Rules and Regulations Establishing Statewide Policy for the Use and Operation of Body-Worn Cameras

Regulation Authority:

R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-161-4

Purpose and Reason:

The current rules and regulations are being amended as part of the Office of the Attorney General’s annual policy review to ensure the rules and regulations remain consistent with state law, societal developments and feedback from state law enforcement agencies. The proposed amendments are to clarify the scope of the regulation in specific contexts. For example, the Office has updated the language to clarify when the existence of a BWC Recording must be included in written narratives and when a BWC Office is required to activate their BWC. In addition, one of the proposed amendments corrects a grammatical error. Finally, the proposed amendments revise the procedures governing how and when a BWC Office can view or access their BWC recordings.  

These proposed amendments govern Rhode Island law enforcement agencies using and operating body-worn cameras in connection with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-161, the statewide Body-Worn Camera Program.