Just because an officer videotapes a controversial encounter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll ever get to see it.
As of October 1, North Carolina will bar police footage from the public domain, but the state is far from alone in seeking to block access to footage of police encounters.
At least 19 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws on public access to police body camera footage, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the National Conference of State Legislatures, which track such laws.
States with laws restricting access to body camera footage
Minnesota Missouri Nevada (state has another law for state Highway Patrol Division) New Hampshire North Carolina (effective October 1, 2016) North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina Texas Utah Washington
States that have proposed legislation on body cam footage restrictions
Iowa Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi New Jersey New York: Ohio Rhode Island Tennessee Vermont Virginia Wisconsin.
