The Chicago Tribune published an article about the possibility of Chicago Police wearing body cameras as a way to decrease police misconduct in the wake of the events in Ferguson, Missouri. As a result of the growing concern of police brutality throughout the country, body cameras have been considered as a potential solution by creating more oversight and transparency of law enforcement at large. However, the ACLU has suggested some basic privacy guidelines for their use that would address: notice to civilians; when to record; retention of images; and, disclosure of images. The Tribune spoke with ACLU of Illinois Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka:
An even trickier issue could be when the camera gets turned on or off. While the ACLU believes police officers don't need to keep the cameras rolling during their entire shifts, they should record every interaction they have with citizens — whether it's making an arrest or just giving out directions — to prevent racial profiling and other discrimination, said spokesman Edwin Yohnka.
If police control who they record, Yohnka said, that "leaves too much discretion with the officers to decide what's an informal conversation and what's a formal conversation."
