Body Worn Camera FAQ's

The West Hennepin Public Safety Department deployed body-worn cameras (BWC) in March 2022. All uniformed patrol officers now use BWCs in conjunction with our long-standing in-squad camera systems. Prior to this, WHPS utilized weapon-mounted cameras from 2017 to 2024, which were discontinued following the adoption of BWCs. 

WHPS has used in-squad cameras for many years to collect evidence, document encounters, and promote transparency and accountability. Body-worn cameras significantly expand this capability by capturing video and audio of interactions outside the squad car, offering a more complete record of events. 

Yes. All uniformed patrol officers are issued and are required to wear a body-worn camera while on duty. 

Officers must activate their BWC in accordance with Minnesota Statute § 626.8473 and WHPS policy when engaged in:

• Vehicle pursuits
• Traffic stops
• Investigative pedestrian stops
• Searches, seizures, and arrests
• Use of force incidents
• Adversarial, hostile, or confrontational encounters
• Any other activities likely to yield evidence of value 

Once activated, the BWC must remain on until the conclusion of the incident or until additional recording is unlikely to capture evidentiary information. Officers must document in their reports when video is recorded and any instances when it was not recorded as required.

Yes. BWCs may be used during any law enforcement encounter, including inside private residences and other sensitive locations when officers are lawfully present. Most BWC data is considered private under Minnesota law and is not accessible to the general public unless permitted by statute. 

Officers are not required to verbally notify individuals that a BWC is recording, but the devices are worn in plain view on the officer’s uniform. Community members may ask an officer if the camera is on or request that it be turned on. 

In most situations, officers cannot end a recording solely based on a request. However, WHPS policy allows an officer to consider stopping the recording if specific privacy concerns outweigh the law enforcement need for continued recording.

BWCs will be activated to document any use of force or other information with evidentiary value. Officers generally will not record solely to capture symptoms or behavior attributable to a mental health crisis and will avoid recording inside medical or mental health facilities unless necessary to document criminal activity, use of force, or an adversarial encounter.

BWC data is presumptively private under Minnesota law.

• While an investigation is active, recordings are classified as confidential. 
• Once an investigation is closed, only individuals depicted in the video (or their legal representatives) may request access, with certain redactions as required by law.
• Limited circumstances where recordings may be public include:
  • Use of force by an officer resulting in substantial bodily harm
  • Discharge of a firearm outside of training or animal control
  • At the request of a recorded subject (with redactions)
  • Final disposition of disciplinary action against a public employee

Requests are evaluated individually to ensure compliance with state law and protection of privacy.

Officers may review their own recordings, and supervisors have access to all recordings for oversight, training, and investigative purposes. State law also requires an independent audit of the BWC program every two years to ensure compliance with policy and statutory requirements. 

BWCs provide valuable evidence but cannot capture everything an officer sees or hears. Video is recorded from a fixed position on the officer’s uniform and may be affected by lighting, movement, or obstructions. While useful, BWC video supplements but does not replace a thorough investigation. 

Yes. WHPS BWCs record a 30-second pre-event buffer without audio before manual activation, ensuring critical moments immediately preceding activation are captured on video.