HPD establishes body-camera policy

The Honolulu Police Department has crafted a nine-page policy on the use of body-worn cameras for its officers as it gears up for a pilot project scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

Acting Police Chief Cary Okimoto updated the Honolulu Police Commission on the project at a meeting Wednesday.

The pilot project will involve about 20 cameras. Part of the complement will go to the Traffic Division’s solo bike detail, which has officers with significant interactions with the public, Okimoto said. The rest of the cameras will be worn by officers on the Third Watch (2-11 p.m.) in Patrol District 1, also known as the Central Honolulu Patrol District, which stretches from Liliha Street to Punahou Street, he said.

The policy, dated March 29 and placed on the department’s website last week, states that HPD “believes transparency is critical in establishing public trust and uses body-worn camera recordings to document police interaction.”

The policy was reviewed by the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, although the Hawaii Labor Relations Board ruled last year that SHOPO has no say on body camera policy after concluding, in a case involving the Kauai Police Department, it is not an issue subject to negotiation. That ruling was confirmed by a Circuit Court judge. SHOPO officials, who insist they support body cams but think their use needs to be put into a contract, have appealed to the Hawaii Supreme Court.

HPD officials told the Hono­lulu City Council Budget Committee last month that it has budgeted $1 million for the pilot project, but added that may not be enough.

The recordings will aid HPD’s ability “to provide evidence for investigative and prosecutorial purposes” and to improve officer evaluation and training, the policy states.

Officers will wear only department-issued video recording devices and must undergo training before using them. At the beginning of a shift, they will need to inspect and test their equipment to ensure it is charged and functioning properly.

The cameras are to be activated whenever officers respond to calls for service or initiate an encounter with the public. The devices are not to be deactivated until a call or encounter is concluded or ordered by a supervisor, the policy states.

Victims of crimes or those making anonymous reports may be asked if they want recordings stopped, the policy states. Officers are not required to activate their body cameras when dealing with victims of crimes of a sensitive nature or when recordings would risk the safety of witnesses.

Recordings would be prohibited in areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as restrooms and locker rooms, and situations where police tactics or procedures, or the identities of confidential informants or undercover operatives, could be compromised, the policy states.

Otherwise, officers wearing body cameras who fail to activate their cameras will need to notify their supervisors and document what happened, while those who decide to discontinue using them will need to state that decision with the camera still on.

A body-worn camera administrator will oversee storage, inventory and equipment, access to the data and handle public requests for recorded data. Public releases of body camera footage will require the approval of the police chief or the body-worn camera administrator, the policy states.

Recordings are to be retained for 13 months unless they have value as evidence, other judicial reasons, or are to be used for training purposes. Recordings are to be retained no less than three years in cases where video captures the use of force or encounters that trigger complaints.

Okimoto said four vendors are under consideration for the pilot project. “We have to see which camera suits what we’re going to do in our day-to-day operations,” he said.

All three other Hawaii counties have at least begun pilot projects for body cameras. The Kauai County Police Department, the only Hawaii law enforcement agency to use them widely, has reported that complaints against officers have dropped since their policy went into place in December 2015.

The Honolulu policy is available on HPD’s website at 808ne.ws/HPDbodycams.

HPD policy for body-worn cameras by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd