FAQs • Town and Country, MO • CivicEngage

Why can’t a BWC record continuously during an entire shift?: Much of the work an officer completes throughout a shift can be considered administrative in nature (report writing, paperwork, etc). There are also times during an officer’s shift where there may be an expectation of privacy. Additionally, requiring the continuous recording of an entire 12-hour shift would put an unnecessary strain on system resources (e.g., storage space, video management).

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Body-Worn Camera Program

1. Can an Officer record inside my home?: Yes. However, in locations where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a residence, individuals may request that an officer not record them. Officers will evaluate each situation and when an officer deems it appropriate, may honor the individual’s request.

2. Will interviews with victims and witnesses be recorded?: It depends on the situation. Individuals may request that an officer not record them. Officers will evaluate each situation and when an officer deems it appropriate, may honor the individual’s request.

3. Will Officers use BWCs to record casual conversations with community members?: Generally, no. Our primary use of the cameras will be in situations when officers are responding to calls for service and during law enforcement-related activities, such as traffic stops, arrests, searches, interviews, and pursuits.

4. Why shouldn’t all video recorded by Police be available to the public?: Requests for video are subject to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Additionally, one of the most critical issues for people interacting with police is privacy. People often need to seek police assistance when they are going through difficult personal challenges. Certain groups of citizens have strong specific privacy protections – particularly juveniles. Victims also have privacy protections in the law.

5. Who can I contact if I have questions about the Town and Country Police Department BWC program?: Please contact Lieutenant Daniel Wilkey with any questions.

While BWCs can be a useful tool and can provide a unique perspective on police encounters, there are limitations:

Body-worn cameras cannot capture what happened outside of the camera’s view or potentially the causation for actions shown depending on the camera’s perspective and breadth of view. How the camera is mounted and the angle at which the camera is mounted all affects the perception of what is seen (officer vs. suspect perspective).
Some important danger cues can’t be recorded (tensing of muscles, pulling away, etc.)
The night vision component of a camera can see far better than the human eye.
An officer’s body may block the view of the camera.

7. Is your Body Worn Camera Policy publicly available?: Yes, it is. You can view our policy HERE.

8. Will every Officer in the Police Department have a BWC?: All members of the police department, with the exception of the Executive Command Staff, will be issued BWCs.

9. How many cameras will the Town and Country Police Department deploy when the program is complete?: 23 BWCs will be actively deployed when the program is fully implemented.

10. When will the Camera be turned on?: Our BWC Policy contains a detailed list of situations for which a BWC should be activated. Essentially, an officer shall continuously record any incident in which an officer has reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a crime has occurred.

11. Why can’t a BWC record continuously during an entire shift?: Much of the work an officer completes throughout a shift can be considered administrative in nature (report writing, paperwork, etc). There are also times during an officer’s shift where there may be an expectation of privacy. Additionally, requiring the continuous recording of an entire 12-hour shift would put an unnecessary strain on system resources (e.g., storage space, video management).

12. Where will the BWC video be stored?: BWC video will be stored on a server located within the police department.

13. How long is the video kept?: All BWC recordings not scheduled for court proceedings, litigation holds, active investigations or other departmental uses shall be maintained for a minimum 30 days in accordance with the Missouri Police Clerks Records Retention Schedule (PDF).

14. Is an Officer required to tell me when I’m being recorded?: Officers are not obligated to announce if they have activated their BWC.

15. What if I don’t want to be recorded?: This depends on the situation. There may be times when an individual may not wish to be recorded, especially in locations where they may have an expectation of privacy (such as a residence). If the officer feels that stopping the recording will not in any way hamper the investigation, then the officer may choose to turn off the BWC; However, officers are not obligated to stop the recording of incidents involving an investigation, lawful search, arrest or other circumstances that clearly dictate that continued recording is necessary.