GSN_May_FINAL_Yumpu

Law Enforcement/Public Safety
Study: Utility claims BodyWorn
cameras save thousands because
of auto redacting
By Steve Bittenbender
Editor, Government Security News
Utility CEO Robert McKeeman calls
redacting of images captured by police
body-worn cameras the “elephant in the
room.”
The work it takes to intentionally distort
innocent bystanders and other nonessential
elements – for privacy protection
purposes – from body camera
footage is often considered an arduous
task that sometimes complicates and
lengthens the time it takes for footage to
be released to the public.
However, McKeeman, whose company
produces the BodyWorn camera systems,
said that the ability to automatically
redact extraneous images that are not
necessary to the case at hand. It means
the press, the public, juries and judges
can see the evidence without jeopardizing
the privacy concerns of those in the
background.
Further, McKeeman said, auto redacting
is a tremendous cost saver, and a
recent study published by his company
shows police departments can save significantly
through automatic redaction.
“It is the major cost that rarely gets
considered when evaluating body cameras,
even though handling redaction
automatically could end up improving
operations and saving departments millions,”
he said. “Police transparency and
accountability, and protecting the privacy
of police officers and citizens, very
much depends upon being able to redact
video quickly and at low cost. We encourage
all Police Departments to tailor
our analysis to their specific situation so
they make an informed purchase choice
that provides the best solution to increase
police officer safety while also providing
the best value for their taxpayers.”
The call for police departments to implement
body-worn cameras has grown
louder in recent years as a number of
high-profile incidents called into question
how officers treat suspects. At the
same time, however, civil rights advocates
have questioned how the use of
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