Columbus technology department officials say they are upgrading procedures to ensure police videos are not accidentally deleted in the future. Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said last week a worker in the Technical Services Bureau accidentally deleted over 100 thousand dashboard camera videos when the worker attempted to update the classifications under which they are filed. Department of Technology Director Sam Orth says while a prodecural review is underway, preventative steps are being taken.
The city is in the midst of equipping police with body cameras, a move sparked by officer-involved shootings in Columbus and around the country. Orth says the city plans to make back up copies to prevent future deletions.
Orth says the deleted videos likely cannot be retrieved, but copies were transferred to prosecutors.
