Video footage from police body cameras: Potential Issues Arising from Police Data Storage?
In the modern era of policing, the use of body cameras by law enforcement agencies has become increasingly common, not just in the United States, but also in the UK. However, this shift towards digital evidence collection has brought about a new challenge: managing the vast amounts of video data produced by these devices.
The Wilmington Police Department in the US, for instance, is grappling with hours upon hours of footage after officers hit the record button. The Chief of Police has even suggested a suspension on further body camera purchases until they can find a solution to get desk-bound sergeants back on the streets. Similarly, the Birmingham Police Department in the UK is concerned they will exceed their data storage limit as they equip more than 300 officers with body cameras, having already used 1.5 terabytes of their 5 terabytes storage in just two months.
This exponential growth in data is not something that existing IT systems are equipped to handle. As a result, police forces are turning to hosted and managed cloud storage services as a cost-effective, scalable solution. Cloud storage, unlike traditional onsite storage solutions, is an OPEX purchase, not a one-time upfront CAPEX cost, making costs for a cloud service predictable and controlled.
However, the decision to move to the cloud is not without its considerations. For critical data such as that recorded by police officers' body cams, there needs to be very solid and enforceable contracts, as well as clarity around SLAs, lock-ins, and other terms. The data should be stored in at least three copies in geographically disparate locations for ultra-safe and secure, long-term, large-scale data storage.
Moreover, the cloud service provider should be certified to a data security standard such as ISO 27001, and have audits and insurance to back their guarantees. The contract and SLA should specify where the data will be stored, under what conditions it can be changed, and include clear statements regarding data integrity, data security, and data recovery.
The use of body camera equipment by police forces is producing a large volume of video data that needs to be stored indefinitely for legal reasons. A lawsuit stemming from a police department deleting body camera footage to make room in their cloud storage, or from video footage that has no evidential integrity, is inevitable if these measures are not taken.
Digital archiving companies like Arkivum offer cloud-based, managed archiving and storage solutions that provide bit-level data preservation as a cost-effective alternative to traditional onsite storage solutions for large-scale data. These services are designed to preserve data over very long periods of time (decades), irrespective of the data volumes.
The unexpected consequences of mishandling body camera footage could potentially lead to a decrease in public trust in the police. Therefore, it is crucial that police forces take the necessary steps to ensure the secure and timely long-term storage of this valuable data.
Nik Stanbridge, VP Marketing at Arkivum, emphasises the importance of this issue, stating that for critical data such as that recorded by police officers' body cams, there needs to be very solid and enforceable contracts, as well as clarity around SLAs, lock-ins, and other terms. In the digital age, the integrity of evidence is paramount, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it is preserved for future generations.
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