US Marshals to allow altered body camera rules

US Marshals to allow altered body camera rules
Kaelan Deese
·2 min read

The Justice Department has agreed for the first time to allow local police assigned to federal fugitive task forces to release body camera video to the public following officer-involved shootings.

The change, detailed in a July 12 memo obtained by NBC News, marks a major shift for law enforcement, as many critics have called for greater transparency and pressured the Justice Department to work toward reform since the widespread protests following the death of George Floyd last summer.

“The U.S. Marshals has done the right thing in embracing the fact that this is not something that we want — this is something that we are demanding,” said Orlando, Florida, Police Chief Orlando Rolon. Rolon, along with other police chiefs, placed pressure on the Justice Department by removing his officers off the U.S. Marshals Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force late last year.

Changes outlined in the memo will only apply to Marshals Service task forces. Local authorities that assign officers to work with federal agencies under the Justice Department still won't have the authority to release body camera footage.

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“The goal is to improve transparency with the public as well as to work to meet the needs of our partner agencies who help make our federal task forces possible,” Justice Department spokeswoman Kristina Mastropasqua told NBC.

The U.S. Marshals Service leads task forces targeting people wanted on arrest warrants on suspicion of crimes such as narcotics deals or murder incidents. The federal agents do not wear body cameras, and local police assigned to the task forces previously lacked the authority to release their video following violent encounters because federal authorities retained ownership of the video and local police needed prior approval to release footage.

There are roughly 65 Marshals Service task forces in the United States, including about 3,500 local officers who have the authority to cross state lines to chase suspects.

Each year, an average of 22 people are killed in encounters with Marshals Service task forces, according to data from 2015 to September 2020 by the Marshall Project, a nonprofit news source focused on criminal justice.

The Justice Department has been working toward applying reform measures for federal authorities throughout the year, announcing in June that body cameras will be required for all federal law enforcement when executing warrants or making arrests.

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Rolon and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.

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Tags: News, Police, Body Cameras, Federal, Justice Department, shooting

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: US Marshals to allow altered body camera rules

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