MINNEAPOLIS — The mayor and police chief of Minneapolis announced a new policy that will require officers to keep body cameras on at all times during most calls, even when having casual conversations at crime scenes with colleagues.
The change in the Minneapolis Police Department’s body camera protocols is the latest in a series of police reforms in Minnesota’s largest city since the custodial death of George Floyd last May. His death prompted nationwide protests and cast scrutiny on law enforcement practices critics say needed to be overhauled, ABC13 reported.
“Strengthening accountability and increasing transparency have been cornerstones of our community safety work,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement announcing the new policy. “This update helps leadership provide a more complete and accurate picture during and after incidents, and puts officers in a better position to hold each other accountable.”
Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said the new policy will take effect on Thursday.
“We’ve seen as a community and as a police force, body camera footage increasingly plays a crucial role in understanding critical events in our community,” Arradondo said in a statement. “Accountability is not achieved with any single solution, but changes like this move us toward an even more transparent approach to public safety and building trust with the communities we serve.”
