Legislation or Bill(s)

Three bills proposed in state legislature (SB 5732, HB 1910, HB 1917) would have addressed body camera use, but none passed

Collection of Video

SB 5732 would require cameras to be operated continuously while an officer is on duty

Retention of Video

SB 5732 would retain "unflagged" recordings for 60-75 days and "flagged" recordings for three years or durin any investigation. Recordings would be "flagged" when (1) related to and incident involving the use of force or for which a formal/informal complaint is registered, (2) requested by the recording subject, (3) requested by any person, as long as the recording was not made inside a private residence and the requester presents specific fact to support a reasonable belief that law enforcement misconduct occurred during the incident related to the recording.

HB 1917 would require recordings to be retained for as long as any crime may be charged based on the events, communications, or conversations recorded

FOIA Exemptions

None

RCW 46.35, while not specifically referencing police dashcams, provides that recordings made in a motor vehicle may not be accessed by a person other than the vehicle's owner, except pursuant to a court order or discovery request, and even then the information is private and confidential