IACP NET CASE STUDY
Issue: Body-Worn Cameras
Located on the Minnesota River, Mankato is a city of contrasts – a rural college town not far from Minneapolis, with some big-city amenities including nationally touring concerts and theater productions. The city has a population of 40,119 but a contiguous population area of 96,740. More than 1.6 million people live within 60 miles of Mankato.
The Mankato Department of Public Safety in Mankato, Minnesota, has 55 sworn police officers and is committed to the service model of community governance. The department’s goal is to lead the way in delivering efficient and responsive public safety services for the greater good of the community and region.
In 2012, the department outfitted its squad cars with cameras that record audio and video to capture more information about driver and police actions during traffic stops. Overall, the officers and administrators have been pleased with the results as this information has helped the department handle complaints.
More recently, nationwide attention focused on police behavior in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, and Madison, Wisconsin, has increased calls for departments to adopt body-worn cameras. However, in many respects the technology is advancing faster than policies regarding its use.
Body-worn cameras increase police transparency by documenting evidence and situations at crime scenes, and accurately preserve information. But they also raise privacy issues, and can potentially damage relationships officers have established with community members.
Preliminary Investigation
Some Mankato officers have begun asking about using body-worn cameras, and wondering if they would be a good idea. A few officers have volunteered to test the cameras to help the department gain more information.
In the past, as members of the department worked to update their processes and procedures to ensure they’re following best practices, they often asked former classmates from Minnesota State University, Mankato, who are at other agencies about their policies and experiences in their communities.
Commander Matt DuRose, Mankato Department of Public Safety
“Overall, we’ve been happy with the information we received previously from our friends in other departments because we didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” said Commander Matt DuRose, Mankato Department of Public Safety. “Typically, other agencies had the knowledge and experience we were looking for, but with respect to body-worn cameras, we realized few agencies in Minnesota are using them, so our peer group locally is very small.”
Finding Global Best Practices
Trying to expand his knowledge base and more efficiently seek out information about data practices rules, internal policies, equipment, and other issues, DuRose looked at several other police-related websites. He found they weren’t easy to use and he didn’t find the answers he sought.
DuRose then turned to IACP Net, where he found research results on body-worn cameras. He also entered a few general Quest-ResponseSM posts on officers’ experiences with different camera models and brands, and their likes and dislikes.
“I’m very happy with the information about body-worn cameras I’ve received from the searches and requests we’ve done, so we can have the best possible policies for our citizens if and when we adopt them,” said DuRose. “The information is there and it’s in a usable form, so it’s easy to use and allows us to quickly access good information.”
In addition to the need to sort out data practices issues, their research identified other issues to consider before adopting body-worn cameras policies, such as the need for additional funding for networks and servers to handle and store the volume of video they would collect. Now they can confidently move forward with the planning that needs to be done before any final decisions are made.
“We’re happy with our squad cameras and the coverage they provide. But body-worn cameras aren’t going away, and having additional global resources for information like IACP Net helps clarify things to consider,” said DuRose. “If the media, the public, or members of the city council ask about body-worn cameras, I can talk about the pros and cons, and how we can potentially address this issue as a department.”
“It’s great to know that when we’re facing new issues, IACP Net will always be there as a valuable resource for technical and practical information that reaches beyond the scope of our local peer group.”
AGENCY STATS
Mankato Department of Public Safety
Location:
Mankato, Minnesota
Department Size
55 Sworn Officers
Area and Population Served
Minnesota River Valley, Population 1.6 Million
Leadership
Todd Miller, Director of Public Safety
Amy Vokal, Deputy Director
Matt DuRose, Public Safety Commander
Download a PDF of this case study, which also includes information on what the federal government has to say about body-worn cameras.
