When we hear of a major incident that involves police, one of the first things we ask is: Was the officer involved wearing a body camera, and can we see the footage?
The use of body cameras by Iowa law enforcement has steadily increased since 2017.
There are two main reasons the cameras may begin taping: To collect evidence in case a case moves forward and to protect officers against accusations of wrongdoing.
But what if you want to see the footage as a citizen?
The City of Des Moines considers footage a matter of public record and can be made available through an open records request. However, if the video is part of an open investigation, you'll likely have to wait until the case is completed.
In Cedar Rapids, police have a different policy: Viewing body cam footage is considered a "non-public investigative police report information", meaning you can only receive access if the Chief of Police approves the request.
The ACLU of Iowa has been pushing for a statewide law regarding body camera footage. Legislation was introduced in 2017 but failed to go anywhere beyond that.
20 states have a universal policy on the books for body cam usage, data retention and sharing of video. Currently, nothing has been introduced in Iowa this legislative session.
While troopers with the Iowa State patrol do not use body cameras, they do have dash cams inside their vehicles.