"On the proposal to equip state troopers for the first time with body cameras to record interactions with the public, Beshear said they are 'critical for public transparency and accountability,' but also 'provide just as much protection to law enforcement officers themselves by documenting exactly what happens in any situation.'"
"Effective and independent police review requires direct access to body-worn camera footage. Oversight agencies cannot hold officers accountable for misconduct and foster greater trust between communities and law enforcement if the police withhold, redact, or delay the production of critical evidence."
Until KSP ceases to abuse KRS 61.878(1)(h) and to default to KRS 17.150(2) as a basis for denying the public access to public records on the flimsiest of bases — and the attorney general and courts repudiate this facile invocation of the statute(s)— all the body cameras and video in the world will fall short of "effective and independent police review" and the restoration of even a semblance of trust "between communities and law enforcement."
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=51393
https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46877
