RCW 10.109 — USE OF BODY WORN CAMERAS | Revised Code of Washington — Washington

RCW 10.109.010 Policies.

(1) A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras must establish policies regarding the use of the cameras. The policies must, at a minimum, address: (a) When a body worn camera must be activated and deactivated, and when a law enforcement or corrections officer has the discretion to activate and deactivate the body worn camera; (b) How a law enforcement or corrections officer is to respond to circumstances when it would be reasonably anticipated that a person may be unwilling or less willing to communicate with an officer who is recording the communication with a body worn camera; (c) How a law enforcement or corrections officer will document when and why a body worn camera was deactivated prior to the conclusion of an interaction with a member of the public while conducting official law enforcement or corrections business; (d) How, and under what circumstances, a law enforcement or corrections officer is to inform a member of the public that he or she is being recorded, including in situations where the person is a non-English speaker or has limited English proficiency, or where the person is deaf or hard of hearing; (e) How officers are to be trained on body worn camera usage and how frequently the training is to be reviewed or renewed; and (f) Security rules to protect data collected and stored from body worn cameras. (2) A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras before June 9, 2016, must establish the policies within one hundred twenty days of June 9, 2016. A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras on or after June 9, 2016, must establish the policies before deploying body worn cameras. (1) A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras must establish policies regarding the use of the cameras. The policies must, at a minimum, address: (a) When a body worn camera must be activated and deactivated, and when a law enforcement or corrections officer has the discretion to activate and deactivate the body worn camera; (b) How a law enforcement or corrections officer is to respond to circumstances when it would be reasonably anticipated that a person may be unwilling or less willing to communicate with an officer who is recording the communication with a body worn camera; (c) How a law enforcement or corrections officer will document when and why a body worn camera was deactivated prior to the conclusion of an interaction with a member of the public while conducting official law enforcement or corrections business; (d) How, and under what circumstances, a law enforcement or corrections officer is to inform a member of the public that he or she is being recorded, including in situations where the person is a non-English speaker or has limited English proficiency, or where the person is deaf or hard of hearing; (e) How officers are to be trained on body worn camera usage and how frequently the training is to be reviewed or renewed; and (f) Security rules to protect data collected and stored from body worn cameras. (2) A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras before June 9, 2016, must establish the policies within one hundred twenty days of June 9, 2016. A law enforcement or corrections agency that deploys body worn cameras on or after June 9, 2016, must establish the policies before deploying body worn cameras.

RCW 10.109.020 Ordinance or resolution — Community involvement process.

For a city or town that is not deploying body worn cameras on June 9, 2016, a legislative authority of a city or town is strongly encouraged to adopt an ordinance or resolution authorizing the use of body worn cameras prior to their use by law enforcement or a corrections agency. Any ordinance or resolution authorizing the use of body worn cameras should identify a community involvement process for providing input into the development of operational policies governing the use of body worn cameras. For a city or town that is not deploying body worn cameras on June 9, 2016, a legislative authority of a city or town is strongly encouraged to adopt an ordinance or resolution authorizing the use of body worn cameras prior to their use by law enforcement or a corrections agency. Any ordinance or resolution authorizing the use of body worn cameras should identify a community involvement process for providing input into the development of operational policies governing the use of body worn cameras.

RCW 10.109.030 Limitations on use.

For state and local agencies, a body worn camera may only be used by officers employed by a general authority Washington law enforcement agency as defined in RCW 10.93.020 , any officer employed by the department of corrections, and personnel for jails as defined in RCW 70.48.020 and detention facilities as defined in RCW 13.40.020 . For state and local agencies, a body worn camera may only be used by officers employed by a general authority Washington law enforcement agency as defined in RCW 10.93.020 , any officer employed by the department of corrections, and personnel for jails as defined in RCW 70.48.020 and detention facilities as defined in RCW 13.40.020 .