz explained, “As Inspector General, I lead a workforce that includes special agents who conduct law enforcement operations. I believe that body worn cameras are essential tools for transparency and accountability. To that end, I have hired a senior law enforcement officer to oversee our body worn camera program, and we are in the process of finalizing and implementing our body worn camera policies.”