Buried on page 72 of New Ohio HB 315 It's a provision that will make it more difficult for police to get footage from those cameras. As reported by News 5 ClevelandA new bill would allow police to charge people who submit public records requests for body camera footage. Cost? Up to $75 per hour and total not to exceed $750.
That's a lot of money. For public records requests
The following is the actual text of the relevant sections of the bill:
“State or local law enforcement agencies may charge the requester for actual costs associated with preparing video recordings for review or production. with no more than seventy-five dollars per hour for video production. or the total amount does not exceed seven hundred and fifty dollars. As used in this department, 'actual costs' relate only to video recordings. means all costs incurred by state or local law enforcement agencies to investigate, blur, or obscure, enhance, upload, or produce video recordings, including, but not limited to, the recording media used to make the recordings. Employee time and other expenses relevant information necessary to comply with the request.”
The bill would also allow police to charge requestors before police begin processing the video. “State or local law enforcement agencies may include a requirement in their public records policy that the requester pay an estimated actual cost before beginning the process of preparing video recordings for production inspections,” the statement reads. stated
The bill has received strong backlash from the media and local authorities. Governors and police have argued that cutting video for public consumption would take them and valuable resources away from policing.
“Law enforcement agencies should not have to choose between diverting resources to officers on the street to moving them to administrative work, such as reviewing lengthy video edits. which the agency does not receive compensation And especially when the video requester is Private companies want to make money from these videos,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. stated in a statement to the media
Marion, Ohio Police Chief Jay McDonald told the Ohio Capital Journal Part of this is an attempt to stop police from cutting clips for YouTubers. “They want domestic violence. They want to drive drunk. They want a bar fight,” Macdonald said. “Processing body camera requests like that takes hours and hours. And it really makes the job of the media, lawyers or citizens who make the request more difficult.”
It's true that there is a cottage industry of YouTubers and streamers who crop body camera footage for viewing. It is also true that fees of up to $750 could prevent them from doing business in Ohio. It could also be damaging to independent journalists and small newsrooms. who must rely on body camera footage to prosecute police
It can also exclude vulnerable citizens who interact with police from seeing the interaction.
Last September Wisconsin signed Act 253 becomes law. Similar to Ohio law Instead, it targets a narrower group of people who will profit from body camera footage. While this affects YouTubers, it also affects journalists. Texas– FloridaAnd many other states charge a fee to process body camera images.
Ohio law is not a blanket requirement of state police departments. But it only limits what they can charge. Every department will have to decide for itself whether, if any, to charge for giving the tapes to the public. Cleveland, for its part, said it would hold off for the time being.
“We are currently investigating. We are required to conduct our own research before enacting any policy,” said city spokesman Tyler Sinclair. told News 5 Cleveland–
Sinclair added that at least the press would get free body camera footage. “Freedom of the media is the cornerstone of democracy. And we believe strongly in the important role traditional media plays in holding government accountable,” he said. “As a result, we have no plans to charge traditional media members a fee. This is because we place great importance on our television, radio, print and digital media partners.”