Ohio residents could face fees of up to $750 for access to police body camera footage

Ohio residents could face fees of up to 0 for access to police body camera footage

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Ohio residents may soon have to pay hundreds of dollars to access police body camera footage. It's a controversial provision added days ago to the state's broad legislative package. Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law HB 315, a 450-page omnibus bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to charge the public for police video such as body cameras, dash cams and jail surveillance footage. The new law allows agencies to charge up to $75 per hour of video footage, capped at $750 per request, to cover the cost of processing the video. DeWine is a supporter of police cameras, emphasizing the importance and accountability of body cameras and dash cams to law enforcement. However, he acknowledged that the increased demand for footage places an “unfunded burden” on law enforcement because of the time and labor required to provide these public records. Still, some, such as Republican Rep. Bill Seitz, argued that public agencies would only have to pay if they choose to copy footage, clarifying that people could still inspect records for free and even record footage on their own devices. However, the new charges are causing concern. Lawmaker Niraj Antani warned the charges could be “burdensome” and legal expert Jonathan Entin said many people may not be able to afford the costs, making them unlikely Request these videos. Less access to such footage could hamper cases involving police violence. Like this: Like Loading… Discover more from Baller Alert Subscribe to have the latest posts delivered to your email.

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