Group pushes for change in how police use body camera footage in officer shooting probes

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — An influential policing think tank is pushing law enforcement agencies to change how they handle body camera footage after police shootings. The Police Executive Research Forum says officers should not be able to review video before making their first statements to investigators. The group changed its position in a report released Friday, nearly 10 years after it was first tapped by the Justice Department to write guidelines for agencies adopting body cameras. Body cameras are coming into more widespread use by U.S. agencies, though research is mixed on their effectiveness in reducing police use of force.