Legislation or Bill(s)

San Diego currently has 600 officers equipped with cameras and plans to equip up to 1,000 by the end of the year.

Collection of Video

Procedure requires officers to record audio and video during enforcement related contacts until after the contact is concluded. Enforcement related contacts include traffic stops, field interviews, detentions, arrests, and interactions with persons present at radio calls who are accused of crimes. Officers may turn cameras off in areas with privacy expectation, medical facilities, for domestic victim and witness interviews, and peaceful demonstrations

Retention of Video

Department policy requires officer to enter metadata for any recorded event and then upload the video to a website that impounds the data for retention. All recordings related to any criminal proceeding, claim filed, pending litigation, or a personnel complaint, are to be preserved until the matter is resolved and/or in accordance with state law

FOIA Exemptions

The department is treating all videos as evidence and therefore is not releasing them in the interest of protecting on-going investigations

The department treats body camera and dash cam footage under the same release policies