Several communities are answering their own questions about what is and is not public record when it comes to police body camera footage. A state lawmaker is introducing a bill to provide a final answer. Ohio Public Radio's Andy Chow explains.
The bill creates several exemptions to public records laws for body cameras, such as if the video shows inside a private home, private business, or the victim of a sex crime.
Republican Representative Niraj Antani says body cameras are too new to have solid footing as far as public records are concerned.
Antani: “Right now it’s pretty much up to interpretation and it would and it will make it through the courts and then the courts would get to decide what it is, I think that it’s not up to the courts it’s up to the Legislature.”
Antani says any adverse police action, such as a police-involved shooting, automatically makes that video a public record.
