North Carolina Officially Bars Police-Cam Footage From Public View

Can a state achieve more police accountability by giving the public less access to police field procedures? On Monday, Governor Pat McCrory signed into law the bill passed by North Carolina’s general assembly late last month that makes police camera footage off limits to the public. North Carolina is now officially a case study for this seemingly backward approach to police transparency.

Now, citizens who’ve been recorded via police-worn body cameras or police dashboard cameras can only view the recording at the discretion of a police chief or sheriff. If those law-enforcement officials decide not to let a person see the recording, that person will now need a court order to view it. In general, police-cam footage will not be a matter of public record—nor will it become part of a police officer’s personnel file.