Report on Body-Worn Camera Data Management

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Police Body Camera Audit

Regulatory and Compliance Guidance

What is a Police Body Camera Audit?

Ensure Police Body Camera Data Management Meets Compliance

Per some state statutes (including Minnesota), law enforcement agencies must arrange for an independent audit of the agency’s police Body Worn Camera (BWC) data management practices. This includes data classification, data usage, and data destruction.

How can we help?

Speak with one of our security experts to get started on your path to meeting your regulatory obligations.

How does FRSecure approach police body camera audits?

FRSecure will conduct an audit to evaluate the operational processes and security controls used to manage the use of police body cameras and their recorded data. We will validate that these controls and operational processes are in compliance with the matching state statutes.

Police Body Camera Audit Steps

01.

Interview Staff

It’s important to talk to personnel who are responsible for managing and maintaining body camera data and technology systems. This will also help personnel understand how their daily functions impact the agency and its requirements.

02.

Technical Review

Once the interview is conducted, the analyst will examine the police body camera management system and configurations.

03.

Administrative Review

With interviews and technical reviews complete, our analysts will evaluate policies and procedures related to the access and handling of those police body cam systems and data.

04.

Attestation

After gathering all of the information necessary, and assuming compliance, a letter of attestation will be provided on your behalf to the governing body no later than 60 days following completion of the audit.

Police Body Camera Requirements by State

California

Police departments must utilize best practices like establishing protocols and temporal standards for downloading data, developing measures to prevent misuse or tampering of the data, categorizing the nature of incidents at the time of download, and stating the length of time the data must be stored.

Florida

Requires law enforcement agencies to perform periodic review of actual agency body camera practices to ensure conformity with agency's policies and procedures.

Georgia

Standards for the release of body camera data for public record requests have been established. The law excludes body camera recordings from public records when they are taken in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, and no criminal investigation is pending.

Illinois

Requires each law enforcement agency using police body cameras to report annually for each recording used in certain prosecutions and include information on the time, date, location, and precinct of the incident, the offense charged, the file date, and any other relevant information.

Minnesota

Requires law enforcement agencies that use police body cameras to conduct biennial independent audits (every two years) and provide attestation.

Nevada

If agencies use police body cameras, they must develop procedures that address camera activation, the prohibition of recording general activity, protections for privacy and disciplinary rules for officers who violate policies.law enables police departments to use body cameras.

Oregon

Requires police departments to develop procedures for police body camera use and data storage. The policies must require data to be retained for at least 180 days but not longer than 30 months for data not related to a criminal investigations.

Pennsylvania

Requires a law enforcement agency that receives a request to provide the police body camera recording or identify in writing the basis for denying the request within 30 days of receiving it—unless the requester and law enforcement agency agree to a longer time period.

Washington D.C.

Requires audits of compliance, privacy protection, security, and the impact of the program on reports, complaints, and uses of force. The mayor must also establish police body camera rules that set standards for access to recordings, set retention standard for recordings, procedures for auditing, data security, and cost for FOIA requests.

“FRSecure’s services help us maintain compliance with our major banking clients. The process was smooth and painless. They’re incredibly knowledgeable, very helpful, and willing to answer anything. We’re very happy with the quality they provide.”

Financial Manager

Mackoff Kellogg Law Firm

Police Body Camera Audit FAQ

Which states mandate the use of police body cameras?

California
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Maryland
Minnesota
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin

How often does a police body camera audit need to be conducted?

Each state has unique requirements as listed above. In the state of Minnesota, police body camera audits are required to be conducted every two years.

Are FRSecure analysts background checked before engaging with body camera data?

Because we are not actually given access to the data, we are not required to do background checks to conduct these audits. However, all FRSecure employees go through background screening upon hire. Also, despite it being optional, our analysts will participate in Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) training to ensure we complete the process properly and with care.

How much does a police body camera audit cost?

Our body camera audits can be done virtually or in-person. Depending on that decision, other regulatory factors, and budgeting roughly 15 hours of analyst time between the four steps listed above, you can expect to pay between $6,000 – $7,500 per audit.

The FRSecure Way

Why work with FRSecure?

Expertise

FRSecure has been in business for over 10 years, and our team has more than 300 years of combined experience working in information security and boasts 30 different kinds of certifications. When it comes to growing a security program that complies with regulatory standards, you have the benefit of experience in your corner.

Mission

Our mission at FRSecure is to fix the broken information security industry. Not only do we help you comply with standards, but we also solve as many weaknesses as we can in your security environment. We are dedicated to making real, lasting, impactful changes to your security and data management efforts.

Style

Our style isn’t “cookie cutter.” We recognize that each organization is different, and every security program is at a different stage of maturity. We get to know your security program intimately, use assessents to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are, and then apply industry best practices to provide next steps that’ll help you meet regulatory requirements.

Focus

Information security is all we do. We don’t do IT, sell hardware, or provide telco services. We only do security. Because of this, our team can provide unbiased recommendations that will actually make a dramatic impact to the way you do security and data management. We work hard to be a partner—collaborating with and educating your team every step of the way.

“FRSecure’s recommendations have resulted in a level one PCI certification, which is the highest level of certification a company can achieve. Their highly personalized recommendations and services have resulted in heightened security and continual growth in business.”

Security Administrator

Premier Printing Company