PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A recent audit by the Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission found that officers aren’t using body-worn cameras correctly about a third of the time.
The report pulled a random sample of traffic stop incidents from January in the 24th Police District, which patrols Kensington, Port Richmond and Harrowgate. It compared how officers used the cameras versus the department directives.
While more than 70% of officers used the cameras “appropriately,” according to the audit, most of the footage was not compliant. Only about half of the recorded videos met all the required criteria.
In more than a third of incidents, some officers started recording late, or some stopped early.
The commission recommended that police commanders remind officers of when and how they should be operating the cameras, and advise that supervisors should verify that cameras attached to officers are properly set to record.
A police spokesperson said the department has reviewed the report, stating that “audits like this help us identify ways to improve.”